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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Air cooled savage and getting hot from long idling
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Message started by rong on 07/04/13 at 11:28:29

Title: Air cooled savage and getting hot from long idling
Post by rong on 07/04/13 at 11:28:29

First of all, Happy July 4th!

My question has to do with the Savage air cooled engine and long idling periods (For example, long waits in a traffic jam.). Can an air cooled engine get hot enough to cause damage to the engine?

I was in a traffic jam with constant stopping, then slowly moving forward … for about 45 minutes. Luckily, I had a water cooled bike that didn’t get over heated. Would this have hurt the air cooled Savage engine? If so, would there be a way to stop any damage?

Open to your thoughts and opinions.

Thanks,
Ron G

Title: Re: Air cooled savage and getting hot from long id
Post by Serowbot on 07/04/13 at 11:35:03

45 minutes idling in heat?... yes,... that ain't good...
It would probably overheat and die in about 15 or 20min... might not have permanent damage, unless you forced it to restart, and did it again without letting it cool off first...
If the traffic is that bad,.. just pull over and walk it...
... or shut it off and dog paddle....
I wouldn't let my water-cooled car idle for that long...

Title: Re: Air cooled savage and getting hot from long id
Post by Steve H on 07/04/13 at 13:06:20

I tend to agree with Sero on that one. You might get some damage. The temp does seem to go up fast when you stop. Although, I believe a properly designed air-cooled engine should have enough cooling fin surface to idle all day without over heating in the hottest climates in which it will be run. Just like your water-cooled bike will survive just fine, air-cooled should too.

Anybody ever seen any info about how the factory tested idling heat dissipation, or anything like that?

Title: Re: Air cooled savage and getting hot from long id
Post by Charon on 07/04/13 at 15:56:00

It didn't hurt mine, a couple of years ago when I rode it in a parade on a hot, windless day. Idle speed didn't change, clutch engagement point didn't change, pipe didn't blue. Remember, when the engine gets hot, the air around it gets hot too, and convects upward. When the hot air rises, cooler surrounding air replaces it so there is always at least a little bit of air movement. At idle it isn't generating a lot of heat, either, simply because it isn't burning very much fuel.

Title: Re: Air cooled savage and getting hot from long id
Post by rong on 07/06/13 at 12:09:05

Sounds like given a choice, letting it idle for a limited time is preferred. Charon's experience in the parade would indicate that the engine is pretty robust when it comes to heating at idle.

Thanks for the responses.

Ron G