Installing oil temperature sensor

[Lucky Phil]

17 minutes ago, Scud said:

Seems to me this thread is about doing something for the fun of it, not trying to make a technical improvement. Extra gauges can be fun, and some can even be useful.  When I did the Speethut speedo and tach on my previous red LeMans, I added oil pressure and voltmeter. They were fun to look at, especially riding at night. And the oil pressure gauge helped me diagnose a problem in a way that a simple warning light did not. 

The guy who bought that LeMans said, after owning it for a while, that the set of four matching gauges was his favorite modification on that bike.

Does the oil temp gauge make the rider happy? If yes, then good improvement.

 

I've spent a lifetime Scud watching people do things that make them "happy" at the time that in hindsight with a little amount of forethought they definitely should not have done once the consequences had manifested themselves. 

Phil

[docc]

4 minutes ago, Lucky Phil said:

I've spent a lifetime Scud watching people do things that make them "happy" at the time that in hindsight with a little amount of forethought they definitely should not have done once the consequences had manifested themselves. 

Phil

I'm pretty happy with my funked-out V11. It has mostly everything on it you guys have said was a good idea at the time.

I suppose I'll need serious counseling later in life . . .      

Otherwise, I am pleased this thread got to grow legs of its own . . .

[docc]

"I feel like funkin' it up . . ."

 

[Lucky Phil]

5 hours ago, docc said:

I'm pretty happy with my funked-out V11. It has mostly everything on it you guys have said was a good idea at the time.

I suppose I'll need serious counseling later in life . . .      

Otherwise, I am pleased this thread got to grow legs of its own . . .

It's cool docc, I just look at things like modifications and subject them to the rationalisation test. I've seen people fit mechanical OPG's to the handlebars with a plastic tube carrying oil from the oil gallery under pressure to the back of the gauge with all the vulnerabilities and risk that entails. Sure you can get away with it on a car where if the tube or connection to the back of the gauge fails you'll just have a massive mess to deal with but imagine a plastic flex hose flexing every time you turn the bars and if you have a failure it's hot oil under pressure straight at the riders face basically or at the very least showering hot oil over the rider and bike. The other issue that amuses me is the same people that fit OPG's and oil temp indicators then start to wonder "what's normal" indication. They get a variation or indication thats a little different and they're on the internet seeking answers to issues they don't really need to be aware of in the first place. There's a good reason motorcycles dont use OPG's and oil temp indicators. Its because your attention is far better allocated to watching the road and things that may kill you and a simple effective LOP light is all that's needed to warn you of impending engine problems. Someone here years ago had an OPG mounted on a V11 Le Mans down on the horizontal face of the fairing side so to see the indication you had to basically look at your left knee!

Cars on the other hand mount their gauges at somewhere approximating eye level or close to it however even the car world acknowledges the bullshit most engine gauges are with the exception of the coolant temp. My Focus RS has a 3 gauge cluster mounted on top of the dash in the middle pointed at the driver. Oil temp, oil pressure and boost pressure. All of them are ECU controlled indications not actual. So they are derived and calculated indications because the last thing Ford want is the punters comparing and questioning indication differences between owners. This is common practice in the automotive world. Give them gauges to make them feel good but because the average owner has zero mechanical expertise and is unable to interpret what they are seeing indicated and the reasons for variations we just let the ecu present an indication based on general parameters. So oil pressure indicated will be a function of engine coolant temp, engine rpm, and oil temp. Zero to do with the actual measured oil pressure. Cool, a semi faux gauge cluster.

Personally my only justifiable additional gauge is a clock. I fitted one to my bike and the location I hate so next time the tank is off I'm moving it to a more discrete location. Why a clock? One reason only, we have 3 hours of school zones a day here and they aren't always indicated by flashing speed signs and are Policed so you need to know the exact time during certain periods of the day or risk a heavy fine or loss of licence.

Phil      

[Weegie]

I just hope @p6x doesn't ask about a gear indicator

Phil's comment on a pressure gauge at your knee, raised a wry smile, my R9T has just that & to read the dipstick temp on the Guzzis similarly requires me to look down to read it, with the Australia I need to get off the bike.

Although not 100% certain, I don't believe BMW provide any form of warning on loss of oil pressure on these bikes, not even a light, so I installed a gauge.

I only glance at these gauges ocassionally, as and when it's safe to do so. That either confirms or rebutts what I'm guessing might be occuring.

I find it reassuring and can concentrate on the ride, rather than the lingering nagging doubt in the back of my mind, but I'm paranoid.

IMHO it's personal choice there isn't a right or wrong answer, I understand and agree with some of the arguments against.

I could also make a reasonable case to counter some of these arguments but I really cannot be arsed.

[Chuck]

When The Kid got his first Guzzi, he called Gordon at MGcycles to get an oil temperature gauge that fit in the dipstick hole. Gordon said, " I know you are an aircraft mechanic and can see why you would want one. I'll sell you one, but you won't like what you see sometimes, and then what are you going to do about it?" 

"Good point, Gordon.. never mind."  

[po18guy]

7 hours ago, Chuck said:

When The Kid got his first Guzzi, he called Gordon at MGcycles to get an oil temperature gauge that fit in the dipstick hole. Gordon said, " I know you are an aircraft mechanic and can see why you would want one. I'll sell you one, but you won't like what you see sometimes, and then what are you going to do about it?" 

"Good point, Gordon.. never mind."  

And with the V11's glide ratio only slightly worse than that of a Seabee...

[Tomchri]

16 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

It's cool docc, I just look at things like modifications and subject them to the rationalisation test. I've seen people fit mechanical OPG's to the handlebars with a plastic tube carrying oil from the oil gallery under pressure to the back of the gauge with all the vulnerabilities and risk that entails. Sure you can get away with it on a car where if the tube or connection to the back of the gauge fails you'll just have a massive mess to deal with but imagine a plastic flex hose flexing every time you turn the bars and if you have a failure it's hot oil under pressure straight at the riders face basically or at the very least showering hot oil over the rider and bike. The other issue that amuses me is the same people that fit OPG's and oil temp indicators then start to wonder "what's normal" indication. They get a variation or indication thats a little different and they're on the internet seeking answers to issues they don't really need to be aware of in the first place. There's a good reason motorcycles dont use OPG's and oil temp indicators. Its because your attention is far better allocated to watching the road and things that may kill you and a simple effective LOP light is all that's needed to warn you of impending engine problems. Someone here years ago had an OPG mounted on a V11 Le Mans down on the horizontal face of the fairing side so to see the indication you had to basically look at your left knee!

Cars on the other hand mount their gauges at somewhere approximating eye level or close to it however even the car world acknowledges the bullshit most engine gauges are with the exception of the coolant temp. My Focus RS has a 3 gauge cluster mounted on top of the dash in the middle pointed at the driver. Oil temp, oil pressure and boost pressure. All of them are ECU controlled indications not actual. So they are derived and calculated indications because the last thing Ford want is the punters comparing and questioning indication differences between owners. This is common practice in the automotive world. Give them gauges to make them feel good but because the average owner has zero mechanical expertise and is unable to interpret what they are seeing indicated and the reasons for variations we just let the ecu present an indication based on general parameters. So oil pressure indicated will be a function of engine coolant temp, engine rpm, and oil temp. Zero to do with the actual measured oil pressure. Cool, a semi faux gauge cluster.

Personally my only justifiable additional gauge is a clock. I fitted one to my bike and the location I hate so next time the tank is off I'm moving it to a more discrete location. Why a clock? One reason only, we have 3 hours of school zones a day here and they aren't always indicated by flashing speed signs and are Policed so you need to know the exact time during certain periods of the day or risk a heavy fine or loss of licence.

Phil      

+1,  and my point to, ride it the way good truckers do, look ahead, keep the speed up, enjoy the ride.  
Cheers Tom.

[Scud]

On 6/30/2022 at 4:46 PM, Lucky Phil said:

I've spent a lifetime Scud watching people do things that make them "happy" at the time that in hindsight with a little amount of forethought they definitely should not have done once the consequences had manifested themselves. 

Phil

No worries... this is a great forum for us to debate the pros and cons of things, then make our own decisions. And sometimes deciding not to do something is the best decision of all (not just re motorcycles, but life in general).

[Kevin_T]

I almost hate to resurrect this thread after it's been laid to rest but. If you're interested in temperature what about using the head temp sensor and a digital gauge. Guzzi-dia. gets its information from it along with the computer it would seem to be a less expensive route. Never heard of anyone doing it sounds like a less complicated way to go about it.

When I got my Lemans I wanted to use it to commute. From time to time with traffic congestion I'm not sure at what point I should pull over and let the bike cool. As the bike gets really, really hot it has its own sounds and smells but, good science is good data. I don't want to take the temper out of my piston rings.