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Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 22 May 2009
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Air-cooled engine loose heat through the cooling fins.

Yes, they do loose heat better with air passing over them, but I have sat in traffic for what feels like an eternity on several air-cooled bikes and have never had an engine failure, although I could feel the ambient temperature around the engine rising.

You'd have to leave it running for a good while to have problems, IMO.

On a water cooled bike the heat emitted from the einge is abosrb by the coolant. Once the temp reaches a set amount the thermostat will activate the fan to keep the bike from over heating...

On any bike, if it looked like I was going to sit there for a while, I just flicked the kill switch: no point in burning juice to go nowhere...
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Old 22 May 2009
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Thanks for response tho if in future you could make it a bit quicker please! Lol

yes i would switch engine off, just was not sure if i was thinking along the right lines
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Old 22 May 2009
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It is suprising how much heat is generated whilst the bike is 'at idle' whilst stationary, I noticed this one night whilst I was about to leave work in the dark, it was a 1340 Harley and after starting it I realised I had forgotten something and unlocked the shop and went back in for just a couple of minutes, upon returning to the bike, the exhaust pipes were glowing red hot on about 6-8inches out of the cylinder heads,this I had never seen before and never experienced this at either high speeds or over long distances, quite shocked at how the heat had built up in such a short space of time.
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Old 22 May 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Warthog View Post
Air-cooled engine loose heat through the cooling fins.

Yes, they do loose heat better with air passing over them, but I have sat in traffic for what feels like an eternity on several air-cooled bikes and have never had an engine failure, although I could feel the ambient temperature around the engine rising.

You'd have to leave it running for a good while to have problems, IMO.

On a water cooled bike the heat emitted from the einge is abosrb by the coolant. Once the temp reaches a set amount the thermostat will activate the fan to keep the bike from over heating...

On any bike, if it looked like I was going to sit there for a while, I just flicked the kill switch: no point in burning juice to go nowhere...

SHHHHHUSH! The way motorcycles got the right to split lanes (filter) in California was by claiming our air cooled engines would overheat.
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  #5  
Old 6 Jun 2009
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I always turn my engine off if it looks like I'll be waiting for more than a minute or two. I think that in Switzerland it's compulsory to turn off when waiting at traffic lights?

Another point to note: I've heard of some BMW oilheads catching fire or seizing when left idling for long periods. The engine overheats, the oil sight glass drops out & the hot oil spills on to the header pipes. This may have happened to Police bikes (R1150RT?) left idling in emergency situations with their lights on etc.
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Old 5 Aug 2009
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BMW reccommend that the engine not be run stationary for a long time, I forget the figures, having sold my r80 no longer have the book. but it was either 2 minutes or ten.
as an aside, french BMW r1150's have a thermostat on the oil with a fan cooled oil cooler.

but yes, air cooled bike heat up when stopped.. My Enfield (lean burn) is the hottest bike I have ever come across.
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Old 6 Sep 2009
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Most air cooled engines have fins which are set at an angle - not completely horizontal. That's because back in the days when air cooling was normal the designers knew the bikes would be stationary sometimes, and so the fins allow convection circulation. (warm air goes up past the fins because they are tilted upwards - go and look at an air-cooled engine and you will see what I mean)

I've only ever had one watercooled bike - keep it simple! When water cooling goes wrong it's a real pain, and on a small petrol engine it's just not necessary...

Tony
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Old 7 Sep 2009
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Water cooled (WC ) has an advantage that you can get more performance out of an engine per cc, compared with air cooled (AC).

But this should not be a major consideration for a touring/adventure bike.

WC add extra weight, extra complication & extra fragility

AC will be more tolerant to high temps, as a WC engine will boil over... and after all, a WC motor needs AIR to cool it anyhow

Although I suppose you can make a quick cuppa a bit easier when you finish you trip with a WC bike

Pays yer money & makes yer choice.
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