Motorcycle Repair: 1982 cm250, dune buggy, fluid drag

Question
Ok i just want to thank you Bill for your time.  I took a 1982 cm250 that was wrecked and removed the engine and put it on a dune buggy.  I have a oil temperature sensor on it and wondering what do you think the normal operating temperature is.  That way i know when it is overheating.  Also i am thinking about tapping the bottom of the right side cover and connecting it to a high temp oil pump, then running that through a oil cooler and back down to the top of the right side cover do you think this would work and allow the engine to still get oiled properly if i added about a pint more oil?  Tell me what you think.

Answer
Erik, safe oil temperature ranges for regular petroleum oil is 200-240 degrees F. If you put the motor in the back of the buggy, it probably isn't going to get good air flow to cool the motor, which will increase all the temperatures of the oil and engine components. If you pull the clutch cover and study the oil pump passages, you can probably determine a way to tap into the oil galleys and install an oil cooler directly into the motor, rather than an add on a separate system.

Added oil capacity is fine, as long is it isn't causing fluid drag on the crankshaft due to high oil level in the crankcase.

These engines are not at all overstressed, so it would be pretty hard to hurt it unless it isn't getting any air flow across the fins at all. You might change to a pure synthetic oil which has higher heat resistance.

Bill Silver