Prevent air cooled motorcycle from overheating?

I have a 1980 honda xl250s that I recently bought that is an air cooled engine and I'm curious as to how easy it is to overheat an air cooled motorcycle engine and what I can do to prevent it from overheating

Running the engine for long periods whist stationary may overheat it. It's forward movement that keeps the engine cool. Also use fully synthetic oil for greater protection.

You could install an electric fan to blow air over the engine, but Honda has done a good job of designing air cooled engines. If you ride it, it should be fine. (it is almost 40 years old, That is a good machine!)

Hereyago: It is not intuitively obvious, but black objects radiate heat more efficiently than silver or aluminum-colored objects. It's called "black body radiation," and black bodies, all other things being equal, have higher thermal emissivities than other colors. So, whatcha can do is disassemble the parts of the engine with cooling fins which are aluminum, find a plating shop that does anodization, and have 'em BLACK ANODIZED on the outside (just the outside).

How much difference will it make? That's a good question. Ya gotta balance the improved radiation of internal heat against the improved thermal absorption from solar radiation. Since the caloric value from the combustion is so much higher than the surface absorption from the sun, it should help. The anodization shouldn't have much effect on the conduction and absorption of heat by the moving air when the motorcycle is in operation. So, you're safe there.

Depends on where you ride.
Air cooled engines need air movement (called riding) to be cooled duh.

In hot climate areas best to shut it off if stopped.
Keep the engine oil/filter clean for better results.

Just use common sense--kill at reds on hot days, use Rotella or Synth oil, Never let it get low. Does it have oil cooler? Are the pipes blue?

Don't worry, Honda and others do a great job of compensating---fins, hardened valve faces and seats, richer carbs, premium gas, etc.

I ask because I have an '83 w/cooler, and has that sprayed oil internal cooling, pipes Never blue, never seemed to overheat. Even thou #2 and #3 cyls have little air flow, I did shut her down at long reds at 109 degrees.

I shut it down at long red lights even though my rides are kick start only

It is surprising how snapping just a few fins can make a real difference and that can happen on old trail bikes so give it a good look. Then drain, change the filter and oil and ride it.

You can't easily overheat an air-cooled donk. The motor is designed to tolerate a wide range of temperatures. Unless you are using a lot of revs with no (air) movement over the motor - stuck in sand or doing burnouts. Avoid doing that or rest the engine regularly in between. Otherwise keep the fins clean and clear of debris or obstructions from the front, run the correct plug and use a good quality oil of the correct grade and level. If you plan on trekking through the Sahara fully loaded, fit an oil cooler, but it's not necessary in normal conditions.

Go faster, more air will cool it better.

Do you have a gas lawn mower? You can be at walking speed and it does not overheat. Motorcycle is pretty much the same thing. The oil in the crankcase keeps it cool