[SicFLgirlR6]

Well I was headed out to Winter Haven yesterday for the weekend on I4, left early enough to beat rush hour but still got caught in an AWFUL traffic jam usually it takes me an hour and 30 mins to make it out here yesterday it took me 3 HOURS. So I'm sitting there barely moving I look down b/c I notice this flashing light and my temp gauge is going crazy. Usually the 6 won't get above 227* but yesterday it hit 300*!!!! Once it hit 241* the light started flashing, I dunno what it could have been. I swear I heard the fan going so I don't think that could be it. I mean it took it while to over heat which is kinda good because atleast it's not over heating right off the bat, but still I know hitting 300* that something is seriously wrong with her ... So between downtown Orlando and the Winter Haven/Lake Alfred exit I rode in the construction/emergency lane putting along at 36 mph slowly creeping by all the traffic which only helped her cool down a little, I didn't want to go flying by and piss anyone off b/c getting there fast was not my intention, just getting my bike there without blowing it up was my goal. So any suggestions or diagnosis? Anyone want to check it out and see what the deal is?

Thanks a bunch guy ,
Courtney

 

[P Smak]

Take some back roads. They may not be as fast as the interstate when traffic is moving, but at least it won't overheat like that.

 

[nig]

How is the coolant looking?

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

Motorcycles DO NOT like bumper to bumper traffic. Their is no good solution other
that avoid it. Getting it that hot It would be a good idea to change the coolant

 

[yamamike]

Change coolant, maybe use some engine ice, and if you ride the street a lot you may want to install a manual switch on the fan so you can kick it on at any time if you think you may get stuck in traffic. Just hope you did not do any real damage when it over heated.

 

[Reckless01]

Change coolant, maybe use some engine ice, and if you ride the street a lot you may want to install a manual switch on the fan so you can kick it on at any time if you think you may get stuck in traffic. Just hope you did not do any real damage when it over heated.

1+ On the switched fan idea.....I was the ONLY one in our group in Daytona whos bike DIDNT overheat. It was all thanks to the switch. It would get mid way to the red and i'd switch it on and let it run till it was green again. Meantime everyone else was switching their bikes on and off. Engine ice is good but i dont think they allow it in your bike at the tracks....correct me if im wrong

 

[yamamike]

I've got engine ice in mine now. Not sure if it is CCS or WERA legal but for regular trackdays it is o'tay.

 

[CorvetteChris]

Wow, I've never had a bike that got that hot without pumping the coolant out the overflow way before that. Does it ride at the normal temp while riding?

Check the cap too. Are you sure it is full?

Track: water wetter is fine. Not sure about engine ice. Never used that.

 

[SicFLgirlR6]

Jer checked the coolant like a month ago and it was fine, and there is some in the overflow but not much. I think the manuel switch is a great idea. I would take another way out here, but I'm not very good with back roads, except for out here in Daytona I know every backroad there is which comes in handy with big tourist events. However, I really don't fee like getting lost on my bike by myself is some backwoods town :lol. If I was with other people riding I'd be more than happy to try a back way to Lakeland .

 

[CorvetteChris]

Yeah, "take back roads" is not the answer to an obvious mechanical problem

 

[SicFLgirlR6]

Chris is right b/c I have sat in traffic in Daytona events like bike week and such for an entire night, like 8 hours, and never had it come close to going over 227*.

 

[CorvetteChris]

Cort, the fans are supposed to kick on around 25 degress over the top range of normal operating temp and get it back down to that range. Something is def. going on with your cooling system. The easy things to check first have been mentioned. Next, water pump, drain system, flush, check for restrictions, rad itself....

 

[nig]

Have you ever actually changed out the coolant?

 

[yamamike]

First things first, drain all coolant and flush system with distilled water. Replace with new coolant and Burp the cooling system to make sure there is no air trapped. Run the bike and see what temp the fans kick on at. I would also look into running a manual fan switch.

 

[Naughty76]

I know on someone else's r6 the temp sensor wasn't kicking the fan on like it should so we bypassed the temp sensor to keep the fan on all the time.

 

[SicFLgirlR6]

Well see I think it might be the sensor b/c it's the sensor light thats blinking like crazy. It did for a little while when I wrecked the 6 two years ago and then it just stopped. So I dunno, when I get back to town Monday I'll take it in to Doug and see what he thinks I really don't want to poke around internally w/o knowing fully what I'm doing...

 

[StretchedGixer]

I would love to know how to hook that switch up to turn the fan on manually. I ride to tampa daily and usually during rush hour (in the morn) so that would work wonders for me.

Someone mind dropping me a pm on an easy way to do it? Thanks!!!!

 

[Reckless01]

it is easy as hell men, on the radiator there is a wire. It is attached to the rad temp sensor. Mine was a normally open switch which means that the switch would "ground" the wire to complete the circuit. I simply took the wire and touched it to a ground, it made the fan run so i hooked a toggle switch to a ground and hooked the wire to the switched side and viola it was done. Pretty simple bro

 

[95fzr1000]

do R6's have thermostats? might be a dunb Q? , but my FZR does...and if that goes bad (if you have one) you'll overheat real quick...

 

[NeuroThief1]

This doens't have much to do with the whole mechanical discussion, but as backroads go, if you get off I-4 at at 27 and go north about 1 mile, then Turn left onto Dean Still Road, that'll take you into North Lakeland, and it's got some nice twisties too. I wouldn't recomend going it alone though, it's in the middle of nowhere and there's very little if any cell signal out there.