Air cooled vs. liquid cooled?

[ddavis89325is]

I'm starting to look more into getting a bike, most likely a 400-700cc 1980's Honda, Suzuki, or Yamaha. I've seen both air cooled and liquid cooled bikes for sale, what are the advantages/disadvantages to each? Thanks in advance!

[harleyxlc]

Well, the obvious...air cooled, one less system to maintain, break or fix. Liquid cooled, it actually cools the engine in addition to the air. Especially nice in hot weather or city traffic.

I have both and would be hard pressed to pick one over the other. They both have benefits and disadvantages. If it's over 95, I probably wont be on the harley (air cooled), but I have never found coolant under it either (like I have under the ninja). But I don't have any scars from burning my leg on the engine on the liquid cooled bikes either....now my sporty has left its mark on me! Probably more to do with the seat and the engine position than the cooling method, though

[RayOSV]

All other things equal (like displacement), a liquid cooled bike can have tighter tolerances as the temperature variations are better controlled. This is why the Ninja 500r develops a few more hp than the Suzuki GS500. Air cooled bikes (air/oil cooled really) have been around a LONG time and are just as reliable as liquid cooled. Don't let this be a deciding factor.

[Cabanaboy]

Liquid cool also prevents any chance of detonation, even in the hottest weather, so as said, the bikes can be tuned to perform better than their air cooled counterparts, that can overheat and cause issues.

On that note, I prefer air cooled because it is simpler to maintain, and one less thing that I have to worry about when riding trails.