Is my temp gauge working?

Purchased my first BMW in 12/2019. A 2013 R1200RT. Very fine bike, a joy to ride. I have owned many different cycles in my lifetime. From air/oil to liquid cooled. I live in Arizona and have ride in temperatures from 35 to 105 degrees. My RT runs great in all temps but the temp gauge runs from 0 when cold to just below mid point when warmed up. My concern is even pulling a hill in 100 plus temps, the gauge has never been above mid point. The engine appears not to have excessive heat, engine heat against my legs is mild and not uncomfortable.
I am just blown away that in high weather temps it runs so cool, especially for an air/oil cooled engine. It is this normal? Should my gauge be running a littler higher?
Great group here, appreciating this forum/club, thank all for your input

It won’t rise until extreme heat conditions occur. On my 07RT that is when I get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on a very hot day with no way to move for a long time. Also if over 100 degrees for over 4 hours on a long haul once in a while. Not to worry. If you are moving it is cooling.

mikegalbicka said:

It won’t rise until extreme heat conditions occur. On my 07RT that is when I get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on a very hot day with no way to move for a long time. Also if over 100 degrees for over 4 hours on a long haul once in a while. Not to worry. If you are moving it is cooling.

Click to expand...

Good news. My commute to work, 52 miles one-way does not have much traffic, so never stopped for very long.
Thank you for input

The hottest your engine will ever get is on a top speed run with, obviously, high rpm.

Since aero drag increases at the square of speed increase, this will be the hardest your engine ever works and consequently the most fuel it ever uses. Most fuel burned equals most heat generated.

Your engine is designed to survive this .... meaning most of the time it’s just coasting, sipping fuel and generating little heat in comparison.

It’s physics.

lkchris said:

The hottest your engine will ever get is on a top speed run with, obviously, high rpm.

Since aero drag increases at the square of speed increase, this will be the hardest your engine ever works and consequently the most fuel it ever uses. Most fuel burned equals most heat generated.

Your engine is designed to survive this .... meaning most of the time it’s just coasting, sipping fuel and generating little heat in comparison.

It’s physics.

Click to expand...

That is only true as to the generation of heat. It is not true as it relates to the dissipation heat. The engine might in fact be the "hottest" at fast idle sitting in the garage when you went back in to the house, answered the phone, forgot the bike until it caught on fire, and then the garage caught on fire, and then the house caught on fire as has happened at least once in a documented case. A top speed run allows much greater cooling from the airflow past the engine and through the oil cooler(s) or radiator as the case may be.

FWIW, my 2012 temp guage doesn't 'go' nearly as high as I'd expect. I overheated in holiday traffic, and the guage never got over what I'd consider 3/4. If I was looking at the gas guage, I'd call it 3/4 full... The temp warning light came on, and I parked the bike for a couple hours.

Many automotive gauges are VERY non-linear. They quickly go to the middle and then stay very close to that for the entire normal operating range; only the extremes can be seen as deflection.

If the gauges were linear and accurate, owners (BMW owners particularly) would never actually get any riding done.

Thanks for all the input