How hot is too hot?
09-04-2008 | 01:19 AM
#1
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How hot is too hot?
It gets pretty damn hot in the Sacramento area. Last week it was triple digit weather. When I ride in this crazy heat the temp on my hawk is really high. I have an 02 with a digital temp gauge and during the day its not uncommon to see it 210-218. When its really hot and in traffic I have seen it as high as 225-227. How hot is too hot. When should I pull over and let it cool down. My bird does not have any fairings so the air is not directed to the side mounted radiators, but the fan does come on when it gets to the 210ish range.
09-04-2008 | 04:06 AM
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That seems pretty normal to me and I'm up in New England. Of course, in traffic on a 90+ degree day I'll see it bounce off 225 and come back down but thats after a couple miles of stop and go. On the highway on days like that it'll sit around 190-200. As long as you don't come up on 240-250 you should be fine.
Last edited by smack doogle; 09-04-2008 at 04:07 AM. Reason: spelling
09-04-2008 | 04:48 AM
#3
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According to Honda, "too hot" is 250F. That's when a red light starts flashing on the temp readout and Honda says shut off the bike. I've never seen it, but have been in the low 230s a couple times. I think the temps you're reporting are normal for a hot day in traffic.
09-04-2008 | 11:28 AM
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There is cooler activating fan temp switch available (on ebay iirc) that will make the fan come on sooner or you can add a switch that provides a ground to the wire at the temp switch in the rad like I did and turn it on when in stop/go traffic. Engine ice and water wetter (i'm using this) also seem to boost cooling.
has anyone ever found and tried a higher temp thermostat? thought is that at high water temps the thermostat stays fully open and the water flows so fast in the radiators and doesn't get a chance to cool off.
has anyone ever found and tried a higher temp thermostat? thought is that at high water temps the thermostat stays fully open and the water flows so fast in the radiators and doesn't get a chance to cool off.
09-04-2008 | 11:50 AM
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Besides, as that water is "cooling off" the water in the engine is getting even hotter..
09-04-2008 | 12:02 PM
#10
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Sounds normal to me...I run in some serious heat down here in FL this time of year too and I see those temps on my 2002 SH in traffic
I do run a water wetting solution that appears to help, but not that much...
If you're at a long light just shut her down till it changes
RC
I do run a water wetting solution that appears to help, but not that much...
If you're at a long light just shut her down till it changes
RC
09-04-2008 | 12:16 PM
#11
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Thanks for all the quick replies. Thats just one less thing to worry about now. I bought the bike used a month ago and am putting on some serious millage. About 1800 miles in the month I have had it and the last thing I need is for some **** to break.
09-04-2008 | 06:15 PM
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09-04-2008 | 10:06 PM
#13
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Okay, I'm OCD about this kind of stuff so keep that in mind, but when you get the coolant in that 220-230 range your oil temps are going to be in the 240-250 range: pretty hot regardless of the type of oil you're using. Ideal engine oil temp is 220 (just hot enough to burn off fuel contamination and condensation); for every 20F you see over that you cut the oil life in half whether it be mineral or synthetic.
Definitely run a surfactant like Water Wetter or Purple Ice (no first-hand experience with Engine Ice but I'm sure it works just as well, it's simple technology). If you can get a
away with it, run a higher water concentration as water is a better coolant due to having a lower surface tension than glycol meaning it absorbs and dissipates heat more effectively as well as reduces hot spots. The two surfactants mentioned do have corrosion inhibitors enabling the use of more water in the system. I run a manual fan switch I click on at the 1/4 mark and 20% anti-freeze with Purple Ice. I can't remember the last time I saw more than one or two ticks above mid-way even sitting in Houston traffic. Fan off and cruising it will stay at the 1/4 mark on my analog gauge. 20% glycol will give you a freeze point of roughly 20F (-7C) - we never see below 30F.
Definitely run a surfactant like Water Wetter or Purple Ice (no first-hand experience with Engine Ice but I'm sure it works just as well, it's simple technology). If you can get a
away with it, run a higher water concentration as water is a better coolant due to having a lower surface tension than glycol meaning it absorbs and dissipates heat more effectively as well as reduces hot spots. The two surfactants mentioned do have corrosion inhibitors enabling the use of more water in the system. I run a manual fan switch I click on at the 1/4 mark and 20% anti-freeze with Purple Ice. I can't remember the last time I saw more than one or two ticks above mid-way even sitting in Houston traffic. Fan off and cruising it will stay at the 1/4 mark on my analog gauge. 20% glycol will give you a freeze point of roughly 20F (-7C) - we never see below 30F.
09-04-2008 | 10:19 PM
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09-05-2008 | 12:54 AM
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