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OK, I took my bike in today for some minor repairs to a shop that in that past has done less than superior work on my bike. Why did I go to them? Well I dropped in to buy some parts and some oil, and I swear to christ the guy pulled a jedi mind trick on me. All of a sudden I was convinced it was the right thing to do as the guy was talking to me.

Anyway, my own idiocy aside, as soon as I got on the bike I noticed that the bike ran much better after having the oil changed to a higher quality semi-synthetic (no more metal shavings either for those who may remember that little drama). I was overjoyed, it was running great. So I spent the day riding around. Towards the end of the day, i noticed the engine was getting really hot - much more so than it has in the past after even very long treks. I checked the oil level and it seemed ok. Then the bike stalled a few times. I got it going and went to a place where is could cool down. Then I started it up and rode home, noticing again how hot it was against my leg. Question - Is this at all normal? Presuming the stalls were not related (it was a hectic traffic situation so i may have overlooked something else). Is there noticable variation in the heat when changing between oils? Is a hot engine normal for anyone (meaning that you typically become aware of the heat on your leg)?

Keep an eye on it. That's not normal - but you mentioned you were in a "hectic" traffic situation. The bike might have been just as stressed as you were. Take it out for another ride - this time in the country, out of traffic, and see if it stays cool. You're also riding an air-cooled bike, which get hotter than ater-cooled ones. It's possible this is just the first time you've noticed just HOW hot the bike gets...

For future reference, you could also install an oil temp gauge which will give you a reference (And will also let you know when you should turn your engine off if you are stuck in traffic)

What weight oil did he put into your bike? Putting the wrong weight will make the bike run funny...

Thanks for the responses. The bike seems to run good, better than before actually. I'm not sure what oil was used exactly, but its of a high quaility (so i was told). Maybe it was a matter of me simply having done more city driving than normal. It probably was one of my longer in town treks. I had it out a few times yesterday as well, and it did seem to get hotter as the day went on, but not to the point of any real problem. If it is air cooled, it probably runs best when the bike is actually moving, lol. So I think I see tne logic here. Thank you again.

You know not to beat a dead horse, but after a week or so of driving I am definitely sure the bike is running much hotter than before. Can I ask if any of you tend to notice on a regular basis uncomfortable heat on your leg when stopped in traffic? I'm worried this is something i may need to look into.

Maybe dont keep your leg against the engine and it wont get hot

I hope your joking.

I was, about your question though I would try to find out the oil you put in, maybe make sure the oil is full, if so and cant figure out what oil you used maybe do another oil change

My bike is water-cooled but will still bake a leg if sitting in hot weather and traffic. Sometimes you become super-sensitive to things after your car/bike has been worked on, so you may be noticing things that were always true but you just didn't think about them much before.

I agree with Zoo.

I've got two examples:

1) Gadjet told me he added some additive to his coolant that made it "work better". I got the idea that mine was running hot after that. It wasn't and isn't.

2) A friend noticed my chain was loose, all of a sudden I started hearing all kinds of noise from the back end that was scaring the crap out of me.

Find out what weight of oil he put in, and check your coolant levels (if it's a water cooled bike). Otherwise, don't worry about it, you might just be riding harder, it might be warmer out, or that might just happen after the break in.