Wildguzzi.com

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: majstevetrevor on July 21, 2022, 03:27:45 PM

Title: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: majstevetrevor on July 21, 2022, 03:27:45 PM
Being in DC, I’ve done plenty of riding in the high 80s and low to mid 90s, but rarely 100. Was planning a ride early next week of two days of about fours each, but I see a prediction of 100° on at least one of the days.  Assuming I can survive it, how do you all think the V7III engine would do?
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Turin on July 21, 2022, 03:32:52 PM
I've been riding guzzi's in phoenix since 1991. I've used them as my daily driver since I've never owned a personal car with AC.
Guzzi's do fine in the heat. I've ridden at 120 degrees.

What guzzi? small block or big block?
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: tonUPRacer on July 21, 2022, 03:35:47 PM
bike should be fine as long as you're not in stop and go traffic. Personally I hate riding in the heat, I've just gotten soft I guess, if it's above 90, I'm in my vehicle.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Ncdan on July 21, 2022, 03:37:02 PM
If you are moving it will do fine. However in that heat range, sitting stationary is another subject.
Get moving ASAP.
I’ve been in situations where I had to take an exit and get  out a traffic jam or find another route,  due to motor starting to knock or ping. This is not good.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: moto-uno on July 21, 2022, 04:02:47 PM
  Last summer I rode my 2018 Eldorado for hundreds of kilometers in 45 to 49 degrees celcius and
to be honest it ran like it was a walk in the park ! I couldn't say the same for myself . Plus I just returned
from the Broken Arrow meeting last week and for at least 6 hours of the 2 day 1500km ride there my
1980 Le Mans 2 ran in 42+degrees celcius just fine also . So yeah the bikes can handle it , less so us :) . Peter
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Huzo on July 21, 2022, 04:06:06 PM
TonUP and Dan are spot on..
Australia gets into low 40’s (110) and regularly mid/high 30’s in summer. Pinging in slow traffic or stopped, is a thing.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Griso8V on July 21, 2022, 04:17:25 PM
Just got back from a trip from NorCal to SoCal.  We went from cold Bay Area foggy weather to 103+ degree heat down in the valley.  No problems at all even when we had to stop for road work; I did not bother to shut off the bike.  My bike is a 2010 Griso 8V, never a problem one. 
Tony C
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: centauro on July 21, 2022, 04:25:15 PM
All air cooled Guzzis (and old air head Beemers) receive more cooling air than just about any other air-cooled engine configuration.
In fact, during winter season, you may have to ride for at least 20 minutes for the oil to come up to high enough temp to prevent mayonnaise forming in the valve covers.
But I agree, 100 + heat is bad for the rider. If traffic comes to a halt, it is better to find a shady spot and wait it out. Your bike will thank you for that.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: JJ on July 21, 2022, 04:25:58 PM
I've been riding guzzi's in phoenix since 1991. I've used them as my daily driver since I've never owned a personal car with AC.
Guzzi's do fine in the heat. I've ridden at 120 degrees.

What guzzi? small block or big block?

Agree with Turin 100%.  No issues in 100 degree heat...except the strain / exhaustion of the rider!! :rolleyes: :shocked: 

Have ridden both my air-cooled Centauro GT and Victory Vision in 100+ degree temperatures...but I can tell you...it is NOT pleasant!!  :laugh: :grin:
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: majstevetrevor on July 21, 2022, 04:28:15 PM
Appreciate all the replies. This is about what I thought - as long as I can keep moving the motor should be fine.  But yeah, whether I'll be fine is another question.. Still trying to decide for sure if I want to do the ride in that heat.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Dirk_S on July 21, 2022, 04:35:13 PM
Note that riding in temperatures hotter than the surface of your skin is actually working against you, so make sure you're very considerate of your hydration and type of gear you'll be wearing (as I'm sure our arid Southwest Guzzi owners are quite aware).

Maybe bring a few cold packs to stuff into your internal pockets :)
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: willowstreetguzziguy on July 21, 2022, 05:01:38 PM
As far as your body, Hydration vests are cheap and work great in temps above 90 degrees. I bought two.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Huzo on July 21, 2022, 05:17:22 PM
Appreciate all the replies. This is about what I thought - as long as I can keep moving the motor should be fine.  But yeah, whether I'll be fine is another question.. Still trying to decide for sure if I want to do the ride in that heat.
I don’t know what level of experience you have, so please excuse me if I appear patronising.
If you believe you are in an environment that may approach pinging conditions, the thing to do is keep your rpm up a bit more than you normally would, in conjunction with lower throttle openings when under medium/high load.

An example might be.
Up in the mountains and you have decelerated down a long hill then rounded a bend and are pulling away back up the grade. You may allow your muscle memory to let the bike rev out to maybe 3,500-4,500 revs at half throttle setting.
Better to apply less throttle and allow the engine to spin up 1,000 revs higher.
The lower cylinder pressure will delay or remove the possible tendency to ping.
Anyway…Here we go…. :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Vagrant on July 22, 2022, 07:01:00 AM
I worked for Stihl for 37 years. About 20 years ago they showed us a slow motion film of an engine with a camera cutout. Every time the plug fired there was a heat wave (for lack of a better term) that went out from the center of the piston through the rings then cylinder wall to the fins and right to the edge of them. So even when sitting still an air cooled engine is still cooling.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Dirk_S on July 22, 2022, 07:16:44 AM
I worked for Stihl for 37 years. About 20 years ago they showed us a slow motion film of an engine with a camera cutout. Every time the plug fired there was a heat wave (for lack of a better term) that went out from the center of the piston through the rings then cylinder wall to the fins and right to the edge of them. So even when sitting still an air cooled engine is still cooling.

Still cooling, sure, but when it's moving, the radiated heat is dissipated from the source quicker, aiding in the cooling.

This is where the collective voice says, "Yes, Dirk. We all know how that works."
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: PeteS on July 22, 2022, 10:08:35 AM
I am guessing most are thinking of how well the engine oil stands up to high ambient temps but consider electrical items as well. Air cooled Guzzis and BMWs do pretty well going down the road but put a full fairing on them and it makes it harder for those circuit boards survive. I and many others have had diode boards melt. Solder melts at around 360F to give you an idea how warm it gets around the engine. At least Guzzi mounts their diode boards away from the motor. What was BMW thinking?

Pete
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: wymple on July 22, 2022, 10:10:23 AM
Don't run low octane gas in high heat & the Guzzi will be fine. I do avoid a lot of stop & go & sitting idling.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Tkelly on July 22, 2022, 11:28:41 AM
We just rode 1700 miles home from Idaho in that heat in 3 days.We survived by guzzling Gatorade and soaking t shirts at every gas stop.My Stelvio ran fine on regular gas,no traffic jams.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: rocker59 on July 22, 2022, 11:38:02 AM

The 2011 Guzzi National in Iowa and the 2012 Guzzi National in Virginia were very hot.

In 2011 we rode 2-up and pulling a trailer with my V11 LeMans Nero Corsa.

In 2012 we rode 2-up and pulling a trailer with my California Bassa.

Premium fuel and no problems on either trip with the motorcycles. 

But, the 80-degree dew points and 100-degree temperatures just weren't real comfortable for us.

Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Alfetta on July 22, 2022, 11:40:21 AM
What was BMW thinking?

Our vay is da best way, if das motobiken goes kaput, das dealer do fixenupen, you no finger poken in das springin workin !
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Murray on July 22, 2022, 11:53:30 AM
In very heavy stop start traffic it will start lean idling (idling faster than normal), other than that it won't really care.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: majstevetrevor on July 22, 2022, 12:13:05 PM
We just rode 1700 miles home from Idaho in that heat in 3 days.We survived by guzzling Gatorade and soaking t shirts at every gas stop.My Stelvio ran fine on regular gas,no traffic jams.

Wow, eight hours a day or so? That’s a lot of hot.. 🥵
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Beowulf on July 22, 2022, 05:01:12 PM
I commute to Houston and I live 60 miles from where I work the temps can exceed 100 degrees frequently. I’ve used the recommended oil weight religiously and have had no problems stop and go traffic or cruising at eighty. If it’s a long time in traffic exceeding 10 minutes I shut it off after getting out of the way out finds way to keep moving. No issues so far. I always use premium so I imagine that helps. I like the purple yak fat……
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Huzo on July 22, 2022, 05:07:53 PM
In very heavy stop start traffic it will start lean idling (idling faster than normal), other than that it won't really care.
Ahhh….!
Takes me back to the “why is my bike doing this ?” thread, so it IS just air that’s adjusted via the stepper and not air/fuel to stabilise the idle ?
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: LowRyter on July 22, 2022, 05:26:56 PM
My Bandit detonated severely at Bikeweek.  Bike has an advancer and it was really muggy and in slow slow traffic.  I got better gas and stayed out of traffic and rode on side streets or took the long way around.  Only time it's ever happened from any of my years of riding.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Stephen on July 22, 2022, 07:36:23 PM
I have ridden my 2003 18 to 118, no problem.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Road Rocket on July 22, 2022, 09:03:01 PM
If old Triumphs built with 1930's technolog that are full warmed up by the end of you driveway can survive south western USA heat, then a Guzzi should have no problem..Ride according, do not load a hot engine, down shift for more rpm and less load on the engine. Use a higher octane if available..






Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: inditx on July 23, 2022, 09:17:46 AM
And burp that hot gas tank every so often...
inditx
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Gwilliam on July 24, 2022, 04:43:41 AM
I have read this thread with interest as I have been experiencing rough running issues with my 2001 California Stone at low speeds in hot weather.
Trying to drive in queuing town traffic with on\off small throttle opening, results in spitting back through the inlet and misfiring.
In cooler weather or on the open road with the engine temperature lower, things are much better. It seems to me that the fuel mixture it too lean and the elevated temperatures aggravate the condition. During the warm up from cold I believe that the ambient air and engine temperature sensors richen the mixture and solve the problem. However, on a hot day with a loaded bike if I hit traffic entering a town the spluttering becomes a nuisance.

This condition began a couple of years ago and became very bad leading me to try swapping plugs, leads, coils, injectors, rubber manifolds etc from a second bike. The bike got to the point that it only ran on one cylinder at low revs and was backfiring badly enough through the intake that it would blow off the vacuum gauges that I had attached.
Eventually, Vagrant suggested that I swap the TPS, despite the fact that only one cylinder was affected. He had experienced various inexplicable symptoms with TPS failures in the past.
He was proved right, when replacing the unit resolved the problem.

I still have this hot running glitch but it may be down to the changes in the fuel chemistry over the last few years. Lead has been removed, octane ratings have changed, ethanol has been added, etc.
I should add that my Stone runs a cut down airbox with a K&N filter, an H pipe to replace the centre crossover muffler and Lafranconi Competizioni exhausts. It has a Power Commander 3usb with a map appropriate to the modifications.

The Power Commander has a useful feature allowing me to adjust the lower third of the the rev range in 2% increments with a button push, without altering the map generally. As we have recently experienced the first ever 40°C temperature in England I have used this feature to richen the 0 - 2700 rpm by 6% which seems to have improved the condition.
It is good to know that there are other owners out there "fighting the good fight" though!
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: majstevetrevor on July 24, 2022, 03:12:29 PM
Update: I bailed! I think the bike would’ve been fine, but just too hot for me. Postponing the trip for a couple of weeks probably.  but it’s nice to have these responses and some anecdotal evidence both ways.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: kballowe on July 24, 2022, 06:42:47 PM
I was out riding the 1400 Eldo today in 100+ degree temps, and it seemed to be happy.  Minimal amount of stop & go, though.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Moparnut72 on July 24, 2022, 06:55:54 PM
The 1400's can get a bit warm in stop and go traffic, nothing like the 110 Harley I had previously. The heat comes mostly from the radiator (oil cooler) and not the cylinders. It only bothered me once on a very hot afternoon otherwise it was hardly noticeable. Your experience may vary. I really liked my Audace, wish I was still able to ride confidently. Getting older sucks sometimes.
kk
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: redhawk47 on July 24, 2022, 10:51:22 PM
On the way home to Colorado from the 2018 Virginia MG Rally I was headed to visit a friend a bit north of Fort Worth, Texas.  I thought I was going to be on a ring road around DFW.  Maybe I was, but there were four overpasses under construction, and we were on the frontage road, at a standstill.  It took 15 or 20 minutes to get past each of the overpasses and the temperature was 100*F or more.  I probably shutting the V7II engine off when we were not moving.  No ill effects to the moto.  I use premium fuel and good quality oil with the proper ratings.

But, more important, is protecting yourself when it is that hot.  Close all of the jacket vents, zip the jack closed including the cuffs.  A wet t-shirt
or a cooling vest is a good idea; there will be some air movement to make them work.  I was watching the clock and drank water every ten minutes; I have a water bladder with hose in my tank bag - whenever I travel.

Don't worry about the bike, it will be fine.  But do some research about protecting yourself from the heat.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Tusayan on July 24, 2022, 11:17:53 PM
I remember riding through Phoenix in conjunction with visiting the national Guzzi rally in 1999.  It was 118 F (48 C) and the last thing I was worried about was my 1100 Sport, it ran well.  On the other hand, I soaked my shirt in water and it dried in about 5 miles…  It was a very hot ride, and I did almost 1000 miles that day, my longest day ever. The bike was fine  :thumb:
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Wayne Orwig on July 25, 2022, 08:22:54 AM
If the outdoor temp is 30 degrees higher, then the engine temp is 30 degrees high. So if the air cooled engine is normally running at 190F, it will not be 220F.
Not a big deal.
What is a big deal is stopped traffic. Even in cooler weather you can cook a motor that has no moving air.

Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: baxterday on July 25, 2022, 09:02:55 AM
I just picked up a SPIII in Oklahoma City on Friday and rode it back to North GA.  I was in the heat for many hours the first day.  I was miserable!  Stopped often to hydrate with water and Gatorade.  The bike's transmission started acting up, and finally left me stranded about 50 miles from home.  Cannot shift it out of second gear, pedal goes up down, but no gear change. 
The first day I did OK city to Memphis, took about 9 hours with stops for fuel and water.  Second day Memphis to Ellijay, with a stop in Chattanooga, which is where I could not get it to shift out of second.  The second day was not as hot as the first as I got an earlier start.  I did rest more often on the second day, but that heat was relentless.  Won't do that again any time soon.  Now to figure out what is wrong with the tranny! 
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: ScepticalScotty on July 25, 2022, 11:07:45 AM
Same way my SRX600 did when it was 44 degrees C in Cowra in the 90s. OK.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: DesertPilot on July 25, 2022, 12:40:05 PM
My V85TT does fine when a heat wave hits 100 F here in the Bay Area.  Me... even with mesh gear... maybe less so...
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Dirk_S on July 25, 2022, 12:42:52 PM
Me... even with mesh gear... maybe less so...

That’s part of your problem—Mesh gear is actually not good in extremely hot weather. There are some good science-based articles on the type of gear that’s better than others when the temps reach past the human body’s surface temperature.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: DesertPilot on July 25, 2022, 01:10:06 PM
That’s part of your problem—Mesh gear is actually not good in extremely hot weather. There are some good science-based articles on the type of gear that’s better than others when the temps reach past the human body’s surface temperature.
Good point!  Somewhere around 95 F, life seems to change from,"Ah, what a nice refreshing breeze!" to, "Bloody hell, this is like sitting in front of a giant hair drier."  I have a cooling vest waiting in the closet for days like those.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: Hasaf on July 25, 2022, 05:00:16 PM
Ahhh….!
Takes me back to the “why is my bike doing this ?” thread, so it IS just air that’s adjusted via the stepper and not air/fuel to stabilise the idle ?

That happened to me yesterday. I stopped, at a traffic light, at the end of a long highway run and it was idling extremely high. I was quite worried that something was wrong. But then, after a few minutes of in-town speeds, it seemed to be running normally again.
Title: Re: How will our air cooled engines fare in 100° heat?
Post by: czakky82 on July 25, 2022, 05:20:09 PM
I just picked up a SPIII in Oklahoma City on Friday and rode it back to North GA.  I was in the heat for many hours the first day.  I was miserable!  Stopped often to hydrate with water and Gatorade.  The bike's transmission started acting up, and finally left me stranded about 50 miles from home.  Cannot shift it out of second gear, pedal goes up down, but no gear change. 
The first day I did OK city to Memphis, took about 9 hours with stops for fuel and water.  Second day Memphis to Ellijay, with a stop in Chattanooga, which is where I could not get it to shift out of second.  The second day was not as hot as the first as I got an earlier start.  I did rest more often on the second day, but that heat was relentless.  Won't do that again any time soon.  Now to figure out what is wrong with the tranny!

Assuming you made it home. I’d start with the linkage. Keep us posted!