Oil cooler

Would it really make a temperature difference with a good oil cooler on my Road King. Or would I be better off going to www.nighrider.com and buying there product.

Is your bike stock? What size engine? Do you tow and two-up on it? Are you into parade riding? Why do you want to reduce the temp?

Personally I would not go oil-cooled on a Harley unless I was routinely putting over 400lbs of rider/baggage weight on it. Coolers add another failure point for little - if any -benefit to the average rider. And nothing other than shielding (by clothes/chaps or pipe shields) will much reduce the heat the rider feels come off the powerplant.

But others may disagree.........
:cheers:

Hey there Red it has been a long time since I have seen ya on.

This is a great post, I was looking into an oil cooler or my bike and I also think that it is useless unless your getting temps in the upper 220"s. I am not getting even close to that.

Just thought I would ask you guys nothing else. But wouldn't it be good for anyones bike to keep the temp way down.

Short answer is no.

Engines are designed to operate within a given temperature range, which impacts sensors, fuel and fluids, too. "Way down" is not a goal - maintaining the engine's temp in the specified range is the goal. Only if you are having overtemperature conditions is heat reduction important. So unless you have modified the engine well beyond its original configuration or are operating it in a way that its air-cooling process can't keep up with (such as being the Parade King of Dubai), aftermarket cooling is likely to provide less than miniscule value - but it will cost plenty and give ya something else to break if ya hit a dog, rock, rabbit or such.
:cheers:

I am glad I put a oil cooler on here in SW Florida. I also had a black cover made to go over it when the weather is cooler.

HotRoadKing, you mentioned using 20/50 Mobil 1 VTWIN. Is there any diff. between VTWIN and regular 15/50 Mobil 1 syn.? The reason I ask is because I can buy the 5 qt. jug of Mobil 1 15/50 at WalMart for less than $20. That works out to be about $4/qt. which is a great deal for such a highly rated synthetic oil. I've been using it for a few years without any problems, but it doesn't say anything about using it in motorcycles.

Those oil coolers that have the thermostat would eliminate the need to cover them.

I ride a 2007 Sportster 1200. I bought it new. This is my first HD. I have been riding for 50 years. Mostly off road. Have owned a variety of bikes, street and dirt.
I installed an HD OIL COOLER on my bike after I had it for about a year. Oh yea, I live in So. Cal. and I ride alot on desert roads, as there is a lack of traffic.
It took me some time before I decided on an OIL COOLER. Since I live in Cal. and everything we get out here is strangled for fuel (the powers that be, are trying to save the world). Since fuel in an air cooled engine is part of the cooling process, I felt that my bike needed a cooler today more than at anytime in the past. I know that HD has been building and, selling Motorcycles for over a hundred years and who am I to question why they opted not to install an OIL COOLER as OEM? But when HD came out with the XR1200, and it had an O.C. as OEM, that is when I purchased and install an OEM H.D. cooler.
One of my friends also rides XL1200, we both purchased a temp gauge just because. My bike runs 25 to 60 degrees cooler, depending on conditions.

And what office are you running for???? I think I have, and am still hearing that type of rhetoric.. See you at the next rally.

I would take this advice. I have learned that when HotRoadKing speaks on these matters, it is GREAT INFORMATION!!! I have been fighting the synthetic thing for a long time, but after my next break in, I am going to switch to synthetic. Great Post!!