True, but I think a temp gun would tell you the range you're in so you don't push it too far, even if the calibration is a bit out. The temps seem normal even to me, grass makes it higher as it's putting more load on the engine making it work harder, dirt is slippery so air wont go past the head to cool it down as fast as going on-road. Just go by the smoke trail and how it performs, you can't go wrong there.