R1 running hot?

[Methix]

So, I have a question for fellow R1 owners, has your bike been running really hot in this weather? I haven't gotten to ride much in the last couple weeks due to vacation and work stuff that I had to have my truck for. The last couple days when I've been riding, my bike (2003 R1) has been running really hot. Even when I'm moving along at 40mph or so, it's still been well over 190, often upwards of 200-210. I checked my oil and coolant and everything seems to be in order, so maybe the weather really is affecting it that much. Stupid 20 valve head is frying my nuts...

[Anonymous]

That's normal temp. Don't worry about it.

[~Barn~]

Sounds about right in this weather, if you're only going about 40. I assume you're never leaving 2nd gear. (?)

[I`m Batman]

yep, normal... mine runs 200 + sometimes high 210s in this hot weather.

[=Captain America=]

thats the temp my fans kick on mine...oh wait i only have a six :oops:

[another_R1]

yea my 02 and my old 98 runs hotter than id like...

if youre in traffic, its going to run over 190 degrees for sure

with my 98, i installed a manual cooling fan switch..havent done it on the 02 yet, but i plan too...

[Methix]

Damn, I guess this weather just really affects it that badly. I'm used to it running about 170 or so. but that's also in weather that's probably 15-20 degrees cooler.

[amazzon]

not an r1, but 225 degrees was routine in stop and go for the ninja. The busa runs mighty hot too, fan kicks on often...

[The GECCO]

yup, thats normal temp. part of getting newer vehicles to produce less emissions requires a higher operating temp.

remember that the temp sensor is in the radiator on most bikes (including the R1) so when the gauge reads cooler in cooler weather it isn't that the engine is running cooler. the engine is still running just as hot but the thermostat is opening less often so the water in the radiator has more time to sit and cool down and give you the low reading, the water in the engine is being held back by the thermostat until it reaches a certain temp. when it opens and the cooler water is admitted into the engine it takes less of it to bring the engine temp down enough to close the thermostat and stop the circulation again. If you rode your bike down the freeway in 30 degree weather the thermostat would rarely open at all and the gauge would read around 110-120 (don't ask how I know this).

in warmer weather the water cirulates more often (because the warm air doesn't cool it as much) and you get a gauge reading that is more indicative of engine temp rather than radiator temp.

so, the reason your nuts are medium well is not that the engine is necessarily running hotter, it's that there is more of the bike (ALL the water, the radiator, the frame, etc) that is retaining that heat because the warm air can't carry it away as fast as the cool air could.

[The GECCO]

as a side note, you all may have noticed that your engine temps on the bikes vary a lot depending on weather, the speed you're going, etc, compared to your cars. this is because of the sensor being mounted in the radiator instead of the cylinder head like they are in most cars. the thermostat is designed to keep the temp of the water in the engine as constant as possible so that's why the gauge in your car rarely moves much. as I said before, the water in the engine in the bike runs the same temp regardless of the weather due to the thermostat, the reason the gauge on the bike reads different is it is measuring RADIATOR temp, not ENGINE temp.

hope that makes sense...

[Methix]

Cool, thanks for the info =]

[Anonymous]

as a side note, you all may have noticed that your engine temps on the bikes vary a lot depending on weather, the speed you're going, etc, compared to your cars. this is because of the sensor being mounted in the radiator instead of the cylinder head like they are in most cars. the thermostat is designed to keep the temp of the water in the engine as constant as possible so that's why the gauge in your car rarely moves much. as I said before, the water in the engine in the bike runs the same temp regardless of the weather due to the thermostat, the reason the gauge on the bike reads different is it is measuring RADIATOR temp, not ENGINE temp.

hope that makes sense...

Not really, Glenn. ;)

What is on the radiator is just a thermo switch to activate the fan at some preset point. That is based on the temperature of the coolant in the radiator, which is generally a good place to measure it since that's where the fan is anyway.

The actual engine coolant temperature sensor on our bikes is mounted on the cylinder head, and that's what triggers the readout on the gauge. It screws into a coolant channel but does read whatever's in the motor. The thermostat opens at a certain point (just a mechanical valve of sorts) and causes coolant (which is always pumped through the motor no matter what) to flow through the radiator as well.

Now some bikes may in fact measure off the radiator, which wouldn't surprise me. But on the GSXR's and probably a lot of modern ones, it does pull from a head-mounted sensor.