Hot Rockster

[captainK]

Here's a question for you tech-savvy folk:

Today I rode my new (1,000km) Rockster for about an hour in stop/start city traffic. Ambient temperature was warm, but not hot -- probably about 25 degrees C (guess that's a bit less than 80 degrees F).

When I parked in my garage I just happened to brush the frame near the headstock -- and man, was it hot up there! Right at the front of the tank there's a big chunk of exposed frame, and it was almost too hot to touch.

As the owner of an older BMW, I'm not unused to heat coming up from the engine. But I was really surprised that the frame in that area gets so hot. I checked other parts in the area -- e.g. the Telelever arm -- and even though it's closer to the cylinders it wasn't nearly as warm. My guess is that because the engine effectively forms part of the frame the headstock is acting as a heat sink (on my old R80 the engine just sits in a conventional steel cradle frame).

I couldn't find any references to this issue in earlier postings (or maybe I missed them). Do all 1150R/Rocksters do this ... is it just mine?!

Also, does the fuel tank vent somewhere in that area -- the reason I touched it in the first place was I noticed what seemed to be a slight oily mist on the frame near the steering head.

[DJ Downunder]

I've never noticed the heat...I've ridden on some real stinkers too.

I'll check mine next time it's hot...it dose not sound right.

No fuel drains anywhere near there.

Time to hassle the local BMW dealer.

DJ

[captainK]

I figure it's not something you normally would notice ... normally there's no reason to be touching that part of the bike. But, hey, the bike is new ... you tend to go poking around more than you would on an old bike where the novelty value has worn off!

It's booked in for its first service next week. I'll point it out to the service guys then.

Captain K

[captainK]

Took my bike to the dealer's today for its first service, and got talking to the service guys about the heat problems.

(As you'd expect) they said this was nothing out of the ordinary. However, they did give me information that was additional to various allusions in the handbook to hot-running engines. Apparently in Australia, where temperatures in summer reach well over 40 degrees C (that's well over 100 degrees F) heat can be a major problem with these engines, particularly when the bike is stationary with no cooling airflow. They talked of melted fairing panels and oil that is literally boiling -- they've seen examples of both before. Their advice is to switch the engine off rather than leave it idling if you're likely to be sitting still in traffic for any length of time in warm weather -- as was the case when I first noticed the heat around the headstock.

The 25 minute ride to the dealership this morning in moderate temperatures with just a couple of stops at traffic lights was fine, with no signs of abnormal heat. So all I can say is be aware that these engines run hot, heed the warnings about regularly checking oil levels, and shut down the engine if it looks like you'll be sitting still for a while. This applies to all oilhead engines, not just 1150R's/Rocksters -- in fact, it's even more critical on the faired bikes.

Captain K

[big papa]

We ride these bikes in heat over 110F here in the desert, with few issues. I think I would pass out first...


BP

[KaneToad]

I had the misfortune of riding my rockster into town few weeks back when temps were hitting 40C ~105F (do not pass spring, go directly to summer) in stop start traffic. Could feel the heat coming off the bike and started pinging a little too under heavier acceleration (running BP ultimate, 98 ron). I would'nt have liked touching bits and peices around it that day. Bike was still being run in at this time.

Once the airflow was going on the bike everything was fine, but I don't think I'll be doing any commuting when summer actually arrives. How many times can you shut down and restart before killing the battery on these, would suck having to push start it during peak hour.

[riceburner]

Air-cooled engine in "Gets hot when no air flow present schocker!"

[fnfalman]

Yeah, the ambient temperature is not going to be a problem if you're moving, but it definitely will be a problem if you're not moving. If I were to live in the hot parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, I think that I'd switch to full synthetic oil if anything just to help mitigate some of the engine heat and resisting in viscosity breakdown. In California, it gets plenty hot in the summer (the desert area is as hot as as Arizona), but we can legally split lane so that helps with the bike moving, albeit slower. But in other states where lane sharing/lane splitting is illegal, that would just be miserable.

[captainK]

[quote="big papa"]We ride these bikes in heat over 110F here in the desert, with few issues. I think I would pass out first...

Yeah, I used to think that if they successfully used Beemers in the Paris-Dakar it was pretty unlikely that I'd have any heat-related problems. Then in 50 degree C heat in Bangkok my R80 had regular clutch problems due to the distortion of a small plastic piston in the clutch actuation mechanism -- guess they used some other material in the race bikes!

Anyway, now that I'm aware of it I should be able to avoid problems. KaneToad is obviously experiencing similar issues. As for Riceburner -- well, when England starts experiencing 40 degree days the whole country will be covered by the ocean, so your bike will be water-cooled anyway!

Captain K.

[riceburner]

We ride these bikes in heat over 110F here in the desert, with few issues. I think I would pass out first...

Yeah, I used to think that if they successfully used Beemers in the Paris-Dakar it was pretty unlikely that I'd have any heat-related problems. Then in 50 degree C heat in Bangkok my R80 had regular clutch problems due to the distortion of a small plastic piston in the clutch actuation mechanism -- guess they used some other material in the race bikes!

Anyway, now that I'm aware of it I should be able to avoid problems. KaneToad is obviously experiencing similar issues. As for Riceburner -- well, when England starts experiencing 40 degree days the whole country will be covered by the ocean, so your bike will be water-cooled anyway!

Captain K.

blows raspberry at Capn K.