EOT meter for OEM oil cooler

[treytexag_imp]

Very cool little project, really interested in what you find out . . .

I'm in Houston, OAT pretty warm most of the time. The heat coming up from the engine seems really hot at times, really hot. I know it's an oil cooled engine, not water cooled, but it is warm indeed.

So really curious if you'll get reasonable temperature drops from the pusher fan. I'm staying tuned . . .

Just took delivery of my new 2014. Kudos to HONDA for designing a truly great motorcycle. It's almost flawless! Does many things really well.

Just ordered my first mod. A Trail Tech temperature meter for the OEM oil cooler. Only $43. Easy to install and mounts to handlebars. Accuracy is supposedly +/- 1 degree F, based on a thermocouple inserted between fins in the cooler. Unfortunately, LCD has no back lighting, but quite visible in the daytime.

http://www.trailtech.net/722-ef6

Next project (experimental) is to install a "pusher" type fan made by SPAL, a company in Italy. Just ordered this from Amazon as well as a temperature sensor with integrated SPST switch to control the fan On/Off operation automatically. The fan blade size is 130mm - a bit oversize - with 240 CFM rating (at zero static pressure). It draws ~4.5A from a 12V battery.

Since its a front mounted fan, I selected one with a finger guard. Front wheel still can turn from lock to lock unobstructed.

I did a very similar mod to my 2015 Triumph Bonneville, except there was room to mount a "puller" fan behind the oil cooler on that bike. Before the fan, measurements of EOT (while riding) were alarmingly high even when OAT was only in the 70s. With the fan running, I realized a significant drop in peak EOT.

I don't think the CB1100 will work out quite as well because of the disadvantage of a pusher fan, but the same basic principles apply, the parts are not expensive, so I'm going to give it a try.

Stay tuned . . .