What is the differnce between water and air?

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

Thank you, Mr. Negative.

I've had another experience where my Shovelhead scuffed a cylinder and broke a ring in heavy traffic on A1A one summer.
That stuff is fate/luck/whatever. Day in, day out, a water cooled engine puts out more power in a smaller package, and runs cooler in hot weather.

Ha! You never rode an '84 Magna. That thing would rival a Shovelhead on a hot day.

But, you are generally right about the water/air thing. I prefer air-cooling for off road and water-cooling for on, myself. One less thing to go wrong in the desert.

[The_AirHawk]

You can't run out of air, unless you're trapped in a sealed box, or under water.............

[sarnali2]

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

We had an interesting real-life demo of air versus water cooled engines just yesterday. My pal on his Ultra Glide whined his way along 30 miles of 90 degree heat, while my DL1000 floated down the road like a cool breeze. I couldn't even hear the radiator fan kick in over the sound of Mike complaining about how hot his thighs were. I thought I'd be helpful and point out that if he'd waited a few months to buy an 09 instead of an 08, he'd have gotten the new rear-cylinder heat management. system.

Ahh, you refer to the patented HD-Washington State Thigh Warmer Option, darn handy to have on this mornings 43 degree commute.......you say your friend complained about it?

[acecycleins]

Love my K bike. First water-cooled bike I've ever owned. It's hound dog reliable. However, my love for aircooled machinery goes back my entire 27 yrs of riding. I just love the damn things.

[MOKE1K]

This thread reminds me of a conversation I had with a customer one day in the Dealership.

I asked him if he needed any help and he responded "How come none of your bikes have kickstarters"? Almost feel over with laughter.

[ka5ysy]

Originally Posted by newbie-b

Hey everyone, the question I have is what is the difference between a water cooled engine and an air cooled engine. I was checking out the BMW R1200RT and it's air cooled but I like the look and size of the bike. I heard that the water cooled engine is better, but something must be okay about the air cooled engines becaue they are still in production.

The only thing I heard about the air cooled engines is that they die at the higher altitudes because of the thinning air. That came from a Harley guy I know, but I know he does not do cross-country or interstate rides. I ride a 2003 Suzuki SV1000S, which is water cooled, but the engine gets hotter than fish grease. I know when I get a newer bike I will get a sport touring bike, but I really do not have a full understanding of air cooled and water cooled engines. All comments are welcomes....laters...

Good morning !

First, the current BMW boxer engines like the RT are not air cooled. They are actually air/oil cooled, which means that they are liquid cooled by the oil circulating through a radiator which dumps the heat into the air. The radiator is in the "hole" or air scoop on the front of the fairing.

Air cooled engines do not overheat at high altitude due to the "density altitude" or thinning of the air. It is usually caused by slow speeds not allowing proper airflow over the engine fins and is a problem for any V-twin air cooled engine.

What you are experiencing with your SV is generally a problem with many motorcycles, liquid or air cooled. Heat management and rider comfort are a problem with a lot of manufacturers. The BMW boxers, by design, do a very nice job of keeping the heat off the rider, which is one of the reasons that the RT police bikes are so popular worldwide.

Many of the liquid cooled motorcycles have radiators placed where the outlet runs the hot air out on the rider, making things miserable unless you are riding in very cold weather. If you think you are hot, try riding a Harley, or any big V-twin in the summer in 90+ degree heat.

The major difference between water cooled and air cooled engines is this: multi-cylinder high horsepower bikes must use liquid cooling to keep the engine cool and in its ideal temperature range for the performance specification it is designed for. Twin cylinder air-cooled or air/oil cooled engines tend to be lower horsepower engines usually found in cruisers, dirt bikes, dual-sports etc. Air cooled engines, by design, tend to be lighter in weight than a liquid cooled engine, but the liquid cooled engine can be made in a smaller package. Check out the new inline-6 in the BMW K1600 bikes.

Interestingly, there are rumors of a new BMW Boxer engine which will be liquid cooled, mainly because the current boxer is near the thermal design limits of the engine.

Environmental requirements in the future will make an air cooled engine unable to meet the legal requirements, so eventually we will all have liquid cooled engines.

[Sir_Angus]

Originally Posted by ka5ysy

Environmental requirements in the future will make an air cooled engine unable to meet the legal requirements, so eventually we will all have liquid cooled engines.

Screw the environment! I believe we should save the world for our children, but not our children's children because kids shouldn't be having sex.

[Easy Rider 2]

Originally Posted by Sir_Angus

Screw the environment! I believe we should save the world for our children, but not our children's children because kids shouldn't be having sex.

Brilliant.
Are the 20 other posts you have left equally as informative.

[Sir_Angus]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider 2

Brilliant.
Are the 20 other posts you have left equally as informative.

Who pissed in your cheerios?

[Easy Rider 2]

Originally Posted by Sir_Angus

Who pissed in your cheerios?

Was your post in jest ??
So was mine.

Kind of hard to tell sometimes, isn't it.