Monday, May 13, 2019

Problem Resolved: BMW 1200GS Oil Cooled - Over Heating Issue

For those of you that are familiar with the oil cooled version of the BMW 1200GS, you know that the bike overheats in long, slow, traffic on very hot days (95F/35C) with calm wind condition.  For me, this issue first became apparent while in Indochina, namely India and Thailand, as both countries have cities that meet the above stated conditions. During my research, I found fellow riders that also experienced this problem all over the world. and no fixes.  Unfortunately, BMW does not have a solution that addresses this issue, nor do the dealers acknowledge the problem.  In my case, the overheating resulted in the bike shutting down, a deformed clutch cover, premature wearing of the seals, oil seeping near the oil check window, and very warm shins.  

As eluded to previously, BMW does not offer a fan kit to resolve this issue.  The problem is that (my speculation here) there is so little space between the back of the oil cooler and the frame of the bike (about two fingers) that a stock fan kit does no fit. After allot of research, a friend of mine in the US and I came up with the following design for around $50.  The step by step solution is as follows:

Step 1: Remove the plastics from the front of the bike, take very careful measurements of the oil cooler and the surrounding parts to include mounting screws, frame location, hoses, wires, etc.

Step 2: Purchase an industrial grade, thin, high heat, water/and dust proof computer fan that can move allot of air. I bought mine from Amazon - $22.49 and they delivered to Thailand.   


Step 3: Transfer the measurements taken in Step 1 and the fan into AutoCAD (or similar CAD program), build a very basic model, add dimensions.


Step 4: Design a bracket to support the oil cooler modeled in Step 3, print and cut out to form a template, and check for fit.  If the model is acceptable, export as a .DXF file and send to the nearest service provider equipped with a CNC machine (my cut price was $7, aluminum was about $5).

Step 5: Design a very basic electrical schematic, create a parts list, buy and assemble ($15) 
     
    - Fuse and Fuse Holder (2 amp fuse)
    - 2 Pin Connector
    - 12 Gauge wire (2 meters)
    - Power Switch (handlebar mounted)
    - nuts and bolts (attach fan to bracket)
    - high temp silicone (secure and fortify fan wires)


Step 6:  Test and marvel at your system and make sure it is ready for installation. 


Step 7: Install



Remove front plastic beak (will need to remove side panels), disconnect oil cooler and slip the fan and bracket behind the cooler and onto the mounting bolts that secures the oil cooler in place.  Secure oil filter back in place (and clean) and reinstall the beak (the fan will not be visible).  Note:  This is design #2, as design #1 needed tweaking.

There you go, just switch it on when the temperatures climb and the traffic is intense.  I am currently in Malaysia and have tested this system in over 100F (37.8c) temps and heavy traffic, the engine temperature remained under control (engine temp gauge raised just one bar). 

Thank you Scott for help with the electrical setup and design spit balling,  and Chuen with the assist on tracking down the parts in Bangkok.  Hopefully, I am now outfitted to complete the trip with no more heat related issues.  
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