Incidentally, I could easily get another 1/2-inch of clearance between the front wheel and my oil cooler, using my current hardware.  Using bent pipe and compression fittings, one could probably mount this oil cooler even higher.  Therefore, clearance with the front wheel isn't an issue, as long as the front fender is trimmed high enough so the front wheel doesn't grab it, and lock up, long before the wheel would have impacted the oil cooler.

Spud

If you could add some air shrouds to the sides of your oil cooler, they would direct a lot more air through it.  Stick your hand down by the motor going 60 mph, you'll be surprised at how little air is moving down there.

I got a little wet at one point, but I still made several, freeway test runs of my oil cooler today.  My latest fender modification was successful.  Riding the same stretch of freeway that yielded a high oil temperature of 279 degrees yesterday, my high oil temperature was 248 degrees today.

I also rode the same section of freeway that yielded a high oil temperature of 255 degrees without my front fender mounted.  Today, with my modified fender mounted, I reached a high oil temperature of 253 degrees.  Riding back home along this same stretch of freeway, I encountered very strong headwinds that kept my speed at 75 mph while riding wide-open-throttle.  My high oil temperature under these conditions was 235 degrees.

This oil cooler installation works very well.   Other than the XR650R C/S sprocket, I think this is the best modification I have made to my XR650L.   I am very pleased with the current configuration of my oil cooler; at this point I don't plan to make any further changes.  I will certainly report if I encounter any difficulties with this installation.

Another forum member promised to loan me his XRs Only temperature gauge next week.  After riding a few miles with his oil dipstick thermometer, I will report the difference in temperature between my temperature probe located near the engine, and the oil dipstick thermometer located in the oil reservoir.

Spud

SpudRider, on 19 April 2012 - 06:54 PM, said:

I can hear it now "But officer, I had to run wide open throttle to test my oil cooler. I am not a scofflaw, this is science!"
On a more serious note. It is great to see some actually collect data with their oil cooler so others can make informed decisions. Great work Spud!

ThumpNRed, on 20 April 2012 - 04:56 AM, said:

Thank you, Red.   At one point in my test ride it started to rain pretty hard, so I decided to turn around, and head back in the opposite direction.  I noticed a turn around in the median, but I was in the right lane, so I passed it before I could exit onto it.   Therefore, I slowed down and pulled off the right side of the freeway.  After all the traffic had passed me, I remembered I was on an XR650L, so I just crossed the median, and started heading the opposite direction.    Median turn arounds?  We don't need no stinkin' median turn arounds!

Spud

SpudRider, on 19 April 2012 - 06:54 PM, said:

Sweet.. that will make a HUGE difference in terms of engine life.

I would recomend you look at the Acerbis Super moto fender dude. Serious venting there, I had my hand over the cooler @ 60mph, had excellent flow
over the cooler.

Im really curious as to what you see with the XR's only dipstck temp gauge vs. that digital. That said, Im showing on mine to be running about
250 to 255 ,,, apx.

Thanks for the feedback, Mudd.

Incidentally, please note, I saw a 31 degree drop in oil temperature yesterday merely by cutting a hole in the front fender. This temperature reduction was observed after my oil cooler was installed with a drilled fender. Therefore, my oil temperature reduction from stock configuration must be even higher than 31 degrees.  

Spud

SpudRider, on 16 April 2012 - 06:22 PM, said:

where did you get the brass tee for the probe? i have a temp sensor for my vapor  and that would be a good place for it. what size are the outlets on the tee and are they npt or what?

I bought a 1/8", NPT, female tee from Fastenal.  I also bought two, 1/8" male, NPT x 3/8 hose barb adapters.  The TTO temperature gauge has a 1/8" BSPP probe.  Therefore, I bought a 1/8" male NPT  X 1/8" female BSPP adapter, so I would not get any leaks between the tee and the temperature probe.  All the NPT fittings are also available at most auto parts stores, except for the BSPP to NPT adapter.

Spud

On Tuesday a local, XR650L owner loaned me his XRs Only temperature dipstick.  Therefore, I was able to take a ride and compare the oil temperatures between my TTO Temperature Gauge and the oil reservoir.



As you can see in the following photograph, the oil cooler receives an unobstructed airflow over the front wheel, and below the front fender.



The above and below photographs also reveal the oil lines are well protected by the forks and their high location inside the outer edge of the fuel tank.



The motorcycle must warm up a bit before the temperature of the oil in the reservoir stabilizes.   However, after the temperature stabilizes, the oil temperature in the reservoir is 25 degrees cooler than the oil temperature exiting the engine, when the bike is idling.  After riding about 50 miles, I took the following photograph of oil temperatures with the engine idling.



As you can see, the TTO temperature probe located in the oil line before the oil cooler shows a temperature of 225 degrees, while the oil dipstick thermometer shows a temperature of 200 degrees.

After the engine is turned off, the temperature of the oil in the external lines and cooler quickly drops 30 degrees in several minutes.  In contrast, the oil in the reservoir cannot radiate the heat as well, and the temperature remains elevated.  I took the following photograph about 3 minutes after turning off my bike’s engine.  The oil temperature in the cooler has dropped to 94 degrees, but the oil in the reservoir is 125 degrees.



If you wait longer before starting the engine, the temperature of the oil in the external lines and oil cooler drops even more.  After stopping to take some photographs and enjoy the scenery, I recorded the temperature difference in the following photograph.  The temperature at the TTO probe is 97 degrees, while the temperature in the oil reservoir is 160 degrees.





When pushing the bike to it’s maximum oil temperature, the temperate at the TTO probe and the oil reservoir are identical.  Indeed, this must be the case.  If the temperature of the oil in the reservoir is lower, the reservoir temperature must continue to rise until the two temperatures are equal, or a maximum temperature cannot be reached.



During most of my ride today, the oil temperature at the TTO probe was 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the temperature at the oil dipstick.  The temperature difference is greatest at idle and low engine rpms.  The temperature difference decreases as the engine load and engine rpms increase; the two temperatures are identical at the maximum oil temperature of the system.



After exited the off ramp from an extended, wide-open-throttle run on the freeway, the oil cooler quickly drops the temperature of the oil it sends to the reservoir.  Even after riding about ½ mile, and pausing at several stop lights, the following photograph shows my cooler dropped the temperature of the oil in the reservoir 28 degrees before I parked the bike outside Wal-Mart.  The oil coming from the engine is 253 degrees, but the oil inside the reservoir is 225 degrees.



Please note, in this instance, reading the dipstick thermometer alone would be deceiving, since the oil coming from the hot engine is still 253 degrees.  It takes a short time for the cooler oil in the reservoir to quench the hotter oil still inside the engine.

I can easily keep oil temperature below 240 degrees if I ride at 65-70 mph on the freeway.  When I push the bike continuously, wide-open-throttle for 40 miles or more, I can get a maximum oil temperature of 258 degrees, before the temperatures from both thermometers equalize.  Running less than wide-open-throttle will always show the TTO temperature probe running at least 5 degrees hotter than the dipstick thermometer in the oil reservoir.

Spud

Edited by SpudRider, 25 April 2012 - 09:23 AM.

Nice! keep us apprised .

After much pondering and head scratching I decided to drink the Kool-Aid. Here is my iteration. An amalgam if you will.



Not wanting to weld, I modified a U-bolt and jury-rigged some hose clamps to mount the cooler.





I wanted to isolate some vibrations, so I used some pieces of round baler belt between the cooler and frame.



I cut out a portion of the oil tube and repositioned the top and bottom pieces.





The bottom.



The top.
The loop of hose is intended to be long enough to reach the bottom tube in the event that the cooler is damaged.




I gave her a short shakedown cruise just before dark tonight. No leaks so far(yea!). I'll get some pics of the finished project as soon as I can.

twerpy.

SpudRider, on 14 April 2012 - 10:41 PM, said:

nice spud......looks like a heavy duty unit..

It make a guy wonder if someone would tack a dozen or so fins on the down tube maybe parallel with the ground or a slight angle to catch some more air since the down tube holds oil if that might drop the temps some by making the down tube a cooler of its own ???

soundtech, on 10 June 2012 - 10:17 AM, said:

I think soundtech is on to something here. Would a heat sink bolted or clamped around the down tube offer enough heat transfer to cool the oil? Might have to sand the paint off the downtube to get better thermal transfer, but it is definitely an elegant solution!

I have now ridden 6 thousand miles with my Spud Cooler installed.  I am pleased to report this oil cooler works great, and I haven't had any problems with it whatsoever.



Spud

Edited by SpudRider, 22 August 2012 - 11:40 AM.

I'm following this thread just for the photos

Yep Spud, you take AWESOME photo's....thanks
And I just did your Moose xr650r front sprocket swap on my L......went on with no probs, no grinding needed, and fits perfect......tight and solid like a front sprocket should be. Thanks a ton for all the knowledge you share.....guys like you make forums great