"Extreme Temperatures" -- what does that mean?

[TucsonDon]

I've been reading up on some of the benefits of synthetic versus conventional oils. Almost every write-up mentions "extreme high temperatures," but none define what that means.

I live in Tucson. Summer highs are around 100 to 110 degrees. When I ride my Goldwing in the summer, I may go for hours at those temperatures, but always in motion and very little in stop-and-go traffic.

Would that be considered "extreme high temperatures?"

Remember, the Goldwing is water cooled.

 

[XS650]

Since I live near Sacramento, I don't consider that all that extreme.

I suspect that anything over about 95F is what they are talking about though. Ask someone who lives in Detroit what they think of 95 degree weather

What matters is your oil temperature, not air temperature.

If you are running dino oil, anything under 230F is good. Once you get over 250F very often you should consider shortening your oil change intervals. A UOA will help you determine if thet really applies to you.

Once dino oil has spent any significant time over 270F consider it injured. If that is happening on a regular basis, you should ideally add an oil cooler, or less ideally switch to synthetic and consider the next step higher viscosity oil.

All that blather said, with a water cooled engine that is lightly loaded in traffic your oil temps should be OK.

Short version: If you have any concerns, install an oil temperature gauge and you won't have to guess.

 

[rn2fine]

Extreme temps, whatever they are, are likely to be a more significant issue for air cooled bike owners, especially those in warmer climates, and/or doing a fair amount of city driving. An oil temp gauge would be a great idea for any bike though, water or air cooled.

 

[TucsonDon]

Quote:

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Extreme temps, whatever they are, are likely to be a more significant issue for air cooled bike owners, especially those in warmer climates, and/or doing a fair amount of city driving. An oil temp gauge would be a great idea for any bike though, water or air cooled.

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I suspect you're right ... though my normal tendency to worry about things doesn't often yield to good common sense right away.

I looked all over the place, but I can't seem to find anyone who makes an after-market oil temperature probe/gauge for a Goldwing. I got some hits on things people had made themselves, but no "real" gauge.

I read on another forum someone who had a Valkyrie (same engine as a Wing, or very close to it) and they reported their oil temperatures were never more than 210F to 220F. I would imagine that's well within the range of any good oil ... would I be right on that?

 

[XS650]

Under 230 is good.

 

[TucsonDon]

Quote:

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Under 230 is good.

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You're right ... you wrote that before, but for some reason my mind didn't register it when I posted that last thing. I apologize for appearing as if I hadn't read your earlier post.

This "oil temperature" thing has me perplexed. I guess I can see why an air cooled bike might experience increasing temperatures. But a water cooled bike is another matter.

Several questions:

• Will the oil temperature track with the coolant temperature (which is what my temp gauge registers), or is it possible that the oil temperature may swing higher than the coolant?
  
• If my cooling system is properly maintained and operating properly, what conditions might cause it to not maintain the engine within acceptable temperature levels?
  
• How much does outside air temperature really affect the engine (and oil) temperatures? Is there really that much difference in how hot the engine gets when it's 80F outside versus 100F outside?

• 
  When I read oil companies speak of "extreme operating conditions," I don't picture they mean a Goldwing doing 80 down the freeway on a 100F Tucson summer day. I picture a bulldozer pushing tons of dirt in the bottom of a mine somewhere in 100F, or a truck hauling 50 tons up a mountain grade in 100F.