600f4i overheating ?

Hi all,

When riding my 600f4i in traffic (so obv a lot of starting and stopping with
minimal airflow to radiator) my bike temp is rising to between 105 - 120 'C.
The fan kicks in at 110'C but doesnt do a huge difference (might keep it
level or slowly drop but soon enough the temp rises again).

If I continue riding the average temp will stay around 110 - 115'C although
once it does I kinda get a bit scared and stop riding it.

It's only once so far hit 120'C where a warning sound or light (can't
remmeber) and I stopped straight away but I am a bit worried that it is
running so high.

I've checked the coolant level and it seems fine. The fan is obv working at
110'C.

Anything else a non-mechanically minded person such as myself can check ?

TIA

Kiva

 

Maybe the water isn't wet enough...

Well...OK...a few generic possibilities:

1) pressure cap/valve not sealing/functioning properly
2) tape over the temperature gauge so you don't worry about it (serious!!)
3) bike needs a service and coolant change
4) partial blockage but unlikely in a relatively new bike

Don;t be tempted to add all sorts of magical additives to the coolant if
this only masks a problem.

 

The 600F4i is notorious for running hot, similar to the 954. Unfortunately
there's not much you can do about it either. Check with the service manual
at what temp the thermo fan is supposed to come on at, 110 or 100. You might
be able to either adjust or get a replacement thermostat for the switching
requirement, or is it all electronic? Meh, I'm not sure.

The other thing you can do is get an over ride switch for your thermo fan
put in. This means you can activate it early say at 95 or so if you know
you're coming up to heavy traffic to help keep the temps down. What temp
does the fan stay on till? Does it stay on till it gets down to say 95 or
so?

 

Comes on at 110 and switches off when back and below 110..

If its not a mechanical/electrical problem, I might try some of that engine
ice - been reading some forums and seems to give about 10' difference.

 

Ten feet difference?!!? Fark; that's a big radiator!

 

Unfortuently thats normal! mine does the same thing,

put top quality radiator coolant in it, im using some motol race stuff,
bleed air out of the bottom, theirs a bolt on the side of the water pump.

mine only gets to 115 now, normally sits around 80 when riding though, but
stationary, she heats up like an oven!

 

Most of my riding is around the city so its not good

I'll try new coolant tho. Thanks

 

I'd be seeing if you can get an over-ride switch put in, or whether you can
get the cut in temp changed. By the time it gets to 110 deg C the thing is
feckin boiling and it takes quite a bit of effort to get it back to normal
temperatures. I tried Engine ice, didn't notice any difference.

The only other reccomendation is to make sure your radiator is cleaned
thoroughly to ensure good heat transfer (something else I really hate about
non coated radiators, the fouling factor goes through the fucken roof if you
ride it in the dirt/rain ... *grumble grumble*)

 

make sure you go over your radiator and straiten all the fins up and pick
out any bugs too..

 

There's your problem. You should be using a coolant which is heavier
than air.

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

nar the f4i dont but if my engine is hot i leave my ignition on so the fan
stays on...

 

I take it they haven't discovered modern electronics. Not that that is a dig
at Aprilia, it's a dig at just about every bike manufacturer that fails to
let the fan run to keep things cool when the engine is turned off. Having
said that, cooling the fluid in the radiator isn't going to do much about
cooling the fluid in the engine if there's no water pump operating. Kind of
a moot point.

 

that is very true futant, however the f4i's get hot standing still, cool
down when moving..

so you cant sit their with the engine on to cool it down :-(

but cooling the fluid down should provide heat transfer from teh fluid in
the engine, so knock about 25 degrees out of the radiator might take 1 or 2
degreees out of the engine...

 

Probably has something to do with the mandatory posing requirements of
parked Italian machinery.

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

My GSX1400 heats up a bit too. I know it's getting too hot when the
skin on the inside of my legs catches fire...

 

I think the heat transfer is pretty reliant on the fluid to be moving.
I think that not detonating fuel within the engine would be much more
effective means of cooling it than by blowing a bit of air on the
radiator. YMMV

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

Remove the radiator and weld fins to the engine?

Postman Pat (my 919 Hornet is pretty quick to fire up the thermo fan in
traffic,but hasn't gotten near the red yet)

 

Crispy?

Postman Pat

 

when wearing my leathers on a long ride the other day, i swear i was
smelling burning leather, and almost felt it on the inside of my leg too..

 

Depends how it was designed , many older cars were convection cooling in
the 30's +40's with no water pump , heat soak through the fluid with out
a pump is still quite effective , I would think from experience with
forced induction motors the right cooling fluid speed is vital or it
will over heat so I have to ask how much work the pump has done ? and is
fluid flow correct ? ,I is possible the impeller may be worn or a change
of fluid can be beneficial .