ZZR Getting a bit hot....

Hi there guys,
I was posting on this group a few months back and was hoping
to get a bike. Well I have just got my L's and a 1994 ZZR 250. The
bike is great, great fun as well, I am loving it. I have been riding
it to work and back every day since I got it. The other day however,
it was about 39c and I went for a cruise into Toorak (I live in
Gippsland so bout 1,5hrs trip) and the bike was getting a bit warm on
the highway.... like the temp gauge normally sits in the bottom
quarter. but it moved up to half. Once I got into traffic it moved up
to 3/4 so I pulled into a servo. I was only 10mins away from where I
was going but did not want to harm the engine. The engine was still
running fine ... it was not loosing power or anything.... but there
was water coming from the overflow pipe.... anyway I let it cool down
and then topped up the radiator with Coolant I bought from the servo
(however I couldn't get much in it was still pretty full. After I
while I rode the extra 10mins to where I was gong. Since then I have
read the Kawasaki Owners Manual (that came with the bike) and flushed
out the radiator and filled it up with just coolant as was recommended
by the Owners Manual, and I also filled up the Coolant Reserve Tank
under the left faring. When doing all this I noticed that there was a
fan behind the radiator. I have kept an eye on that and it never
seems to go. It is electric and I presume is spost to come on when
the bike heats up.... I have not had it as hot as the trip to Toorak
however I have see the temp gauge go up to about 1/3 and the fan does
not come on. Just wondering what experience other ZZR riders have had
riding on hot days and with that radiator fan.... how hot the bike
gets before it is spost to come on.

Also the Clutch does not seem to completely disengage when the bike is
cold.... is that normal? It is fine once it warms up a bit......

Any comments appreciated.....

Thank you for your time,

Scott.

 

quarter. but it moved up to half. Once I got into traffic it moved up

This happens with me as well.. But once I start moving it goes back
down to half.


In your manual there should be a specifiation as to the temperature
the thermo fan cuts in. The way to test is the remove the thermo
switch from the radiator (its usually a bullet shaped device that
bolts into the radiator at the bottom usually.) and dunk it in boiling
water. It should turn on. If not check fuses connections etc. If
still no good your thermo switch needs replacing. They aren't too
expensive.

If you are on the side of the road and desperate you can usually wire
the fan straight to the battery.

Also I wouldn't trust the temp guauge that comes with the bike they
are not very accurate in my experience. Depending on the bike, it
isn't hard to fit an aftermarket temp guage. If you have the $$$ a
daytona digital is the way to go.

As for your clutch. Some bikes I've had tend to need to warm up to
work properly as the plates tend to stick together. I find synthetic
oil helps sometimes. But if its not bad then I'd leave it.

Also you said you added some coolant to the bike. Adding a lot of
cold coolant/water to a very hot bike can warp/crack the head so be
careful.

If despite all that its still getting hot, getting a custom made ally
radiator can make a huge difference. When we were doing rallying we
were able to put in a 30% smaller radiator because it was a much
better design. It only cost us $350 which isn't to bad for a custom
job.

Finally this guys had a great web page on general mechanical stuff for
bikes. He is a bit religious, but has some golden advice when it
comes to bikes.

http://www.dansmc.com/MC_repaircourse.htm

 

My ex EL250 used to have the fan kick in once the temp was probably about 1/2 way -> 2/3rds
to maximum (mind you it didnt have a temp guage, im just going on how warm it seemed to be)
But in any case, the fan came on on a semi regular basis, and not when it was "way up there"
like you described.


Mike.S

 

James,
Thanks for the reply matey, I tested the fan by wiring it straight
to the battery as suggested and it works fine. I have ordered a
workshop manual for the bike and am picking it up tomorrow. I am
wanting to do as much as I can myself. I priced the Temp sensor at
$67 ... not sure if that is what I want as the temp gauge is
working... just the fan is not coming on.... not sure if there is a
relay or fuse somewhere that might be faulty. Hopefully the Workshop
Manual will help me trace it back. The clutch works fine once warm so
that is good to know that a "wet clutch" is like that...

How long do you think the bike should warm up for fist time in the
morning before riding. It idles fine as soon as I start it ... do
you think it should idle for a couple of mins first ... or is it cool
to just take off after starting?

Thanks again for your time,

Scott.

 

Thankyou everybody for your helpful comments and suggestions. I have
worked out that the fan is working, and am picking up a workshop
manual today. So will hopefully track the problem from there.

Thanks again for your time,

Scott.

 

In aus.motorcycles on Fri, 21 Nov 2003 07:17:07 +1100

I usually allow a couple of seconds for the oil to make its way into all
the bits it should, because even a wetsump motor can have oil drain from
high points.

And then, as you say, ride away gently, and don't stress the motor -
overrev *or* lug - till it's warm.

Zebee