Is a Oil Cooler Needed?

[Jay_wolf]

In the uk , there is a full fairing kit , that is fitted to pre 2000 Gs500's

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1999-SUZUKI-GS-500-EW-GS500-GS500EW-GS-500-FAIRING_W0QQitemZ120289156188QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item120289156188&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1318          this is a 1999 with it , which is a type of it , there is another

My question is , put side by side to a F model , the fairing is close to the size if not identical ,  why would u have to run a oil cooler with F fairings

My friend has this fairing on his GS , and he hasnt suffered any over heating or not , England is a much cooler place most of the year , so i think it would be safe to say , that it could be done with F fairings ?

also out of interest how are they mounted , as u have to by the kits for this version , is it mounts welded to the frame or just mounted on?

A few Full faired Gs's on here look reallly smart and i was thinking of Doing one like Average with katana front end , and fully faired

then with my 4.5 inch wheel , Predator exhaust and FSD undertray could look pretty damn nice

Any thoughts?

[Suzuki Stevo]

I don't believe the oil cooler and the fairing showing up on the GS at the same time had anything to do with each other at all, it was just a coincidence. I have never heard of a fairing requiring an oil cooler. 

[scottpA_GS]

The cooler and fairing are directly related. Its there to keep it cooler because the fairings block some of the air.  but as far as needing it or not? I would say its safe w/o it 

[Suzuki Stevo]

The cooler and fairing are directly related. Its there to keep it cooler because the fairings block some of the air.  but as far as needing it or not? I would say its safe w/o it 

I call BS, motorcycles are cooled by air...provided by the forward motion of the bike.

[theGrinch]

I know of some guys in Germany having trouble in the summer with F/Gimbel fairing. But then in the UK we are driving water cooled most of the time anyways, don't we? 

[galahs]

The oil cooler is related to the faired models becasue here in Australia, if you get a 2004+ GS, the faired ones have the cooler, the un faired don't.

Based on the fact these are budget bikes, Suzuki wouldn't put on a oil cooler unless they thought it was needed.

[TarzanBoy]

An oil cooler is not necessary.  My 1989 GS500 (with no oil cooler) was retrofitted with a 2004 GS500F fairing and I never experienced problems.  I rode it from August to March.  I live in Atlanta, GA (USA)

[beRto]

I agree with scottpA_GS-galahs!

The cooler and fairing are directly related. [The oil cooler is] there to keep [the engine] cooler because the fairings block some of the air.

Based on the fact these are budget bikes, Suzuki wouldn't put on a oil cooler unless they thought [knew] it was needed.

If you live in a cooler climate (the UK probably qualifies), I suppose you may be able to get away without the oil cooler; I wouldn't want to test that theory with my bike.

[kml.krk]

I guess that if you don't expect to get stuck in city traffic much, then you'll have constant airflow, then you'll have no troubles.
BUT if you get stuck in traffic often then you may have some issues.

Fairings will block the hot air in the engine's surrounding, therefore will not allow the engine to cool down

cheers
Kamel

[Suzuki Stevo]

I guess that if you don't expect to get stuck in city traffic much, then you'll have constant airflow, then you'll have no troubles.
BUT if you get stuck in traffic often then you may have some issues.

Fairings will block the hot air in the engine's surrounding, therefore will not allow the engine to cool down

cheers
Kamel

The same air that isn't getting to the engine isn't getting to the oil cooler either, here is AirTeck's Complete GS500 Kit , I don't see an oil cooler on the parts list 

[sledge]

Something is being overlooked here. If you are stuck in traffic on a hot day what good is an oil-cooler? You need to be moving for it to have any effect  dont you?

Thousands of GS5Es were sold throught Europe with a factory-fitted Spanish TCP fairing.....see it here.... http://www.tcpsa.com/  just like the GS5Fs. See the big hole where all the air is forced in and over the engine, and the holes in the sides where warm air is forced out, if those holes wernt there then I would start asking questions.

I have bought and sold 3 GS5s fitted with TCPs, no oil-coolers were ever fitted and there were no issues with engine cooling even on the hottest days. I believe Suzuki added the cooler to the F purely as an attempt to add some appeal to potential buyers and squeeze a few more sales out of what is an aging and outdated bike.

[Jay_wolf]

Thats exactly what i thought, ive seen alot of older faired models ,

Nice

[theGrinch]

Just spoke to a few people, the consensus is that you should be fine w/o oil cooler indeed.

[sledge]

Agreed.

[Jay_wolf]

i couldnt remember the name of the fairings ,
but looking on ebay , the thought heard me ,

there has been a lot of words on here , mainly with putting older engines into the newer bikes , and people freaking about oil coolers

[beRto]

Something is being overlooked here. If you are stuck in traffic on a hot day what good is an oil-cooler? You need to be moving for it to have any effect  dont you?

I disagree - even at a standstill, the oil cooler will provide increased surface area and therefore improve heat loss by natural convection and radiation.

I have bought and sold 3 GS5s fitted with TCPs, no oil-coolers were ever fitted and there were no issues with engine cooling even on the hottest days.

Given the right climate and operating conditions, it may be acceptable to run the machine without the oil cooler. That doesn't mean the oil cooler is always unnecessary, it means that the conditions under which those bikes operated were favourable.

I suspect Suzuki compared the cost of the oil coolers vs. the cost of increased warranty claims and decided that overall the oil cooler was worthwhile.

I believe Suzuki added the cooler to the F purely as an attempt to add some appeal to potential buyers and squeeze a few more sales out of what is an aging and outdated bike.

Does an oil cooler really add appeal (honest question)? If anything, I would say the fairings add appeal and the oil cooler was a necessary precaution.

[DoD#i]

purely as an attempt to add some appeal to potential buyers and squeeze a few more sales out of what is an aging and outdated bike.

In that vein, they should start selling it with the Kat FE already fitted. Hello Suzuki product research!!! They should also keep the E available (ie, make it available again) in the US.

...but I like my outdated and aging and aged bike, and doubt I'd ever find the whole front-end swap thing truly worth doing (though a non-joke fork brace I will bother to make, at some point). Mind, a 90 degree V-twin 500 would also be worth considering, but might involve a small amount of actual engineering effort, while putting the Kat forks on from the factory would be just a matter of one small change to the stem and "bolt on these parts instead of those ones."

The SV 650 is a nice idea, but having owned and fed two 650's I'm really happier owning and feeding a 500.

[shiznizbiz]

With a cooler climate and little traffic id say no oil cooler would be ok.  But Isnt the point of the oil cooler to bring the oil out of the engine(its gets very hot in there ) so that the cooler ambient air outside the engine block can cool it down a few degrees?  I know i like having it on my F because of the horrible heat and the slooooooowwwww lights in my city.  If the o/c is a plecebo, so be it.  Im diggin it for my climate/traffic conditions. 
Oh and another random side note.  With the F's has any one noticed the sudden heat wash when you leave a long light.  Its like the heat is trapped in the fairing, then gets evacuated when you start moving causign this ominous heat wash.  lol, maybe its just me.

[ATLRIDER]

The cooler and fairing are directly related. Its there to keep it cooler because the fairings block some of the air.  but as far as needing it or not? I would say its safe w/o it 

I call BS, motorcycles are cooled by air...provided by the forward motion of the bike.

Actually the oil not only lubes the engine but acts as a coolant as well.  If it were mine I'd install the oil cooler or run some synthetic oil to deal with the higher temps.

[Suzuki Stevo]

Actually the oil not only lubes the engine but acts as a coolant as well.  If it were mine I'd install the oil cooler or run some synthetic oil to deal with the higher temps.

Hence the name Oil Cooler