Walking through the paddock at a roadrace last weekend, I noticed a squad of CB160/175s
stripped down for racing. One had an oil cooler
plumbed into the righthand engine cover, homemade, really cool(pun). Owner said the stock oil pump had the power to send the oil into and out of the cooler.
Anyone here tried that?
Cheers!  
ps: not as clean as this one, but same idea. Lines came out of front of cover to/from cooler.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/173153236743
cooler was flat type.

This has been discussed previously - and the conclusion was that for most folks the cooler just isn't required.....or even beneficial.  The Savage engine is capable of keeping cool in any weather the rider can tolerate.

The racing world where engines are run at full and highly modified - is very different from the world where a Savage is ridden.  Most Savage are ridden well within their ability to stay cool.

The one exception is DragBikeMike.  He has modified his oil system substantially, and he has overdrive gears on his pump, an oil cooler, and additional plumbing that directs an oil supply to the higher gears in his transmission.  His engine was making so much power that it over stressed the transmission and the gears were failing.

Dave wrote on 08/25/25 at 04:25:44:

That being said... you can ride to yours and your savage limit at a steady pace.  As long as that pace is maintained.
Coming to a full stop a freeway off ramp is a game changer, you must keep moving even at a slow pace or you'll start to hear the oil boiling on top of the valves and your ankles will fry.

I guess I just don't ride my bike in a way that it stresses the cooling ability of the engine.  I ride in rural areas, I avoid the interstate when possible, and I don't ride in heavy traffic or in city traffic.  The Kawasaki pulleys has also cut engine rpm down significantly at highway speeds....and the Wiseco Flat top piston has also dropped the engine temperature considerably.  My engine still can get warm when stuck in traffic - it is very rare that I ever ride the bike in city traffic.

I wonder how effective an oil cooler would be in traffic or when riding in the city?  When stopped at an intersection or in traffic there would be very little (or no) airflow through the cooler....it is the same issue that causes the engine cooling fins to be less effective.  Additionally - the oil flow through the engine is minimal when the engine is at idle.  An oil cooler with little air flow and little oil flow is not going to provide much cooling improvement.  

I run an oil cooler specifically to supply cool oil directly into the gear mesh for 4th gear (I run a 4-speed).  I need the dedicated cool oil in the gear mesh to prevent gear tooth pitting.  My engine is modified and the stock system can’t handle the power.  The cooler only services the gear mesh and the flow to the cooler and gear mesh is limited by an orifice.

I can confirm with certainty that the cooler is ineffective in heavy traffic.  I routinely see 240F oil temp when stuck in gridlock.  Because I limit flow through the cooler, and I run a high-speed pump, and the oil from the cooler is running through a gear mesh, I haven’t experienced any significant change in oil temp.  My oil ran about 200F without the cooler and it runs about 200F with the cooler (at cruising speed, 4K on the tach).  Although the cooler is obviously reducing the oil temp when I’m moving, the cooling effect is offset by the heating effect caused by the high-speed pump and running the oil through the mesh.

I live in Hawaii and it’s usually pretty warm (about 80 to 85).  In this climate, a stock or moderately modified LS doesn’t need an oil cooler.  It is my understanding that oil should run about 220 to 230F so that moisture accumulation is flashed off.  The only time my oil ever exceeded 215F (with or without the cooler) is when I got caught in gridlock.  Maybe an occasional romp in gridlock is a good thing.

If you live or ride in the Mojave or Sonora desert all bets are off.