So I am not used to watercooled bikes at all, but my bike is running very cool- the temp gauge never reads over a fifth of its travel...

Could this be a sticky thermostat? Or do these bikes just not heat up that much-given the season and me not punching it all that much?

Regards
Robert

NC's are notorious for how hot they get, but the current climate could be helping to keep your bike cool. I seem to be one of the fortunate ones and my bike doesn't get 'too' hot even on warm days in traffic, my track bike though would get very hot. Just keep an eye on it, or you could test the tesrmostat in some boiling hot water and see if the needle moves.

Well it cant be damaging anyways, as I hardly rev the bike up. Any possibility that it could be the gauge playing up? Thanks

if the gauge is moving then it is working fine,it could be the temp sender on the thermostat that could be causing it too read incorrectly but i doubt this.............
i think with the cold winter we are having at the moment is helping keep your bike cool when you are out and about.



william

i hate to steal this post but im wondering if the coolant reservoir tank (plastic tank on right side of bike under the tail cowl) Is supposed to have coolant in it?

When the bike is cold, The reservoir tank is dry, I take the upper radiator cap off, and there is coolant to the top of the upper radiator. Is that enough or do i need to add more in the reservoir tank?

my bike doesnt get too hot or anything, the needle doesnt get past 1/2 way most of the time while idling in traffic...

thanks

my bike runs cool too, even in the height oof summer the temperature needle never got any further that strait up (just past 90), i put this down to the samco hoses and rad referb (cleaned fins, repainted a flushed out the system) i did before i put the bike on the road

it is known as the catchment(expansion) tank.......

when the bike warms up and the coolant expands through heat it overflows into this catchment tank and when it cools down it goes back into the radiator.
you are suppose to check the level in the catchment tank when the bike is up to normal operating temp.....and the level should be within the min-max marks.


william

keithcar wrote:i hate to steal this post but im wondering if the coolant reservoir tank (plastic tank on right side of bike under the tail cowl) Is supposed to have coolant in it?

When the bike is cold, The reservoir tank is dry, I take the upper radiator cap off, and there is coolant to the top of the upper radiator. Is that enough or do i need to add more in the reservoir tank?

my bike doesnt get too hot or anything, the needle doesnt get past 1/2 way most of the time while idling in traffic...

thanks

Yes.. it should be filled up to the MAX mark of coolant mix and never allowed to get below the 'min' mark otherwise you can get air in the system.

It's an expansion bottle, when the system is upto temp the water expands a little so the excess goes into the bottle, when it cools down again a valve in the middle of the rad-cap opens to suck the fluid displaced back in, if the bottles empty it'll suck air back into the system.

To bleed the system warm the bike up on the stand with the rad cap off, when the temp is at the half way mark snap the throttle to 5000rpm a few times and shut off the engine and allow it to cool.

top up the coolant in the rad when its cool till it's full to the top, make sure you expansion bottle is full up too,

Replace the rad cap and your done.

As for the original poster, I wouldn't worry about it, if it's working well (as yours sounds like) it won't get too hot unless your idling for a while, after you've been on a decent run leave the bike idling for 5 mins and you shuold see the temp start to rise.

You can check the temp senders etc but usually they either work or they don't so if your gauge is moving its ok.

Since we are not too far off topic....can anyone suggest the best way to clean a rad? Thanks!

take the rad off the bike fully.
then soak it overnight in a bucket of water and a bit of washing up powder (non-biological). (bung the end and close the cap)
take it out and gently (i mean gently) spray water at the rad from both sides.
then take the time to straighten out any bent fins (this is time consuming)