05 xb12 firebolt fan???

[theroamr]

I have about 1600 miles on the bolt now. I have switched over to syn3 oil. I was expecting my fan to come on less. Seems about the same. AT 55-60 degress in the morn my 35 mile commute mostly highway has the fan running when I pull off highway. Is it normal for it to run in these conditions?

[roadrailer]

When I switched to synthetic in my Uly it took longer for the fan to come on, but it still stays on once it does. Nature of the beast, I guess. I don't even notice it.

You might notice it running less as you get some more miles on the bike, as well.

[littlefield]

The best way to reduce the amount of time the cooling fan operates is to install a right side scoop.  www.americansportbikes.com or probably other.  They cost more than you think they should but work.

[Rogue]

Yes it's normal.

If it doesn't go on, then I would worry.  

[theroamr]

I thought of installing the right side scoop. But there is a lil engineering question. Sure the scoop will shove more air on the rear cyclinder, but now its coming from both sides and it causes an air collision with the air coming from the left and causes the air flow to be disrupted. Normally it rushes in through the scoop on the left and exits on the right side of the rear cyclinder. With the second scoop it slows down the exit from the right side causing an air dam. This is what I hear.

[roadrailer]

That's the rub with the RSS: There's no real data or engineering behind it. Does it truly aid in cooling, or does it simply "trick" the sensor into keeping the fan off? Who knows? The manufacturers of the various RRSs certainly don't.

On this matter, I trust Buell's judgement. I'm not going to start looking for "solutions" until I experience an actual problem.

[Kootenanny]

When I changed my bike over to synthetic, I did notice a drop in the amount of time the fan operates--but it still runs (I kinda like that, I know the temp sensor is working...).  It comes on pretty much every time I shut the bike off, or even if I'm riding slowly (I dunno about on the highway, I doubt I'd hear it).  And I spend most of my riding time at highway speed, anyway.

As for the rss, I', kinda with roadrailer--I trust Buell's engineering.  I've read on the Badweb where Erik Buell has flatly denied the rss is needed.  On the other hand, I've toyed with the idea of a scoop within the existing scoop, directing air upwards into the airbox (I have an older XB) but I'm concerned about reducing airflow to the rear cylinder by doing that--if I did that, I'd consider a rss.

[Rogue]

The roamer described his bike's fan as coming on AFTER he exits the highway.

This is normal as now the airflow to the rear cylinder has stopped or reduced dramatically, but the cylinder is still at high temperature from running at 4k+ RPM.  A RSS will work only when the bike is at speed and "scooping" air back there.  In theory, you don't need an additional scoop back there at highway speeds.

However, on the '05 or older bikes, the LSS does perform dual duty:  it sends air to the rear cylinder AND the airbox.  In '06 and newer, the scoop only sends air to the rear cylinder.  So, the newer bikes does have increased airflow on a single scoop.  So theoretically, having the RSS on an '05 and older bike may benefit it some.

But unless someone actually measured the rear cylinder temp with/without the RSS on an '05 to older, then an '06 to newer bike, we will never know.  

[theroamr]

Thanks, good info..........