Heat gain when idling
 

I'm a new Xt owner and not the most mechanically minded. Hope that will change as a 'simple' xt owner :D but... when off road I do get a little freaked out by the lack of a temp gauge.

I know there are after market dip sticks with an inbuilt gauge but is this necessary? At approx £60 they seem steep to say the least.

As a rough guideline how well does the 600 cope?

I'd really appreciate some insights / opinions (and accept that they are just that) re how long the engine can run without being cooked:

1) Static idling ie opening gates / having a chat / waiting for mates etc.
2) Static / low speed working ie stuck in a very steep climb like i was this weekend, trying to climb on slick rock / mud etc - lots of engine work but not much progress thus VERY limited air cooling.

Thoughts on how ambient temp affects also appreciated.

ta v much!

You have those heat sensor for the sparkplug, gives you a little heads up on whats happening. Normal riding i would say, its not like stand still with bike for 20min. Remember all old bikes like this have same cooling system and they still work after 30+ years.

Its not really an issue, but I'd shut the bike off when its possible. (like waiting for youre mates ect)

The oil temp gauges can be found cheaper for sure, search ebay for "xt600 oil temp"

These bikes are tough, but after extended hard climbing it would be good to be able to ride a bit faster afterwards to cool it down. If you can't, then shut down if the wait is going to be a few minutes.

As a for instance, when we ride as a group in the Mountains of Colorado where we can get separated, the faster riders in front of the pack will stop at a convenient place, shut down and wait on the others if no one was in sight. Shutting down makes it easier to hear followers coming along as well as cooling down. This last Sept., we actually had overheat problems with the water cooled bikes and one blew out a plastic radiator bleed plug. Field expedient got us going as well as having enough water to pour back in.