Oil Cooler Fan

[NORMBATES]

Howdy - A couple times a month or so, I get caught in an unavoidable traffic backup - to avoid overheating and possibly blowin out my sight glass, I run (respectably) up the gravel shoulder until I can cut back in to moving traffic - mostly I worry about debris on the shoulder, I've picked up nails on two occasions - so, I've been considering adding a fan/fan cooled oil cooler to my R1150 RT - is this a worthwhile option ? Can it be done without major mods ? As always, thanks for any and all suggestions or ideas - Norm

[NonComp]

The RT police models have such a cooling fan. About a year ago, there was an ongoing thread by a member in Europe who was building his own using cooling fans from computer hardware and his own sheetmetal.

 

P.S. My 1100 Roadster never had a temp guage, and I think that I am happier for it.

[dirtrider]

Evening Norm

 

Yes, if you really want to you can install the BMW RTP fan on the oil cooler. That is the easy way out. You can then add a simple switch to turn it on.

 

There are other options like using computer cooling fans and making your own duct work. Some have done this with varying degrees of success.

 

Or you can just use the bike as is. Those stock BMW 1150’s seldom get hot enough to cause any engine damage if the idle RPM isn’t too high. You seldom if ever hear of a damaged BMW motor for any reason especially from overheating.

 

I regularly lug these boxers along in some pretty slow deep sand and steep hill climbing. Nothing heats them up more than stuck in 12” of deep sugar sand.

Occasionally the temperature gauge will peg but usually stops just short of the top. Never had any issues with the engine or sight glass blowing out. The sight glass issue is more of an exhaust heat issue not an oil temperature issue. All the fans in the world on the oil cooler won’t make the exhaust pipes any cooler, in fact the added fan load on the alternator can make the engine work harder.

 

Just remember that for every person worried about a little extra engine heat from being stuck in traffic there are 20+ people that never worry about it and ride two up with luggage in traffic jambs regularly.

 

One thing to keep in mind is the temperature gauge on your bike reads the hot oil exiting the engine after it picks up engine and cylinder head heat but before it goes through the oil cooler. I would be more worried if it didn’t show hot as that means the exiting oil isn’t picking up the latent engine heat and removing it.

 

[ratfink]

The RT police models have such a cooling fan. About a year ago, there was an ongoing thread by a member in Europe who was building his own using cooling fans from computer hardware and his own sheetmetal.

 

P.S. My 1100 Roadster never had a temp guage, and I think that I am happier for it.

 

Link: http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=542775&page=1

[Beech]

Norm, I am with you, rather have a fan on than deal with 7 or 8 bars. Here are the parts, put your own switch and fuse in. beech

http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51560&rnd=03192010

[japachap]

The RT police models have such a cooling fan. About a year ago, there was an ongoing thread by a member in Europe who was building his own using cooling fans from computer hardware and his own sheetmetal.

 

P.S. My 1100 Roadster never had a temp guage, and I think that I am happier for it.

 

Link: http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=542775&page=1

 

Thats me then!

 

Update-

 

The fans have been on the bike nearly two years (already?!?!?) and strangely, I havent had to use them this last summer, although Ive sometimes flicked them on for good measure when encountering a city traffic jam. Theyve been through heavy rain, near-zero temperatures and covered about 10,000 miles in the meantime. What i have just noticed this autumn is that they've been more reluctant to start the last few days, so I will give them a good clean through at the next service- probably with brake or carb cleaner, and then maybe a little light spray oil or water dispersant.

 

If you want more info, pm me here or on BMRider.com where Im likely to respond quicker. Ive had about three people ask me for details in the last year, and I also have concept designs based on a friends cooler measurements for the 1200hexhead. i wont supply a pre-made bracket as I cant produce it to a high enough standard in my garage to warrant the labour cost (material cost is negligible).

 

Only you can decide how hot is too hot for your bike, and i have only ever heard/seen one R1100S that overheated enough to blow the oil sightglass out. The owner bought it in to us whilst I worked in a BMW dealership- he'd left it on fast idle in his garage and forgotten about it!

 

My view is there was a reason BMW fitted fans to the Police bikes, but not the regular ones. Its very rare to go more than two bars over the standard 4-5 bars on the temperature guage, and you'd have to run it at maximum temperature for some considerable time before doing any damage.

 

However, for peace of mind, especially if you have seen the guage soar, its a nice little project for over the winter...

 

 

 

 

(As an aside- if you've ever been intersted in the Accelerator mod for the IAT, I also have a lenghty investigation thread there on this subject. But thats a whole othe can o'worms...)

[ratfink]

so I will give them a good clean through at the next service- probably with brake or carb cleaner, and then maybe a little light spray oil or water dispersant.

 

Japachap: I would be inlined to use electrical contact cleaner and/or perhaps WD40 first. The brake or carb cleaner could be especially agressive towards the plastic bits.

[upflying]

My RT-P has a fan and I have never heard it come on.

Could be money better spent elsewhere on farkles.

[ratfink]

I agree but please remember, lanesplitting. filtering, etc. is not an option for most of us.

[kmac]

In California lane splitting is legal and we do it all of the time....it is specifically legal because of the saftey issue of a motorcycle not being self cooling like a car....one of the FEW laws california has gotten right...

[Peter Parts]

I was amazed at how well my R1100S handled Las Vegas heat one terrible August without any fan but with a stone guard in place.

 

No need to create a perfect aerodynamic fan because any boost to any bit of screen is helpful.

 

For sure you'll want a thermostat switch made for cars - easy enough to find them, both basic mechanical ones as well as adjustable electronic ones. But they have an interesting shortcoming: can't predict the future. But you can - like when you are soon to hit a traffic jam or exit a highway. So you'll also want a manual switch. Prolly just a manual switch is all you need.

 

I forget how I did it with just two or a few wires, but I made such a "future" manual switch for my Maserati 425 a few years ago and figured out how to make an LED pilot lamp go on whenever the fan motor was running because of the thermostat too.

 

Ben

[NonComp]

In California lane splitting is legal and we do it all of the time....it is specifically legal because of the saftey issue of a motorcycle not being self cooling like a car....

Not many air cooled motorcycles left. Most are self cooling like a car these days.