Temps on a long ride

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Jul 13, 2014 | 04:53 PM

#11

Retrop

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Joined: Nov 2008

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I rode 160 miles yesterday at 75 mph, in sixth gear the whole way and when I pulled into the garage I immediately checked my oil temp and it was 321.3 degrees. The ambient air temp was 102 degrees. That is not even close to being critical. When your engine gets too hot, your jugs will start to smoke a little and you will have trouble accelerating. The Harley engineers are perfectly aware that these are "air cooled" internal combustion engines, (or they should be).
I could tell you what kind of oil I use but then it would turn into another oil thread.

Jul 13, 2014 | 04:55 PM

#12

grbrown

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Joined: Jun 2007

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From: Bedford UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustDave13

We rode out to Zion National Park in June of this year on my 2013 Heritage. Going through Vegas the outside temp was as high as 110, my front head temp while going 70 mph was at 296. The highest my head temp got was 360, this was in slow moving traffic riding into the park with outside temps around 95-100.
These things are designed to take the heat so I don't worry.

Thanks for confirming that Dave. These things are a darned sight more hardy than some of their riders! Now if the MoCo would just stop fitting all those silly unnecessary gauges......

Jul 13, 2014 | 06:24 PM

#13

bigskyroadglide

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Joined: Sep 2010

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From: Mountain West, Big Sky Country

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducatidesmo

Understood and appreciate the reply yall.

I was thinking about richening bringing the afr to 13.5 (currently at 14.5 in crusing conditions) and going open loop, but I'll leave it as is.

Thanks again.

I would drop the afr to around 14 or 14.2 at cruise. Your temp on the PV is head temp. Ive always tried to run between 245 and 265, not 300.

At 300 and up your just asking for trouble

My .02

Jul 13, 2014 | 06:46 PM

#14

SoCalMike

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Joined: Jan 2012

Posts: 489

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From: San Diego, CA

I don't know, that's pretty damn hot. I can't tell you how many bikes I've seen on the side of the road in a puddle of molten metal. It starts out with a ride that starts feeling a little light on power. After that the ride gets a little soft as the frame starts to flex and bow. Before you know it the seat gets closer to the ground and you're leaving a trail of chrome, aluminum, and steel behind before the tires finally melt and you're left sitting on the ground in a puddle of metal. You should park it and call HD to tell them it's hot in Washington and they should test their bikes there and make them melt proof.

Or, as some have suggested you could make the assumption that after 100+ years of building bikes they can build them to withstand the harsh and brutal summers of Washington and just ride the thing . . . . (that's my vote).

Sorry, I couldn't resist. This has to be one of most common comments/questions after "which pipe sounds best'. Seriously, the bike is fine, just ride.

Jul 13, 2014 | 06:50 PM

#15

JustDave13

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Joined: Aug 2013

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From: Somewhere SW

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigskyroadglide

I would drop the afr to around 14 or 14.2 at cruise. Your temp on the PV is head temp. Ive always tried to run between 245 and 265, not 300.

At 300 and up your just asking for trouble

My .02

If you crack open the stock tune for your bike using PV you would see that under ignition timing the MoCo has a timing strategy for head temps.
They pull timing according to head temp all the way up to 465 degrees.
In other words the MoCo is anticipating the head temp to get well over 400.

Here in the south west my head temps can hit 300 in stop and go traffic just going across town.

Jul 13, 2014 | 06:59 PM

#16

bigskyroadglide

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Joined: Sep 2010

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From: Mountain West, Big Sky Country

Yes I agree that's the MoCo strategy. Its not my strategy, I add fuel so I don't have to pull back timing, in addition the addtl fuel cools the engine and power stays up even tho outside temp is going up. I have been breaking in a 120r dealing with the MoCos version of performance finally gave up and replaced the EPA driven ecm with a tmax and now heat is a distance memory and the 120r runs like a dream.

The PV is a good tuner however auto tune adjust the ve tables to stay in closed loop if you let it and temps stay up and you suffer with some power loss.

I would rather have power and poor economy along with a cooler engine vs reduced timing.

My thoughts. Your opinion is probably different