And now, for something completely different.
Last week I received a SEEK XR thermal imaging gadget that plugs into my smartphone and tablet. So far, it's been great for finding thermal leaks in my home and scouting nocturnal varmints.
So, here's a video thermal image of my XS1B. Outside temp 85°F, oil temp 200°F.
I had the smartphone and SEEK XR plugged-in, and left it ready to go on a table in my carport. After a several mile warmup ride, I pulled in, immediately put the bike on the centerstand, and within a few seconds started taking this thermal video image.
The imager has multiple modes, the one used here shows colors and a centered "spot" that reports the temperature at that spot. Some interpretation and a grain of salt to be used here. As noted by member mrriggs in another posting, taking thermal readings of aluminum parts can be tricky, due to aluminum's reflective and opaque nature with infrared.
In the video, the polished sidecovers appear cool. An interesting phenomenon. Polished aluminum not only reflects exterior infrared and visible light, it also reflects infrared emanating from its interior. Even though the polished sidecovers are too hot to touch, they're not radiating much in the infrared region.
For those concerned about effective engine cooling, take note that polished aluminum covers don't radiate much heat...
Last week I received a SEEK XR thermal imaging gadget that plugs into my smartphone and tablet. So far, it's been great for finding thermal leaks in my home and scouting nocturnal varmints.
So, here's a video thermal image of my XS1B. Outside temp 85°F, oil temp 200°F.
I had the smartphone and SEEK XR plugged-in, and left it ready to go on a table in my carport. After a several mile warmup ride, I pulled in, immediately put the bike on the centerstand, and within a few seconds started taking this thermal video image.
The imager has multiple modes, the one used here shows colors and a centered "spot" that reports the temperature at that spot. Some interpretation and a grain of salt to be used here. As noted by member mrriggs in another posting, taking thermal readings of aluminum parts can be tricky, due to aluminum's reflective and opaque nature with infrared.
In the video, the polished sidecovers appear cool. An interesting phenomenon. Polished aluminum not only reflects exterior infrared and visible light, it also reflects infrared emanating from its interior. Even though the polished sidecovers are too hot to touch, they're not radiating much in the infrared region.
For those concerned about effective engine cooling, take note that polished aluminum covers don't radiate much heat...