Oil cooler

I think "attacked" is a bit strong. To me, removing the oil cooler, without making some other measures to control engine temp, is not a great idea. Just an opinion.

Cheers
 
Pterodactyl_imp said:
I think "attacked" is a bit strong. To me, removing the oil cooler, without making some other measures to control engine temp, is not a great idea. Just an opinion.

Cheers
So you're assuming that no thought was put into removing the oil cooler, or the consequences of removing it. What I was looking for, was dialog and the feasibility of taking on such a project.

Cheers.............
 
tomas_imp said:
Pterodactyl_imp said:
I think "attacked" is a bit strong. To me, removing the oil cooler, without making some other measures to control engine temp, is not a great idea. Just an opinion.

Cheers
So you're assuming that no thought was put into removing the oil cooler, or the consequences of removing it. What I was looking for, was dialog and the feasibility of taking on such a project.

Cheers.............
So you're assuming that no thought was put into removing the oil cooler, or the consequences of removing it. What I was looking for, was dialog and the feasibility of taking on such a project.

Cheers.............
Yep, that's what I'm assuming.

Cheers
 
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That is the curved one I spoke about in my previous post. More aesthetically pleasing in my eyes. Doesn't solve the issue of its location, if you want it gone altogether. It does, however, look more like it belongs there, instead of an afterthought. This is simply my humble and non-argumentative opinion.


Sent from an undisclosed location
 
WhiskeyUSMC1979_imp said:
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That is the curved one I spoke about in my previous post. More aesthetically pleasing in my eyes. Doesn't solve the issue of its location, if you want it gone altogether. It does, however, look more like it belongs there, instead of an afterthought. This is simply my humble and non-argumentative opinion.


Sent from an undisclosed location
I do like that one a lot more, if for no other reason that it's build quality is way better than the stocker (which looks like it came from one of those cheap transmission cooler kits you can buy). Too bad it doesn't use the factory hard lines though, as I'd probably trust them more than the AN fittings.
 
Bugger it! I feel like being argumentative. Tomas, if you think this thread or the response to your question nearly two years ago constitutes an 'attack', with respect, you're dreaming. The only faint hint of an attack was the suggestion that you take it off and see what happens. Otherwise, your view was treated with respect. As Long Ranger's question has been.

I have no engineering knowledge and no idea of what the consequences of removing the oil cooler would be; but surely you'd assume that the chaps at Honda have thought a bit about this. Does anyone seriously think they sat around after work one Friday night chugging an Asahi or two and said, 'Let's bugger the aesthetic of this otherwise beautiful bike by sticking on an oil cooler that some members of a putative future forum probably won't like'? (You can tell they'd had too much Asahi by their use of the word 'putative'.)

If you think the Honda engineers are dipsticks, then take the advice given to Tomas here: rip the bastard off, as we say here, down under. Go for it. Do your best. Let us know how (and for how long) the bike goes afterwards. We'll all be interested.

Meanwhile, please don't assume that, because we think you're crazy and say so politely, we're attacking you. We're not. We just disagree.
 
Thinking back about the early days of Japanese bikes, over heating wasn't really a problem until they started making bikes over 1000 cc's. I believe that is when we started getting water cooled motorcycles. I remember the first bike that really gave me problems with over heating, that was my XS1100 Yamaha. It was air cooled and did not have a oil cooler. So I would assume the oil cooler is a necessity on the CB1100 for reliability. Nothing worse than having your bike shut off in traffic from over heating. It happened to me quite a few times on that XS1100. I think it would be a big mistake removing the oil cooler on the CB1100.
 
Capt,

Your experience is pretty much what Kevin Cameron and the Honda engineers said. Removing it is not a good idea.

Moving it however could be a cool thing, but not one I could do and know it still works right. How does one get air flow over the cooler if mounted under the fender or something? Would you need a fan? Could you speak to that Tomas?
 
This is the only one I've seen moved, thus far. It's not exactly in a less conspicuous location though. Hahaha
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Airflow is certainly an issue when you move the cooler. A fan could work, especially if it is in a location without much ambient air. Ducting would be crucial in my opinion. Something to ensure that when the bike is moving the air is flowing through the cooler. Then comes the issue of aesthetics once again in manufacturing ducts that don't look out of place and flow with the lines of the bike. Off the top of my head, I can't picture any place to move it and duct it, but it's early still and I haven't had my coffee.


Sent from an undisclosed location
 
capttwb136_imp said:
Thinking back about the early days of Japanese bikes, over heating wasn't really a problem until they started making bikes over 1000 cc's. I believe that is when we started getting water cooled motorcycles. I remember the first bike that really gave me problems with over heating, that was my XS1100 Yamaha. It was air cooled and did not have a oil cooler. So I would assume the oil cooler is a necessity on the CB1100 for reliability. Nothing worse than having your bike shut off in traffic from over heating. It happened to me quite a few times on that XS1100. I think it would be a big mistake removing the oil cooler on the CB1100.
I had a '79 XS1100 right before buying my CB. That is the bike that really sold me on a big bore four. My XS had come indirectly to me from the original owner (long story) and he fitted the bike with an oil cooler. It wasn't until months after owning the XS that I realized it wasn't stock. I had been under the impression that the bike had come from the factory that way. Turns out, it was a genuine Yamaha add-on. Seems those big XS's had some over heating problems.
 
Cormanus_imp said:
Bugger it! I feel like being argumentative. Tomas, if you think this thread or the response to your question nearly two years ago constitutes an 'attack', with respect, you're dreaming. The only faint hint of an attack was the suggestion that you take it off and see what happens. Otherwise, your view was treated with respect. As Long Ranger's question has been.

I have no engineering knowledge and no idea of what the consequences of removing the oil cooler would be; but surely you'd assume that the chaps at Honda have thought a bit about this. Does anyone seriously think they sat around after work one Friday night chugging an Asahi or two and said, 'Let's bugger the aesthetic of this otherwise beautiful bike by sticking on an oil cooler that some members of a putative future forum probably won't like'? (You can tell they'd had too much Asahi by their use of the word 'putative'.)

If you think the Honda engineers are dipsticks, then take the advice given to Tomas here: rip the bastard off, as we say here, down under. Go for it. Do your best. Let us know how (and for how long) the bike goes afterwards. We'll all be interested.

Meanwhile, please don't assume that, because we think you're crazy and say so politely, we're attacking you. We're not. We just disagree.

Honda does have smart engineers, I just think they could have done a better job with the oil cooler's size and location. I'm just saying, if your only option is to make it that big and ugly to keep the bikes running temperature down, they should've just made it a liquid cooled bike. :beerchug:
 
Technically, oil is a liquid. Therefore, we do have liquid cooled bikes.
 
Randy B_imp said:
This really amazes me. You are guys are acting like there is a 1920's style house radiator hanging off the front of the bike. It was put there because the oil is a major part of keeping the bike cool, and without it there is a strong chance for damage to the bike. Honda mounted it in a traditional way on a traditional looking UJM and I see nothing wrong with that.

Suck it up and ride on my friends. :D
tomas_imp said:
Cormanus_imp said:
Bugger it! I feel like being argumentative. Tomas, if you think this thread or the response to your question nearly two years ago constitutes an 'attack', with respect, you're dreaming. The only faint hint of an attack was the suggestion that you take it off and see what happens. Otherwise, your view was treated with respect. As Long Ranger's question has been.

I have no engineering knowledge and no idea of what the consequences of removing the oil cooler would be; but surely you'd assume that the chaps at Honda have thought a bit about this. Does anyone seriously think they sat around after work one Friday night chugging an Asahi or two and said, 'Let's bugger the aesthetic of this otherwise beautiful bike by sticking on an oil cooler that some members of a putative future forum probably won't like'? (You can tell they'd had too much Asahi by their use of the word 'putative'.)

If you think the Honda engineers are dipsticks, then take the advice given to Tomas here: rip the bastard off, as we say here, down under. Go for it. Do your best. Let us know how (and for how long) the bike goes afterwards. We'll all be interested.

Meanwhile, please don't assume that, because we think you're crazy and say so politely, we're attacking you. We're not. We just disagree.

Honda does have smart engineers, I just think they could have done a better job with the oil cooler's size and location. I'm just saying, if your only option is to make it that big and ugly to keep the bikes running temperature down, they should've just made it a liquid cooled bike. :beerchug:

Honda does have smart engineers, I just think they could have done a better job with the oil cooler's size and location. I'm just saying, if your only option is to make it that big and ugly to keep the bikes running temperature down, they should've just made it a liquid cooled bike. :beerchug:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! If it was liquid cooled it wouldn't be "retro"
 
If you're truly bothered by the cooler, I have no doubt this could be done, not only successfully...but maybe even to an improvement over the original design.

As clearly stated by others, you can't just remove it, plug the holes and crack open a beer. The cooling needs to be substituted in some way, right?
Figuring out "how" isn't really rocket science...you're just exchanging the oil's heat with the ambient air.

You could run a copper tubing loop up the frame, under the gas tank, around under the seat, and then return. That's what...7-8 feet of 1/4" tubing??
That's way, way more surface area than what the oil cooler provides. Sure it would take some creativity, and if you're wise, some confirmation on before & after temps.
But this is absolutely a viable project if you have the mind and desire to tackle it. You won't find me working on it, but it could be interesting...
 
You could also put a much larger cooler (to compensate for reduced air flow) between the framerails underneath the bike, laid flat under the engine. You see this type of setup on race cars with differential oil coolers -- though I'm guessing you could probably omit the fan they typically run.

Obviously this would put it undesirably close to road debris etc... but it could probably be made to work.
 
jazzmans_imp said:
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'nuff said.
Mmmm. Liquid cooled motorcycles have a very long history, dating back to the early 1900s. For example would you consider a liquid cooled motorcycle manufactured in, say, 1908 "Retro"? That's about as "Retro" as you can get ;)

Cheers
 
The Suzuki water buffalo was water cooled and came out in 1971.
 
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