How to monitor engine oil temperature

[DTTW]

Hi,

During the last 4 years I've had my 14 I've been interesting in monitoring the oil temperature. It is something that just tickles my inner engineer. When I bought the bike it had this dip stick gauge, but I don't see that bringing any added value in regards of monitoring the oil temperature.

How do you monitor engine oil temp on your bike, or do you not? I am particularly interested in digital meter. There is a place to install a sensor on the lower right hand side of the crankcase and the best display unit I've come a cross so far is from Yoshimura: http://shop.yoshimura-jp.com/en/product/syousai.php?id=16001

Has someone done this or similar before?

Br, DTTW

[KiwiCol]

I haven't heard of anyone measuring their oil temp as such, (some must do though)

The engine does it itself, once the oil temp gets above a set point, (unsure what it is though) the valve to the oil cooler opens & lets the oil circulate through there, once back under the set point, it shuts off again.
If the temp continues to rise after cooler valve opens, the wee fan will eventually start & assist with cooling the oil in the cooler. This very rarely happens that it needs the fan & only in hot climates & standing running (stuck in traffic) with no air flow over cooler.
Suzuki use the oil to help cool the engine as well as air. 

I guess having a digital readout of the temp would be a handy thing, just as an interest to see what it's doing.

[grog]

i have, as many do, the screw into oil cap temp analogue thingo. hottest it ever gets to is 80 degree c. thats on a super hot day. ive checked it against non contact thermometer, very accurate. couple of degrees wrong as against actual oil, a great product. a full on run today, 30 degrees air temp, screw in thermometer says just over 60. these bikes run very cool. my fan works, have checked, but never comes on. we have a hot climate.

[Mick_J]

There are a couple of oil temp monitors available for Harleys, maybe one of them can be adapted to fit.

[kja]

Yoshimura do a nice one........

http://www.webike.co.uk/products/21365230.html

Or Koso do one too......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282337913760

I'm in the process of fitting a Koso to my bike to watch the temperature so I can compare it with the big bore motor I'll be building this coming winter.

[froudy]

A mate of mine races a 1200 Bandit and has one of those Yoshimura temp guages fitted...He says that it's a good and accurate piece of kit.

The sensor is fitted into the oil gallery plug just beneath the pickup rotor cover. I think he got an adaptor made up to fit it.

[northern]

Oil temperature is something I start thinking 1.5 years ago. I even start topic about this on old ORG.

I purchase KOSO sensor (find it on ebay), which is going without any adapter instead of oil gallery plug (could be placed on both sides). As I remember, it was M16xP1.5 (if someone is interested, I can measure OEM plug tread, couse sensor is already in my 14)
http://www.koso.com.tw/products-detail.php?id=520&lang=en
From the beginning I did not want to purchase any external gauge or display. I was thinking of making myself some case for display but then I decide to make it as stealth as possible.

There is why:
Why do I need to know what is my oil temperature is:
1. To know when I can accelerate hard (do not want to do it on cold engine)
2. To know when it will be wise to let it cool down.
So basically I need to know 3 stages: COLD, NORMAL, HOT. Is temperature 84 or 88 degrees doesent really matter 

I deside to use same technology, as I use making (inspired by @Thommohawk) gear position indicator, but this time on left side, where speedometer is.

For example:
Lets say oil temperature below 40C°(50C°) is cold - under 50km/h mark BLUE led will be placed. This led will flash (or blink) until oil temperature is bellow  40C°(50C°). When oil temperature exceed this level, blue led will turn off.
Lets say 110C° oil is very hot. I will install RED led under 110 km/h mark, and if oil temperature exceed this level, RED led will start to flash (or blink), letting me know I need to cool down.
And if no led's are flashing, this will show what everything is in order.

This is my plan, and I have done some initial preparations, but project is developing slowly. Sensor is installed on a bike, mikro-controller script was ready. Just need to find time and will to finish it...
Hope, will manage it in close future, and then I will definitely post a report about this.

P.S. picture is taken when I measure the sensor values, finding out dependency of temperature and sensor resistance 

[spizzoil]

so this is a bit above me and I will sound a bit dumb here but will having old oil compared to new make any difference to how the oil temp will be set 

[northern]

so this is a bit above me and I will sound a bit dumb here but will having old oil compared to new make any difference to how the oil temp will be set 

not sure what do you mean... 

[gsxbarmy]

so this is a bit above me and I will sound a bit dumb here but will having old oil compared to new make any difference to how the oil temp will be set 

not sure what do you mean... 

I think Northern what Spizz is saying is when you set the oil temperature, should that be with new oil in the engine (or in other words would old oil give a different initial reading to new fresh oil)

[northern]

so this is a bit above me and I will sound a bit dumb here but will having old oil compared to new make any difference to how the oil temp will be set 

not sure what do you mean... 

I think Northern what Spizz is saying is when you set the oil temperature, should that be with new oil in the engine (or in other words would old oil give a different initial reading to new fresh oil)

@spizzoil
What is the difference is this oil old or new, when it's 100C°? 
It's properties will be different (and I assume, what 120C° new oil is less harmful engine than same temperature old oil), but it's temperature will be the same...

if you refer to sensors contacts, then they do not have ant contact with oil. Just sensor casing is heated by oil, and then casing heats variable resistor, which is inside. And there is no difference, is this casing heated by new or old oil

P.S. if you refer to oil in a mug on a picture, then it's never used old oil, what I have for 10 years in my garage. Some Mobile 1, I think. It look black, but it's just a poor light 

[VladTepes]

Interesting.  You using Arduino microcontroller for this, or something else?

[Globalrider]

If you square root of temperature of the oil then multiply it by 2 then divide it by 2 - take that result and subtract 2 then add 2 then take that result and square it you'll get the same result!.....I think!

Stan