Is there anything that looks (and works) like a glorified meat thermometer that replaces the dipstick to monitor oil temp? I'm looking for something that would fit an R75/6. It seems like it would be pretty simple, but I've never seen one. Any leads/advice? Ideally they would 1. still have dipstick functionality and 2. still have a cross tab to make unscrewing no more of a hassle than it is already.
Thanks in advance,
Doug
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Oil Temp Guages
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schrader7032
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Luftmeister used to make
Luftmeister used to make these...here's what one looks like in place:
The top part is replaced by the dial...kind of jam packed in there.
From what I've read, it only provides something else to worry about...and for no reason. The engines don't vary that much in temperature. And does some point in the middle of the oil pan really tell you the temp you want to know? Don't even try to read this thing while going down the road...it's in a bad position.
You might see if BMW of Santa Cruz still sells these; they used to be the seller of much Luftmeister equipment. Or check on fleabay...they should up on occasion.
The top part is replaced by the dial...kind of jam packed in there.
From what I've read, it only provides something else to worry about...and for no reason. The engines don't vary that much in temperature. And does some point in the middle of the oil pan really tell you the temp you want to know? Don't even try to read this thing while going down the road...it's in a bad position.
You might see if BMW of Santa Cruz still sells these; they used to be the seller of much Luftmeister equipment. Or check on fleabay...they should up on occasion.
Kurt in S.A.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.
Oil Temp Guages
There were a couple of dipstick oil temp guages back in the day. Luftmeister comes to mind. I have one on my R75/6. You still see them on eBay from time to time and they sell for around $65.00 - $75.00. I think someone may still be making some version but I can't remember who.
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Darryl.Richman
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I have one
...somewhere buried in the garage. I think it was originally made by Luftmeister. It fits all your criteria excepting that there's no cross tab; the body has a hex or octagonal shape for use with a wrench if you can't unthread it by hand. I bought it used, tried it for a while, and decided that it was not useful (at least for me).
The dial is very small; I would now have to get out reading glasses to see what it's reading. It's impossible to see it while you're on the bike, and even less so while in motion.
Look in the usual places for one: the used parts suppliers, eBay, IBMWR marketplace and maybe even Craigs List.
EDIT: and now that I see the photo that Kurt put up, I know that mine is not a Luftmeister. It's significantly smaller than the one in the photo.
The dial is very small; I would now have to get out reading glasses to see what it's reading. It's impossible to see it while you're on the bike, and even less so while in motion.
Look in the usual places for one: the used parts suppliers, eBay, IBMWR marketplace and maybe even Craigs List.
EDIT: and now that I see the photo that Kurt put up, I know that mine is not a Luftmeister. It's significantly smaller than the one in the photo.
--Darryl Richman
Thanks all -
Especially for answering the most important question I forgot to ask - would such an arrangement be worth a darn? Looks like the answer is "nope," which explains why I haven't come across them.
I've considered getting one
I've considered getting one for monitoring the engine temperature when I get caught in traffic and my bike (R90/6) is either getting no air flow or very little over the cylinders. If you don't live in a city, it's not much of a problem. I happen to live in a very traffic-clogged city (Milan, Italy) and sometimes I get into these slow-moving jams on nice hot days that aren't good for air-cooled engines. When I start worrying about the engine getting too hot, I kind of wish I had one of those temperature gauges just to monitor the situation, so I'd know when to shut her down . . .
I shut mine down whenever I'm not moving...
I work in Boston and as a rule, I flip the kill switch at every red light. Since you don't have to be in neutral to turn it over (unless your clutch switch is shot, which is a cheap and easy problem to solve) like you do on some early J bikes I've owned, I can't find a reason not to. With a warm engine it starts in about half a second...reliably. I guess if that weren't the case I'd want to find out why and fix it, but when it is, just shut it down...
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Darryl.Richman
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Yeahbut...
I work in Boston and as a rule, I flip the kill switch at every red light. Since you don't have to be in neutral to turn it over (unless your clutch switch is shot, which is a cheap and easy problem to solve) like you do on some early J bikes I've owned, I can't find a reason not to. With a warm engine it starts in about half a second...reliably. I guess if that weren't the case I'd want to find out why and fix it, but when it is, just shut it down...
All that starting is draining on the battery. Do you keep it on a battery tender?
All that starting is draining on the battery. Do you keep it on a battery tender?
--Darryl Richman
It's an hour on the highway to and from, so no problems to date.
I guess if I lived in the city I'd need to get a tender. But my bike always starts on the first revolution, so my drainage is minimal.
Not a dipstick thermometer,
Not a dipstick thermometer, but if you can't find one, there is another way to go. I have a '76 R90/6 that has a VDO oil temp gauge that a previous owner installed. It sits in a pod that is mounted via a bracket to the top fork triple tree plate. It operates off a sending unit that is installed at the back of the deep front section of the oil pan. Because the oil pan has a sort of stair-step profile, where the sender sits is out of the way from getting hit by anything or the sender's wire getting snagged.
If you wanted to install something like this, drilling and tapping the hole for the sender is easy enough to do, but you'd have to pull the oil pan, which isn't really that big of a deal, either.
The nice thing about having a gauge mounted up by the handlebars is you're not really having to take your eyes off the road to read it, whereas you're having to look down around your ankle to read the dipstick gauge.
I live in Houston, TX, and it gets hot down here during the summer. So, having an oil temp gauge is something I consider very helpful.
If you wanted to install something like this, drilling and tapping the hole for the sender is easy enough to do, but you'd have to pull the oil pan, which isn't really that big of a deal, either.
The nice thing about having a gauge mounted up by the handlebars is you're not really having to take your eyes off the road to read it, whereas you're having to look down around your ankle to read the dipstick gauge.
I live in Houston, TX, and it gets hot down here during the summer. So, having an oil temp gauge is something I consider very helpful.
Michael