Waiting to get my 2012 FLHX tuned. Does any one know what temp. the heads should be? What is High? What is ok? I'm useing a temp gun on the flat spot by the spark plug on the rear head. This bike seems the the primary gets pretty hot. Really have not noticed on other Harleys I'ved owned. What should a head run?
Thanks

 

Here's a couple threads that have some CHT (cylinder head temperature) information. Lots of reading if you have the time.

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...test-data.html

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...-again-69.html

I have experience with monitoring CHTs during prolonged idle conditions like you would encounter stuck in traffic, but not too much at normal cruising speeds. At idle, 300+ is not uncommon.

Cruising temperatures will be lower than idle, but will climb higher the faster you are going (more load on the bike = higher temps). I'd estimate that CHTs anywhere from about 240-270, maybe even 280 degrees would be considered normal depending on your speed and the outside air temp while cruising, but I have never monitored these simply because I don't have a gauge set-up to do so while riding.

The factory CHT sensor is located in the front head and the temperatures I'm referencing come from that sensor. If you measure the head temp with an IR gun on the flat part of the head near the spark plug, expect to see higher temperatures than I'm referencing here.

 

I run 245-262 F on CHT as displayed by the sensor signal using my Power Vision tuner. 262 was cruising temp at 70 mph in 95 F ambient.... This is tuned temps with 255 cams in my 103 and AFR at 14.4 while running 2500-3000 range for rpms....

 

Good to know. My estimate of 240-270+ is pretty close then. I've ridden in 116 degree air temps (not fun btw, Bakersfield to Baker, CA) and I'm sure the head temp was probably around 280 that day.

 

Like 2black1s I monitor FCHT (ET from the ECM) and in typical summer weather (~95°) it runs about 230-235°F at speeds 50-70mph, and without an engine fan it will climb at idle. I see higher ET with a tailwind, lower with a headwind--how much depending on the wind velocity.

I don't monitor RCHT but when I check it with IR thermometer it runs at least 50° higher than the front without additional cooling from an engine fan. I recently installed the Ward FCS (engine fans) and it keeps CHT at a much more sane and consistent level than before.

 

Thanks for help. What I did was change the medium baffle in V&Hines Propipe 2 into 1 to the compition baffle, more straight though. To get less heat away from the motor and it works. Now it is leaner and will have a tune in a couple of weeks. I want to ride the 2012 SG little , but am aware of heat and lean. Lots of variables on how to check heat and where. Yesterday oil after 60 mile was 230 here in Northern Utah 90 + degrees. Sound is a little deeper, little louder if you get on it. The old tune 80 Horses 98 Torque. Like the pipe. Stock cams so far and air is Cobra powr-flow and tuner is TTS.

 

The values already mentioned probably fall in the "normal" range for most bikes given the countless combinations of conditions and variables. Most ridiers do not have visibility of the rear CHT but I do and I generally see a higher temp on the rear only at speeds above about 50 MPH. At Highway speeds the most difference I see is 30 degrees hotter on the rear consistiently after extended periods at speed, typically below 50MPH the front and rear tend to equalize, other than highway travel my rear CHT is usually 0-15 degrees hotter. Anyway, thats alot of info you didn't really ask for. It sounds like you are making a tuning assumption, or rather the AFR affect of swapping baffles based on CHT and I would caution there are entirely too many variables to rely on CHT as a tune indicator, O2 analysis is the only way to be sure about your tune condition.