tradition, appearance, weight

I too have owned water cooled bikes, and the models I have owed, the fan pushed the hot air on my legs.

 

Please explain how your oil cooler cools the oil while the bike is standing still???? Does the oil cool down faster once the bikes starts moving again, yes.....but standing still unless it's equipped with a fan, it's not doing nothing.....don't need to stay at a Holiday Express to know that!!!!!

 

I've had water cooled bikes too and they were as hot as my Harley in the same conditions, for example in stop and go traffic. My Ultra doesn't give me any trouble at all either.
Most late big bikes other than Harley, other than Victory, other than Indian and other than the Yamaha Road Star (best selling metric cruiser ever) are water cooled.
This means that more than 60% of the big cruisers/tourers sold in the US are either air cooled or air/oil cooled.

Bottom line is if I have the choice, I don't want a bunch of plumbing on my bike. More parts means higher risk of failure, more weight and heat is not dramatically lower.

 

The design of the oil cooler itself makes the oil cool down when it flows through it, even if the bike doesn't move. The oil cools down faster if the cooler is exposed to a flow of air, that's obvious, but even if it's not, the oil will cool down a little bit.

 

Not on a Goldwing. The fans on a Wing blow the air forward away for the rider. Works great. I've been stuck in stop and go traffic at over 100 degrees on my Wing and the only heat you feel is from the air, not from the bike.

 

how big does an oil cooler have to be before u call it a radiator,have u seen the oil cooler on the 1200r sporster?

 

This is true, but if the Gold Wing was the last bike on earth, I would give up riding and buy a boat.

 

I would have to dissagree. I currently own a Wing and an Ultra Limited. I've been stuck in stop and go traffec for over an hour on both in large citys several times and the feel no heat from the Wing while the Limited is like sitting on an oven. This Spring I changed to ceramic coated catless pipes, free-er flowing mufflers, high flow intake and a turner. I has helped the heat some, but if I get stopped on a hot day, the Limites is still way hotter than my Wing. The Limited has a lot going for it and I really injoy riding it, but it's got to be ten times hotter in stop and go traffic than my water cooled Wing.

 

That's a good point because the 1200r has oil cooled heads. The oil routing is a bit different from the other HD engines. I wouldn't be surprised if we see this as an interim step before full blown water cooling, however I am surprised they haven't done it already.

 

To each his own. I love motorcycles, not just Harleys. I guess I just have more choises for enjoyment in this short life. Your loss.