Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 18

Thread: Preventive Measures for the Heat HI STARK!

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Dallas Tejas
    Posts
    36

    Preventive Measures for the Heat HI STARK!

    Finally made my way to the forum. Im half blind and doing this on my smartphone so its a little more inconvenient rather than the FB group..but the buellformation here is pretty extensive. Long story short and ill prolly catch hell for this too, but Texas heat is coming and im looking for the best preventive measure to take in keeping the bike cooler. Ive seen adding a right scoop, puttin a switch on the fan, larger oil cooler, wrapping the bike in ten foil..so what works best, what doesnt?
    Last edited by TeXB12s; 04-05-2019 at 07:41 AM.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Central Soviet state of new jersey.
    Posts
    2,674
    The foil would go on the inside of the gas tank or frame, the side facing the engine, this is more for keeping the gas tank cooler than cooling the engine which it does nothing for. The comfort kit and a larger oil cooler would probably be the most efficient at cooling the bike, while actually moving, the fan switch would be the most efficient while stuck in traffic, if you remember to turn it on. This is my opinion, for what it's worth.

  3. #3
    Senior Member 34nineteen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Kolache Factory
    Posts
    4,424
    Just put the RH scoop on it and make sure your fan (and sensor) is working correctly. It doesnt hurt but the Ulysses heat shield on the exhaust will help keep a little of the heat off your leg.

    Also, make sure the bike isnt running lean or anything like that is going on. Resolve that before going after the rest of the issues.

    In Phoenix, XB's don't have issues cooling if everything is up to snuff and working correctly. All of the ones I buy, I automatically put the RH scoop on them, but they've been running around here for 10+ years with the stock "scoop" / shroud whatever it does.

    Loco is right about the foil helping keep the gas from boiling, but the only way to really install it correctly is to at least rotate the motor and *thoroughly * clean and prep the inside of the frame. If the foil doesnt stay stuck to the frame and falls on the engine, you may have created another issue.

    The only way I boiled the gas on my XB was when the rear head temp sensor went out. My 1125 used to do it all the time during the summer.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Cooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Crawling up your skirt
    Posts
    10,877
    Fact: air cooled engines are designed for much higher and lower 'operating temps' (vs. water-cooled) due to the air cooled factor of the engine. i.e. most air-cooled aircraft engines run from a very cold ambient at altitude to 425*(!) before enrichment and spark retard kick in.

    Conversely, water cooled engines have a much, much, narrower band of operating temperature, typically 180*-240*. Late model computer controlled cars shoot for 205*-215*(!) because they can, and that is what people are used too. Except Lunatics. The dinosaur he rides to the quarry likes a balmy 70* and breezy

    For Buell XB's, the factory manual recommends 10w-40 oil for operation below 40* (4*C) with "Excellent starting characteristics" but doesn't give any recommendation for the lowest temp riding. Any colder and there's snow anyway you animals But the factory deems it ok to run it at least that cold.

    Most factory ECM fan logic programs I've seen have the operating fan on/off at 220*-200*, but we are talking about overheating, where the fan is past it's capacity to cool the bike. The timing retard to cool the bike starts at 280* and the "kill limit" is 305* (*edited at 12:36)

    That means an XB motor is fine from sub-40* to 304*. Texas is hot, not that hot The bike will shut down by itself before it lets you kill it with temp.

    So, add an RSS and just ride it.

    Gas boils only at 181 degrees and isn't an issue either, just looks scary. Mostly an 1125 issue (more power=more heat under there) but I can imagine an XB would do the same in more extreme conditions. Mine never did well into the low 100's ambient temp, but I did always have a RSS. #1 XB mod!

    A manual fan switch is dumb. Whats it going to do? Make a cool bike cooler? The Buell fan logic is only on or off. Let the bike do its thing. If it's getting hotter than the fan can control, it's because the fan lacks the capacity to cool it. Running it earlier (or constantly) won't change that.

    You didn't say what year your bike is but the later '08-up bikes had a slightly larger oil cooler that retro fits easily. That works, because it is increasing the bikes capacity to cool.
    Last edited by Cooter; 04-06-2019 at 07:35 AM.

  5. #5
    Senior Member 34nineteen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Kolache Factory
    Posts
    4,424
    Quote Originally Posted by Cooter View Post
    The Buell fan logic is only on or off.
    My XB's had a high and low speed. I really only noticed in when shutting down from a ride. It would go on high for about a minute, then kick to low for another before shutting off.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Cooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Crawling up your skirt
    Posts
    10,877
    Interesting 34:19, What year is yours again? Not that it matters in the overheating discussion but makes me curious.
    I'll look for that logic when I check for the max allowable temp

    Knowledge is Powa!
    Last edited by Cooter; 04-06-2019 at 07:33 AM.

  7. #7
    Inactive
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    AmishLand, PA.
    Posts
    7,526
    The Buell fan logic is only on or off.

    that is incorrect. every XB ever produced has high/low fan settings. high speed for approx. first 10 seconds of operation....low speed until fan shuts off. if an XB fan doesn't function as such something is askew.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Central Soviet state of new jersey.
    Posts
    2,674
    Yes, both my 07 and 08 fans do this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Chicknstripn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    High Point, NC
    Posts
    2,144
    What I would take away from all the above and from my own personal experience....

    1) make sure the bike is in tip top shape. As mentioned somewhere above, an issue with the engine running lean or a faulty seal(intake), rocker box gasket, fan, sensor(O2 or head temp), or whatever could cause the engine to run hotter. This also means you should insure the fan is working properly. I would NOT mess with the fan logic. I’ve owned the same XB for 12yrs and have never found it necessary to modify the fan settings. I ride during hottest summer heat here in NC.

    2) add a right side scoop. I’ve noticed this makes a big difference in how often the fan runs and for how long it runs. I have no experience with the other components of the Buell comfort kit, but I can’t see the other components adversely effecting the bike in any way. Give em a shot and let us know what you think.

    3) make sure you maintain your bike. Regular oil changes and bike cleanings. No sense worrying about engine cooling/heat if your engine cooling fins are covered in road grime and your riding around with little to no oil in the bike.

    Those are my thoughts from personal experience.

    On a side note, converting from an 2003-2007 oil cooler(six row I believe) to a 2008-2010 oil cooler(8 row) is not as simple as some have eluded to. At least from the research I’ve done. If you can’t find the fittings to make the conversion work some modification of the oil cooler itself is required.
    Someone correct me if I’m wrong, because if this is simple, I’ll covert my bike and let ya all know what I think.

    Essentially you’re riding on the rear cylinder of a hot engine when you ride a Buell. It’s gonna be hot, it’s going to be a little uncomfortable, best thing you can do, besides the above suggestions, is ride as much as possible to get yourself acclimated to the heat.

    Those are my 2cents.
    Just a few pennies, but a lot more words than I expected.
    Last edited by Chicknstripn; 04-06-2019 at 02:55 PM.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Cooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Crawling up your skirt
    Posts
    10,877
    Don't get confused by my tiny mistake about a 2-speed fan... I can't find the values to change for that? but thanks for the correction.

    The intent was to explain why adding a manual over-ride switch is ineffective to overheating. If the bike needs the fan on, it will already be on. There is only one "On". ya ya, high speed....

    "Most factory ECM fan logic programs I've seen have the operating fan on/off at 220*-200*, but we are talking about overheating, where the fan is past it's capacity to cool the bike."

    Chicken makes a really good point about oil. Make sure you have the correct weight oil in it for the temps you ride. I even went so far as to run straight 60w in the CR for track days in Florida summers and it LOVED that oil. The rattly valve train got nice and quiet. It still drained as thin as water when hot, and I would change it when the outside temps got cooler.

    And put a 1/2oz of 2-stroke oil in the gas tank. More is not better. (Runs away as the town brings pitchforks!) I can only recommend that from my personal testing, where I got repeatable results of lower coolant temps vs. ambient in the 1125. . And the fuel pump was much quieter too. YMMV... theres a thread about it with very strong opinions and very little actual fact you can look up.



Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •