Oil temp gauge?

[Vlad]

There's a guy out here in Morongo Valley California who sells them for $69.95.....I have one on order for my 1250....

No offense, but an oil temp gauge is borderline useful on an oil cooled 1200 - I can't see it serving any purpose on a water cooled 1250. Maybe cool bling effect, but for $70 + shipping...

[txbanditrydr]

Maybe cool bling effect, but for $70 + shipping...

It is a nice bling-thing....  maybe too tempting though.  I've cleaned up the OEM filler cap and stashed it under the seat in case it gets swiped - experience has taught me that a revving B-12 motor without a filler cap is just a 100hp atomizer and will make a huge mess.     (don't ask...  )

[Bandit1250]

No offense, but an oil temp gauge is borderline useful on an oil cooled 1200 - I can't see it serving any purpose on a water cooled 1250. Maybe cool bling effect, but for $70 + shipping...[/quote]


No offense taken.......one reason I like one is on a cold morning (I live two blocks from the freeway), I don't like to stress a cold engine, so I take off when the temp reads 100 or so.

If you're running your Bandit hard in the twisties on a HOT day wouldn't you like to know if you need to back off a bit if your engine was starting to run HOT?? Why have "just" one line of defense with the idiot light?
Not sure i get your point about air cooled VS water cooled, any engine can overheat, I don't see how a temp guage wouldn't be beneficial on ANY motorcycle they ALL should have them......if you think about it ANY internal combustion engine should have one!

Also if price is a big issue, work him for a deal........think how expensive an engine is....if you look at it that way $70.00 or so is cheap!  (no I don't work for this guy and I don't know him) 

[Bandit1250]

It is a nice bling-thing....  maybe too tempting though.  I've cleaned up the OEM filler cap and stashed it under the seat in case it gets swiped -

Good idea, but I usually don't have to worry about that.
 I use my 1250 just for pleasure riding on the weekends and I park it overnight in the garage....rarely is it out overnight unless I'm doing a weekend overnighter somewhere which I do about twice a year. When I stop for lunch I try to get a "window" seat to keep an eye on the bike ect.....

[txbanditrydr]

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Just fixed the quote tag....

[Vlad]

No offense taken.......one reason I like one is on a cold morning (I live two blocks from the freeway), I don't like to stress a cold engine, so I take off when the temp reads 100 or so.

That is probably the only valid reason. I assume you are thinking in Fahrenheit, 100 Celsius is way too hot :).

If you're running your Bandit hard in the twisties on a HOT day wouldn't you like to know if you need to back off a bit if your engine was starting to run HOT?? Why have "just" one line of defense with the idiot light?

There is no way for an otherwise OK 1200 to overheat under conditions described above, assuming "running hard in the twisties" means faster than 30km/hr :). It can overheat after about an hour in stop and go traffic at above 30 degrees Celsius, and that would be the other situation a temperature gauge might come handy. There's no chance of something like that happening to a water-cooled engine, though, with it's fan(s) and sensors working properly (even if fans die it will first boil all the coolant before it gets seriously overheated). I'd rather have a water temperature gauge as a better indicator of engine temperature, but as I said it's not necessary for a water cooled engine with forced air flow over the radiator. An indicator light is good enough.

Not sure i get your point about air cooled VS water cooled, any engine can overheat,

Oil cooled can and will overheat when ridden at slow speed as described above. It does not have a fan to force the air flow through the oil cooler (radiator). The cooler is also right above the exhaust headers, so there is an additional positive feedback when standing still or moving very slow. Water cooled machine in good order should not overheat under any circumstances. Even if it does, you would see a lot of steam long before the engine is in danger of being seriously damaged.

don't see how a temp guage wouldn't be beneficial on ANY motorcycle they ALL should have them......if you think about it ANY internal combustion engine should have one!

I agree there. As mentioned, I'm a big fan of measuring instruments of all kinds :). That doesn't make them all useful and practical, though.

[Dink_1170]

No offense taken.......one reason I like one is on a cold morning (I live two blocks from the freeway), I don't like to stress a cold engine, so I take off when the temp reads 100 or so.

That is probably the only valid reason. I assume you are thinking in Fahrenheit, 100 Celsius is way too hot :).

100 C degrees is the normal minimum running temperature of engine oils, otherwise there is no way it will "boil off"condensation etc.

Dink


Mod edit... quote tag fix for clarity

[Vlad]

100 C degrees is the normal minimum running temperature of engine oils, otherwise there is no way it will "boil off"condensation etc.

You may call it normal, but I'd hardly call it "minimum". I stand behind the statement that 100C is too high to wait for before you start riding. People just read too much into stuff and that's one of the reasons I wouldn't recommend the temp gauge. Just get on it and ride.

[Bandit1250]

No offense taken.......one reason I like one is on a cold morning (I live two blocks from the freeway), I don't like to stress a cold engine, so I take off when the temp reads 100 or so.

That is probably the only valid reason. I assume you are thinking in Fahrenheit, 100 Celsius is way too hot :).

If you're running your Bandit hard in the twisties on a HOT day wouldn't you like to know if you need to back off a bit if your engine was starting to run HOT?? Why have "just" one line of defense with the idiot light?

There is no way for an otherwise OK 1200 to overheat under conditions described above, assuming "running hard in the twisties" means faster than 30km/hr :). It can overheat after about an hour in stop and go traffic at above 30 degrees Celsius, and that would be the other situation a temperature gauge might come handy. There's no chance of something like that happening to a water-cooled engine, though, with it's fan(s) and sensors working properly (even if fans die it will first boil all the coolant before it gets seriously overheated). I'd rather have a water temperature gauge as a better indicator of engine temperature, but as I said it's not necessary for a water cooled engine with forced air flow over the radiator. An indicator light is good enough.

Maybe not in TORONTO CANADA where you live, but here in Southern Califorina where it can be over 100 degrees and you can be riding HARD in the twisties at 5, 6, or 7,000 RPM up HILLS and MOUNTAINS....motors even when water cooled can heat up, and they DO.
I've had quite a few water cooled bikes that warm up under hard riding in HOT weather, so a temp guage would come in handy.

BTW.......yes I meant 100 "F" I live in the states........

[Vlad]

Maybe not in TORONTO CANADA where you live, but here in Southern Califorina where it can be over 100 degrees and you can be riding HARD in the twisties at 5, 6, or 7,000 RPM up HILLS and MOUNTAINS....motors even when water cooled can heat up, and they DO.
I've had quite a few water cooled bikes that warm up under hard riding in HOT weather, so a temp guage would come in handy.

BTW.......yes I meant 100 "F" I live in the states........

Would you mind explaining what "heat up" and "warm up" means in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA? Do your engines seize, cook oil, boil coolant, etc. often there? What do you do to prevent overheating?

BTW, be thankful you don't have problems with moose hatcheries like this guy  http://www.theweebsite.com/tempus/wallpaper.html

[Bandit1250]

Would you mind explaining what "heat up" and "warm up" means in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA? Do your engines seize, cook oil, boil coolant, etc. often there? What do you do to prevent overheating?

BTW, be thankful you don't have problems with moose hatcheries like this guy  http://www.theweebsite.com/tempus/wallpaper.html

In this context when I refer to "Warm up" or "Heat up" I mean running HOT but not overheating yet...say 230/240 "F" or so.......
My point Vlad is that a oil temp guage would come in handy, to help keep you AWARE of how hot your engine is running in ANY given circumstance and when you're riding in 100 degree "F" heat or MORE as you can in many desert/arrid areas of Southern California/Arizona/New Mexico and MOST of Central California in July through September....it can help you keep from overheating by keeping you AWARE, what do you have against temp guages anyway? Do you have stock in Idiot lights??

BTW....Do you think you have to actually BOIL/FRY your engine to damage it or shorten it's life? I bet running it extremely HOT and not specifically BOILING it helps to shorten it's life....especially head gaskets......heat is an engines main enemy as you may know.

Come out to So Cal sometime in August or September...rent a sportbike and I'll give you a nice HOT tour in the mountains and hills....you'll see what I mean! 

[LowRyter]

It is a nice bling-thing....  maybe too tempting though.  I've cleaned up the OEM filler cap and stashed it under the seat in case it gets swiped - experience has taught me that a revving B-12 motor without a filler cap is just a 100hp atomizer and will make a huge mess.     (don't ask...  )

been there, done that