A forum for owners of Yamaha TTR250 trail and enduro bikes!

BM Steve · Guru

Oil temperature

mypobox · Veteran Member

BM Steve wrote:
Well it's going to be Summer here in a few more days and the weather is starting to heat up well and truly

I hate you cry

BM Steve · Guru

mypobox wrote:
BM Steve wrote:
Well it's going to be Summer here in a few more days and the weather is starting to heat up well and truly

I hate you

Enjoy your ice

hahahahahaha

WillsTTR · Veteran Member

BM Steve wrote:
mypobox wrote:
BM Steve wrote:
Well it's going to be Summer here in a few more days and the weather is starting to heat up well and truly

I hate you
Enjoy your ice
hahahahahaha

37 degrees Celsius in Penrith today. Sweatathon! I was wondering the same thing BM Steve........................

petenz · Super Guru

37 degrees Celsius in Penrith today. Sweatathon! I was wondering the same thing BM Steve........................

37C..bugger that... just to hot..

i like around 25C

66T · Veteran Member

Mate, don't even worry about it imo.

My 2004 TTR (I've owned it from new) has >70,000km on the clock, just about all of them (bar the first 1k) mustering and station work. I had an oil cooler on it for a while and it made no noticeable difference where i needed it most ie slow running while droving etc on hot days. The head hasn't been off yet, and the clutch pack is original.

My old bike is starting to use a bit of oil now, but still starts easily and runs as quiet as any TTR. The oil has been so unbelievably hot at times I thought the bike (and me!!) was going to melt, but it just shrugged it off. The secret is no secret. Change the oil often (about every 50hrs or 1000km for me, sometimes more often than that). If you have a major clutch-slipping, hard day, then dump that oil asap and clean the oil filter.

The only effect my bike has suffered so far from hot running is failure of the ignition source coil - three times, and occasional oil leaks. Since having an aftermarket source coil fitted there have been no problems.

Your bike is really tough. If you fit an oil temp gauge, you will only be stressed by the reading, with no way to correct it anyway. Imo, of course.

BM Steve · Guru

OK so the other day I was driving back from Sydney, bloody hot day, the Hilux was sitting a bit above normal, what you expect, then a large hill, so big load and the temp starts to rise as I didn't slow down, the gauge gets to within 2 needle widths of red and I slow down, it goes back to normal.

Basically that's what I mean, if it starts to get really hot, slow down

I guess you don't really need a gauge for that

if your flogging it on a hot day it's going to be hot so slow down a bit I guess

Why overheat if you don't need to

ttboof · Super Guru

agree keep up the fresh oil . Back off if it's a bit hot .

I've done cattle work on the ttr it's been hot enough to feel like I'm burning my leg but still.keeps going ok .

Riding tomorrow should be in the mid 40s not concerned about overheating . Might be a different with the rider

-- Edited by ttboof on Friday 21st of November 2014 09:14:31 AM

66T · Veteran Member

He he I feel the same, mate!! I'm just about to the point of expiry and the TTR just keeps on doing its thing. Legend.

There are some people in my area of work who reckon the TTRs are useless because they can't cope. They can't, not if they get insufficient maintenance. Sure, they get a bit leaky, but it's easy and cheap (except for the ridiculously overpriced cam cover gasket) to fix. They're just too lazy.

One bloke I know has got well over 120,000 km from the bottom end on his mustering TTR. He's freshened the top end, but also flogged the ring out of it. Again, legend bike.

This pic is my TTR hiding (?) from the head on a mid-40s day.

A day so hot my ears nearly melted off..JPG

ttboof · Super Guru

agree with regular oil changes .

summer mustering is usualy too much for water cooled bikes ive continued on working while the water cooled bikes are blowing off steam waiting to cool down .

mid 40s here on the coast today put the bike in the shed with the thermomiter showing 57deg

would love a bit of devon mud about now

66T · Veteran Member

Hmm. Not sure if I fully agree, mate. My TTR is now my spare bike, and I use a 2012 WR250R as my main work machine. It has coped with everything I've thrown at it so far.

As long as the fan is working, the bike doesn't ever seem to overheat. Admittedly, a lot of stars have to line up with water-cooled bikes. All that extra stuff seems to work, but that's the rub. It all has to work, or the poo hits the fan so to speak.

But you're right, air-cooled works. No fuss.

ttboof · Super Guru

agree . good feed back on the wr .my nephews have a yz250 and a kx 450 more set up for motor cross and dont like the slow going .

ive looked at wrs but the ttr still suits my current riding and im a bit biased

66T · Veteran Member

Fair enough mate. Btw, my WR is the R model, not the F. The F has no fan and two radiators.

On eproblem we do get with TTRs in really hot weather is that they can detonate, backfire and stick the inlet valve(s) open. When the engine cools, the valves unstick, but sometimes it takes a lot of of kicking and cranking to free them off. There is a school of thought that when they detonate and backfire a small lump of carbon lodges under a valve. This is also logical.

It's bloody annoying, because it's invariably when you need the bike to be on top of its game. I've fitted a #8 iridium plug, which seems to help. The iridiums burn cleaner and last longer, but those who claim all sorts of miracle results from using them are to be viewed with suspicion imo.

Pendo · Veteran Member

On average where I ride, I come across 2-3 bikes a year broken down with radiator problems - damage from clipping a tree or dropping - poor maintenance (as 66T pointed out)-cooling fan stopped working etc. Even seen a guy drop a bike on a hill climb and leave a long coolant trail downhill.

That's what I love about the air cooled TTR, less things to go wrong / damage when I'm miles from nowhere.

66T · Veteran Member

A radiator guard is absolutely essential.

As an observation, I feel that while there is an obvious difference in crankcase temps in very hot weather between my TTR and WR-R, it isn't as great as people might think. Imo, naturally.

The WR-R's bottom end gets really hot, but clearly while its coolant temp is under control the head and barrel don't reach anything like the temp of an air-cooled top end.

Ultimately, it seems that both are built to withstand temps much greater than their design briefs indicate.

Gut feeling? Possibly the TTR is tougher, but only time will tell.

BM Steve · Guru

Pendo wrote:
On average where I ride, I come across 2-3 bikes a year broken down with radiator problems - damage from clipping a tree or dropping - poor maintenance (as 66T pointed out)-cooling fan stopped working etc. Even seen a guy drop a bike on a hill climb and leave a long coolant trail downhill.
That's what I love about the air cooled TTR, less things to go wrong / damage when I'm miles from nowhere.

That was one of the main criteria I looked at when choosing a bike, had to be aircooled

No pumps, Hoses or radiators

Oh and of course this forum

martin555 · Veteran Member

hi there

this works or diameter of spark plug will not fit?

www.aliexpress.com/item/Runleader-engine-TEMP-METER-thermometer-temperature-meter-for-motorcycle-construction-machinery-paramotor-truck-drilling-machine/32539432017.html

thx

mossproof · Super Guru

Marton I think the spark plug sensor is a bit too big for a ttr - 14mm hole, ttr plug thread is only 10mm. I wouldn't stress about engine temperature on an air cooled bike unless you are planning some fully loaded sand riding, in which case just fit a big oil cooler!
Ride safe,
Simon.

martin555 · Veteran Member

okok thx I do not stress.

10mm,, found but I do not plan to mount.. just info:

www.ebay.com/itm/Trail-Tech-TTO-Temperature-Meter-Digital-Gauge-10mm-Spark-Plug-Sensor-742-ET1-/361886047827

ttboof · Super Guru

martin555 wrote:
okok thx I do not stress.

10mm,, found but I do not plan to mount.. just info:

www.ebay.com/itm/Trail-Tech-TTO-Temperature-Meter-Digital-Gauge-10mm-Spark-Plug-Sensor-742-ET1-/361886047827

I don't give my oil temp much thought until my feet start to blister biggrin

but i do like gadgets , this unit looks great could just bolt it on anywhere EG the starter mounting bolts on top of the gear box , ride and get a feel for temp of average riding and keep an eye on it in the hard going good unit if your curious about the temp

DANKWHEELIE420 · Veteran Member

RUN EITHER 5W30 OR 10W40 LUCHAS RACING OIL SHIFTS ARE WAY SMOOTHER AND MY BIKE NEVER GETS HOT AND I RUN THE DOG CRAP OUT OF IT AND ITS NEVER HOT ONLY IN THE WINTER WEIRDLY AND I USE THE BARREL TO WARM MY HANDS