overheating

[raphski]

My 79R65 is my first bike. It has been a joy to learn to ride and also start to learn about the machine as well as get it looking and running better that when I purchased it.
In a recent thread I read that airheads are prone to overheat in traffic which I understand if they are not moving. I live in New Mexico where it is pretty hot in the summer to start with. I would like to better understand this and also be able to know if sitting in traffic how to know if it's getting too hot and what to do about it. Seems the options are limited. Turn it off or find a way to get moving.
Thanks!
Raphael

[Barry]

In a recent thread I read that airheads are prone to overheat in traffic which I understand if they are not moving.  

No more than any other air cooled bike, in fact with the cylinders stuck out in the breeze an airhead is probably better cooled than any other.  Oil temperatures are bound to rise in sustained idling but you should be Ok for 10 mins or so at a time. One thing you could do is run "fully synthetic" oil which will cope better with higher temperatures.  If it became a problem you could fit an oil cooler but I wouldn't do that without evidence that's it's really necessary.

[raphski]

Thanks! It's not a problem and probably won't be. I'm lucky to live someplace with very little traffic. Recently I was stuck in some construction traffic for a few so the seed was planted.Then I saw reference to air heads being prone to overheating so I wanted to better understand this and also know how to judge the temperature of my engine and or engine oil since there is not gauge like in my car. The little oil temp gauges I have seen on ebay that replace the dipstick look cool but from what I can tell so far from a forum thread they may be of little value.

[Einar]

I live in Paris, France where the traffic is dense and the "cooling conditions" might not be the best. Overheating has never been a problem so far (i own 2 boxer engine BMWs). I do however need to charge the battery more frequently.

I would make sure I choose the right oil viscosity corresponding to the temperature range of the season.
I use 20W-50 semi-synthetic in the summer (25 to 37degC) and 10W-40 mineral in the winter (-5 to 5 degC).

[Ed Miller]

...Paging Bob Roller who rides when it's 115 in Phoenix?

I'm pretty sure the heat will kill me before it kills my R65.

[Tony Smith]

I have the impression that my BMWs heat up faster in stop-go traffic than they used to. To date I have mentally attributed that to the different burning characteristics of unleaded fuel.


However it is also fair to say that traffic where I live is now significantly more "stop-go" than it was 5 to 10 years ago, and that could equally account for it.


The one thing I truly love the KLE500 for is commuting, it is water cooled so it simply doesn't overheat, is nice and narrow and sits me up higher than the BMW so I can see further ahead in traffic.

The R65 requires more care in filtering through traffic due to its width.

[Bob_Roller]

To get an idea how hot your engine is getting, I would suggest getting a temperature indicating dipstick .

Or depending on how involved you want to get with this, you could install an electrical temperature indicator and a sensor that replaces the oil sump drainplug .

If by chance you go with an oil cooler the OEM kit from BMW, the most costly part , the thermostatic bypass  valve that goes in place of oil filter cover, won't fit, it won't clear the right  header pipe .

Using a semi-synthetic or full synthetic oil could be help if you find your engine is running hot .