Is it normal for this bike to get really hot even if was riding for just a half a mile?

 

It takes about 3 or 4 miles for a bike to get to operating temperature, depending on the ambient outdoor temperature, engine speed, etc. Define "hot"? I have an oil temperature dipstick on my '07 and it runs between 150 and 210 degrees, depending on if it's really cold outside or whether it's 110 on the pavement. If I ride in shorts, my bare legs can get pretty hot real quick. I also run synthetic oil, which drops the oil temp around 10 degrees or so. It's an air cooled engine, so the bike needs to be moving. Being stuck in traffic on a 100+ degree day will heat the engine up quite a bit, possibly to the point of overheat.

But to directly answer your question about engine heat at 1/2 mile...are you going from a cold start to highway speeds in that 1/2 mile? Or is it "normal" 35 mph city streets?

Teek

 

Like Teek said, Define hot. What's hot to one person is just warm to another.

 

Probably... Depending on what you mean. I rode mine around the block when I first got it. Then the girl jumped on and burnt her leg on the pipe... Those get hot fast.

 

if i am ridin for only only 4 or 5 miles i can wear shorts with all ok, so something not normal.

 

Pipes get hot just going around the block so I suppose it depends on what exactly you are talking about.

 

air cooled motor not your yuppy water cooled short ridin bike

 

All you guys have helped me a great deal. Thanks a lot. I basically received the same response from the harley dealership. Its an air cooled engine and that's expected.
It's the nature of the "b e a s t".
Thanks again for all the info.....

 

Yep. Throw on some jeans and ride!

 

I would get a dipstick temp gauge. Cheap peace of mind. I thought mine was running hot too but come to find out.....it's not.