Does anyone know what the normal Engine Oil Temp is for these bikes?

This post has some info:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...mperature-7882

The R80 motor runs cooler than the R100. The only time mine ever got hot enough to notice was going straight up a long steep dirt trail in first gear out of Hells Canyon on a hot August day and stuck in traffic in Acapulco on a scorching day. In fact I was running red lights and got pulled over and the nice Mexican cop let me go when I explained that my bike was running hot and needed air. Alto en rojo (stop for red lights) is what he told me pointing to the traffic signal as I shook his hand in agreement. I never had an aftermarket oil temp dipstick on any of my airheads. All I remember was the jugs were hot enough to warm your hands with gloves on a cold winter ride or cook hotdogs wrapped in tinfoil wired to the heads. Nothing like the sound of an airhead motor humming down the highway. Brings back good memories.

Cheers,
John Downs

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South America and back on a 250 Super Sherpa Minimalist Adventure http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=831076

There is a reason for you asking... what happened?

I've had >>180'C, and that is -not- normal...

Garages claims that 130-140'C is -normal-... I beg to disagree...

These engines runs best in damp weather when the oil-temp gauges shows about 80'C. They feel less powerfull when the oiltemp rises above 95'C.
Should the temp be below 70'C they tend to act kind of sluggish...

In my point of view, these engins should all, not matter CC-size, have more oil and at least one oil-cooler. Since it is an air-cooled engine, the oil-temp will vary a lot when driving; hence better oil-capacity and preferably a thermostat regulating the flow to the oil-cooler.

Then again... they kind of keep on running well not matter what we do...

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Drive Safely,
Albert

My R80 GS basic works on 130-140 C oil temp and it is said/accepted "normal".

Dc Lindberg ( I hear that 80 C first time
I have never had that low temps on my bike.
Also in cool weather (around 15 C) engine oil temp was around 120-130. And I think it is normal ! ...

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"where the traveller goes, nobody knows ! "

BTW: what are the overheating symptoms? (in a airhead)

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bernardo feio (Portugal)
2.5 Land Rover Lightweight / BMW R80 G/S PD / Toyota HZJ 78

I get around 130-140'C on my R100GS with 150'C once when slow riding in sand during a trip to morocco. I do make sure l use a good fully synthetic ester oil which can handel the higher tempature without breaking down.

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Morocco 2012
Morocco 2010

Overheating symptoms are the same in the aircooled beemer as in all other air-cooled engines.

Power-drop
Excessive valve wear (loosing valve-play quickly)

Then as temp rises:
- sluggish engine performance; jamming bearings...
- seized pistons/barrels and or crank
=> new engine...

It is never good to accept >130'C on the engine oil, but situations may force one to accept higher temps. As I wrote, my R80 have had >>180'C, and that did not seem to affect the engine much though - but valveplay dropped within 30-60km (!!!). Got tedious to adjust the valves every day...
I -strongly- recommend to make adjustments to handle periods of high engine temp; it is a bit of work and may cost a few quids, but in the long run it is woth it.

If you drive in areas with tempratures that get very high (>>35'C), your engine will really appreciate an oil-cooler or two. My experience is that the air-cooled engine prefers to have oil-coolers, preferably thermostat regulated. However, be ware, the beemer engine have an operational oil-pressure of 7 bars (+/- 1 bar); and a cold-strating pressure at summer that can hit 13-15 bars for a few seconds up to a minute. At winter, the cold-stareting pressure may hit >>22 bars!
So, Lockhart oilcoolers or any other cheap stuff will not do. You must use oilcoolers for hydraulic pressure, like www.setrab.se . BMW original oilcoolers are ok, but not perfect.

The oil-temp gauge is there, not only for our curiosity, but to give us a warning when it is high time to stop the engine and let it cool!

Added cooling of the engine is a good idea. I have thought about installing a radiator fan. Friend of mine have a tube-fan that he turns on in traffic jam.

Study www.motoren-israel.de they have several solutions for different conditions. www.sjbmw.com carry the solutions that CC developed; you need to ask for Chris.
You could ask Terry Phillips what stuff he still carries: http://www.suburban-machinery.com/ He had an oilfilter relocation kit that is really neat.

Synthetic or not... if the temp hits 180'C - it will not last long, no mattter which oil. Omega 757, http://www.magnagroup.com/ ,lasted about 5000km before the oil-pressure started to drop. And at about 15000km it hit 3-4 bars operational pressure... way too low... all other oil, that I have tested reached 4 bars before 3000km...
Point:
- high engine temps = change engine oil often. When operation pressure drops below 5 bars - the oil should have been changed at 6 to 5.5bars...
(this applies for 0W-40, 0W-60, 15W-40, 20W-50; if you run on 30W it may be different; I haven't tested to drive on thinner viscosities).

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Drive Safely,
Albert

Hello

I did this question because I’m used to drive in hot climates.
Libya, Mauritania, Marrocos dune crossings in August, also Algeria,… but always in a 4x4 and not in a bike(air cooled)
In the car I’m always looking in to the water and oil temperature and in to the oil pressure. This way I can moderate my driving style and running hours accordingly to what I can measure.

In my BMW R100 I have only an oil pressure light!! I don’t know when to stop or when to reduce the throttle.

(I don’t think that the oil temp gauche is a solution because it’s impossible to read it while driving…)

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bernardo feio (Portugal)
2.5 Land Rover Lightweight / BMW R80 G/S PD / Toyota HZJ 78

I fitted a dip-stick with a temp gauge recently. And took it off after just a few weeks. It's telling me that my engine is about to blow up, with the needle constantly in the red. The gauge is calibrated correctly.

I'm assured that the bike is in perfect condition - by a top BMW airhead expert. He says my engine is one of the best he has seen. The oil condition is fine. I have a deep sump and a cooler. I rode all the way to Romania and back, in 30C+ heat. I've ridden for hours on tricky dirt tracks in the heat. No problems.

So, i've learned not to worry about it. Just keep occasionally feeding it a little 20w50 mineral oil (not synthetic) and all will be fine.

Hello

Thanks for your comment

What is your “normal” riding temperature? The one you read in the gauge?

PS: do you want to sell me the gauge

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bernardo feio (Portugal)
2.5 Land Rover Lightweight / BMW R80 G/S PD / Toyota HZJ 78

It's running at between 120 and 140 c with no problems.

Riding in southern Africa and OZ at temperatures well over 40°C didn't seem to affect my R80GS. In the meantime I have clocked nearly 150k kms and the oil consumption is nearly as when new.

Specialists on the 2V Beemers in Germany told me that the 800cc engine is so easy going temperature wise that an oilcooler and thermostat are absolutely unnecessary.

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Only when we pause to wonder
do we go beyond the limits of our little lives.
(Rod McKuen)

Thanks for all the info. I have since 2011, added a deep sump and the recommended R80GS Oil Cooler (Mounts under fuel tank, behind forks), noticed that it still runs around 120 deg C in ambient temperature of 35 - 40 Deg C (Western Australia). Might look at a good synthetic oil. Still a bit cautious as the 'RED LINE' on the dipstick temp gauge starts at 120 Deg C!! Trevor

I wouldn't worry too much about the red line on the dipstick. It wasn't specifically designed for BMW.... And think about Roboyobo's final hint: "So, i've learned not to worry about it. Just keep occasionally feeding it a little 20w50 mineral oil (not synthetic) and all will be fine." The older type Beemer (2V) wasn't constructed in the age of synthetic oil. The later 4V Beemers are a different story oil-wise.

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Only when we pause to wonder
do we go beyond the limits of our little lives.
(Rod McKuen)