Oil Cooler vs. Radiator
#31
#32
When I'm stuck in stop and go traffic in Houston, Tx. and the temps are over 100 degees, the only thing that is important to me is what the rider feels. Even with the lowers removed, sitting on top of that air cooled rear cylinder sitting still with no wind on a hot day, you are still going to feel that heat boiling up. A water cooled engine, if properly designed, can at lest remove most of that heat and blow it away form you.With a water cooled engine, if the fan isn't running constantly, then the engine is going to be at the temp that it is supposed to maintain. Considering that Wings normally last over 200K and sometimes over 300K with no troubles out of the cooling system, then I'm sure Harley can do the same thing. I know most Harley fans want to keep the looks of the air cooled V-twin. Yamaha has shown that with the exception of the radiator, the engine can be made to look the same with or without water cooling. If Harley can incorporate water jackets on the cylinders and heads and somehow hide the necessory radiators, then I think they will have the best of both worlds. If you can get most of the excess heat away from the motor and also get it away from the rider, it's going to make for both a longer lived motor and a more comfortable ride.
In stop and go traffic on a hot day, it's been my experience that a water cooled engine doesn't run dramatically cooler to the point of being more comfortable for the rider/passenger. I'm talking about comparable bikes, like let's say, a Kawasaki Nomad and a HD Road King. Comparing a Goldwing to an Ultra is like comparing apples and oranges.
Plus, heat comes also from the pipes and that's what used to roast my right leg and my passenger's right calf, not the engine. Water cooling will do absolutely nothing to reduce the heat of the exhaust. That's a pipe dream (pun intended).
As soon as I replaced my headers by true duals and used a richer PC-V map, the heat from the exhaust dropped very significantly.
Once again, unless someone can prove me that the head temp of a water cooled engine is significantly cooler than the head temp of an air cooled engine when stuck in traffic, I'll continue to prefer air cooled. I don't like to roast on my bike when it's stopped in traffic but it rarely happens. 90% of the time, I ride on open roads which is what I bought my bike for and heat isn't an issue.
#33
#34
Is that the new standard for motorcycles? With the current Twin Cam platform bumping up to 103 for 2012, the only way to reduce emissions another 20-30% will be to expand the closed loop cruise range, reduce the degree of enrichment in open loop, and run a larger catalytic converter. Tranlation; compliance to new EPA standards will result in more heat and less power, proportionally. Controlling temperatue will allow leaner and cleaner AFRs.
#35
Is that the new standard for motorcycles? With the current Twin Cam platform bumping up to 103 for 2012, the only way to reduce emissions another 20-30% will be to expand the closed loop cruise range, reduce the degree of enrichment in open loop, and run a larger catalytic converter. Tranlation; compliance to new EPA standards will result in more heat and less power, proportionally. Controlling temperatue will allow leaner and cleaner AFRs.
#36
Have any of you guys seen the UltraCool with the built in fan? We all run them on our bikes at the shop. I find that it does a really good job of cooling and the fan is automatic. It turns on at 210* and stays on until teh oil ahs been coooled down so no matter if you are sitting still or not. Mine has been on for about 5000 miles without issue so far. Just put it on in April or so.
They make two different versions for touring bikes. The older version does not hook to the oil temp gauge, but the newer version does.
Drew
Drew
They make two different versions for touring bikes. The older version does not hook to the oil temp gauge, but the newer version does.
Drew
Drew
#37
The way I look at the Harley cooled heads is basically just replacing the oil cooler with a little bit more efficent cooling through the heads. It is still an air cooled engine.
Beary
#38
Here's a thought, simple perhaps, but are the displacement increases causing the cooling problems? Why go bigger and bigger? Seems like that is driving the need for more and more cooling. Guessing that's what people are asking for. My tc88 had enough for me, but obviously some folks want more.
#39