Anyone know the optimal oil temp range?

So I've read a fair bit that the GRiSO needs to run hot, and it's not recommended to ride on cool days unless the oil temp remains elevated. Does anyone know the approximate oil temperature range for optimal operation? I live in Vancouver: In the winter it's very wet, but the odd days when it isn't raining, I'd like to take the GRiSO out for a burn without having to worry about causing damage due to inadequate oil temperature.
Also, should I change to a different oil grade for winter riding? Lower viscosity may equate to a lower heat capacity which would heat up quicker (but cool down quicker as well) - Any thoughts?

No need to change the oil. As for temperature? Just get it very close to or above 100*C and keep it there for a while so that the water innthe oil can sublime off. The problem is that the cooling circuit isn't thermostatically controlled so the engine over cools drastically in cold weather.

Make up a baffle for the cooler and buy an oil temperature dipstick. I'll gaurantee that after a few cool trips you'll be able to judge how much of the cooler to occlude. Of course if it's raining you'll never get the oil temp up.

Pete

Just fitted a R+R thermo dipstick to my 8v 1200 Sport, did a 100 miles last weekend and on making occasional stops, oil was at the 100 degree mark, despite ambient temp of 7 to 9 C. Weather was dry, would have been interesting to see difference had it been wet. Crucial element has be to run engine long enough at this temp to boil off water vapour, but this is bound to vary

On very cold days it takes a long time to get up past 95 degrees with 'normal' riding, and that's at 100km/h +. As long as 20 minutes without any doodads to block airflow to the cooler. Sustained high revs in 2nd and 3rd will get it hot once it's 'warmed up', but it it cools rapidly.

The danger is short trips where you don't maintain speed for long periods.

Frankly, I would simply tell you to not worry TOO MUCH about it.  The climate here in Seattle is not all that much different than yours in Vancouver.  I (we) ride year round, even in the cold and wet, and I have never once found any "mayonnaise" under my (or any other's) GRiSO valve covers.

That being said, neither do I ride it on a daily ≤20 minute commute.  Take it out and RIDE it, and I doubt you'll ever have any trouble.  That, and use the recommended oil.

OK, I smell what yer cookin'. The issue stems around water in the oil. I've removed the valve covers and there was nothing to be found inside - except for the odd valve train component or two - but no sludge, shavings, or anything that looked out of the ordinary.  Absolutely spotless in my opinion. So if I were take a swing at why there might be any future build up of sludge, I'd have to look towards the crankcase breather and make sure that it's operating correctly. I recall the breather on my '00 Quota was full of gravel...WTF? and the check ball was gummed up. Is the breather on the 8V located in the same place as on the 1100, and if so, how much of a PITA is it to get at?

Breather/condenser box is just behind the steering head. Quota used the frame as a condensor, hence the crap in the PCV valve. 8V at least doesn't have any steel bits in the system.

Just because there is no Mayo in the rocker covers doesn't mean there isn't water getting into the oil but if you have none in evidence? That's a good thing.

Pete

Thanks Pete.
Sorry, I was really asking if the PCV was in the same place as on the 1100. I do have the shop manual, but as with my Quota, there seems to be better - sorry, more comprehensive - information to be gleaned from sites such as this. Plus I didn't check the manual yet. When I rebuilt the Quota transmission, the shop manual didn't even have instructions about how to take the damn thing apart. I did however find detailed instructions on the internet - from Arstraila no less. Possibly something that you posted? I'm not sure as it was quite some time ago, but it just seems to me that the shop manuals provided by Guzzi leave more to the imagination than I'm comfortable with.
I'd be tearing the GRiSO down as we speak if my garage - sorry, dining room - wasn't full of shit just to be sure the previous owner took proper care of it if I trusted the manual. But hey, it came with the bike. At least at didn't have to pay for it.

I too wondered if using 10/50 rather than 10/60 might result in hotter oil, thus helping with the whole overcooling mayonnaise from short rides issue. But then I freely admit that my understanding of these things is limited.

Any chance that the 10/50 would be better for the flat tappets?

No.

I just stumbled on this thread, and I have a question: can I ride my 2016 GRiSO 1200 8V SE on a daily basis throughout the winter months? Am I hurting the bike/reducing it’s longevity?

For context, a few points about my situation:

1. My GRiSO is my only means of transportation
2. I live in north-central New Jersey in the US
3. I ride it literally every day (unless there’s snow/ice or heavy rain)
4. I don’t ride it if the temp is -6°C or below—my heated gloves don’t even help then!
4. I almost never ride on highways (i.e., 100 km/h or more)
5. The vast majority of my riding is multiple short trips running errands every day, at most 20 minutes at a time
5a. On cold days, my trips might be even fewer and/or shorter, around 10 minutes each

Basically you want to get the oil temp above about 96*C as that is the point that water will start subliming out of the oil. Short trips are worse as, especially with the 8V which doesn’t have a cooler thermostat, the oil temperature will never get anywhere near that.

Will it cause damage? Well it’s far from ideal but in reality the water, which is a mixture of blow-by from combustion and just condensation from heat cycling, will simply pool in the bottom of the sump waiting to either be drained out when the oil is changed or the sump removed and cleaned if you want to do it properly. On your late model bike with the Cali 1400 sump there is probably a slightly higher chance of the water getting picked up due to the oil pickup location but I’d hardly think it worth worrying about unduly.

I was originally going to fit a thermostat to my bike because in winter it gets pretty cool here for several months and I know I do end up with a fair bit of condensate in the sump and rocker covers. In the end though I decided a.) It was probably overkill, and b.) I couldn’t be arsed! What I do instead in the winter months is simply mask off the front of the cooler with duct tape! It’s not very pretty but checking the oil temp via an oil temp dipstick has shown me that as long as the ambient temp is below 20*C the oil temperature still won’t get higher than 100*C unless I’m really thrashing it or, more likely, I’m stuck in slow traffic. Since I rarely ride in traffic and I’ve never seen my oil temp exceed 140*C, even on 40+*C days which I really try to avoid riding in nowadays, I’m not worried about overheating or cooking the oil.

In your case I’d suggest one of two courses of action. 1.) Do nothing. Chances are everything will be fine, really. 2.) In the colder months mask the cooler like I do and buy a temperature dipstick to monitor oil temp. You don’t need to keep an eagle eye on it, just check it every now and then when stopped at the lights in your usual riding around. You’ll soon establish what sort of common temperatures you’ll be running. Once the weather warms up unmask the cooler and forget about it until next winter. Change the oil in spring and then give it a hearty thrash for at least fifty miles. That’ll evaporate the rest of any condensate out and it’ll pass through the breather system and be expelled.

One final thing. If you’re riding in rain or on wet roads your oil temperature will NEVER get hot enough to get rid of water in the oil. Guzzi big blocks have always been thus and the 8V’s are no exception. Spray off the road and rain cool everything to between 60-80*C and there is didly-squat you can do about it.

If you are riding on wet roads a lot I hope you’ve greased your swingarm and shock linkage bearings well and repeat the task regularly? I’d be a lot more worried about them than the motor to be honest.

PS. Noting how very short your trips are why not simply buy a scooter for the day to day stuff and keep the GRiSO for what it’s designed for? Fun! Any modern Scooter over 200cc would be a far more suitable for what you’re doing on a daily basis. Better weather protection and carrying capacity AND it’ll pay for itself in no time in terms of running/rego costs and wear and tear on the GRiSO. If I was doing lots of short trips/commuting it’s what I’d do and I’ve already got a Mana! Biggest scooter in the world!

Thanks Pete, appreciate the advice. This is actually my first winter with the GRiSO—I just bought it (used) this past June, and I had a V7 Stone before that. We’ll see how it goes.

Do you have any recommendations for the type of grease for the swing arm and shock linkage bearings?

‘Marine grade’ Waterproof grease. There are types sold as such. They are very thick and sticky and less water soluble than lighter bearing greases. The main function is to exclude water rather than cool or lubricate per-se so slather it on good and thick.