Oil filter & cooler.

During the trip to the Old Irons rally last year, I had a problem with oil overheating, and losing pressure in the circuit. I have since figured out exactly how much oil I can have in the tank without overfilling it but I must also concede that I have to fit an oil filter and a cooler, much as I have on the Fastback (and on the Fastback it has proven to be a perfect setup that allows the bike to run all day with no problems whatsoever). I didn't want to do this as I always tried to keep the Rising Star as minimalist as possible, but I'm no longer as attached to that idea, and this is objectively a necessary improvement I must make. This is a simple job where the most complicated thing is figuring out how to mount the cartridge filter (either by fabricating a bracket, or finding a suitable mounting point as I did in this case). You do have to route oil lines carefully, with no kinks or weird bends, trying to make it aesthetically pleasing in the process (this last part is very important). All new components should be secured to prevent damage from vibration. I made several attempts, each one bringing me closer to the final solution that resulted in some nice flowing lines to and from the cooler, as well as relatively gentle bends underneath the oil filter (but safely tucked away). Although you could place all of the following elements in whatever order you want, only one sequence will actually work: Oil tank to Engine to Cooler to Filter and finally back to Oil tank. So say we all.

The oil filter is an external kit that uses a mounting block for the spin-on filter cartridge and can be mounted almost anywhere, in this case there was room just behind the battery box with room for a remover tool to fit.

The oil cooler is made by Jagg (who also supply some nice mounting clamps) in an old brick building in a small village in Ohio and I think it's important that we can still buy something that's made in the USA. These are all quality items that are very well built, I'm very impressed with this:

This is exactly the same cooler and clamps I have on the Sportster, only on the 1200S it all came from the factory and the routing of the oil lines is impeccable there. Not much of a choice here, it has to go on the frame's downtube.

I got the oil hoses and jubilee clips from a wonderful specialist shop on the outskirts of Rome. This place had all kinds of things I'd been looking for but never found easily, well, no more: now I know where to go. It's also very important that these places somehow manage to stay in business, as certain consumables should always be readily available. Chains, spark plugs, throttle cables, outer cables, fuses and wiring, ferrules, clips, fuel and oil lines, batteries... I want to be able to ride over to a shop and pick up what I need instead of ordering online and waiting for a parcel.

I'm hoping that, much as it does on the Fastback, the combination of cooler and filter will mean that oil temperature will be lower and stable, which should help the engine a good deal compared to how it was before. Time will tell.