Solo said:
Has anyone tried to move the ambient air temperature sensor further from the engine? The only time the temperature reading is accurate is when the engine is cold. I have looked at the sensor, how it mounts and what is behind it. It looks like the engineers didn't want us to move it.
As others have said, it's not an ambient air temp sensor. It's an intake air temp sensor for the ECU and Yamaha just tweaked the number in some simple way, (algorithm?), to provide a general ambient air temp reading. The sensor is there for air/fuel ratio changes. It was a cheap way to give you a "feature" that you didn't really need.
Sometimes it's even correct! For me, usually around 74F it's spot on, but it varies from 68-76 where it happens to be right on. Most of the time I joke with my wife that it's always warmer where the Super Ten is. Her GSA has a more accurate temp reading because it has a separate temp sensor for ambient temp readings.
And what is your hoped for impact to your riding in having an accurate ambient temp reading?
Since it's Winter, I guess it's time to remind riders that you need to actually pay attention to conditions. Is standing water frozen beside the road? Is there heavy frost on the ground? Remember all those signs that say bridges ice over first? They aren't kidding. That glare on the pavement in your headlights might not just be a different kind of paving, it might be ice. Don't suddenly change anything, just stay in the same lane position and steady on the throttle and you'll go right over it and be fine. Drop throttle, brake or try to change lane position and you might find yourself suddenly sliding. Do you have an outside thermometer at the house? Might want to check that before you head out so you have a clue about what temp you're starting out in. When you come out from work to get on the bike, turn the key on and check the temp reading then, it's going to be accurate with a cold bike that's been sitting there for hours. Once the bike fires up it will be warmer than actual pretty quickly.