Hot!

[Wanderer]

First some history on why I think there is a problem.... so last July before I went overseas I had this nagging feeling that my 03 was running hotter than it should be, I took several long rides in Colo, Utah, AZ along with my father on his 04 FJR. we switched bikes and compared temp guages at stop lights and gas stops...his seemed to run cooler. My bike almost unfailingly stays at 3 bars a bit longer once underway than his does. I flushed the coolant, I replaced the thermostat, I paid attention to my revs....everything I could think of. It still is in the back of my mind when I deploy. Fast forward 12 months, my father has been caring for my bike for the duration and rides it to work once a week, etc. Upon my return he volunteers to ride my bike from Central AZ to Colorado Springs for me and 'doesn't see a problem'. OK.

Today I take my first 'real' ride, about 90-100 miles in beautiful 80 degree weather...all is well until I hit the first guantlet of stoplights and traffic after about 60 miles...guage hits 3 bars, I think no big deal....pulling into the gas station I put in 2/3 of a tank and am on my way.

Here's what made me worry...After gas it still was at 3 bars, I watched the newly reset tripmeter and it took .8 miles and one stoplight to get onto the interstate, the temp guage didnt drop back to 2 bars for NEARLY TEN MILES at 75-80 mph. I know this is worse than it used to be and can't be normal.

I do not have a warm and fuzzy about this, the more traffic I ride the longer it takes to get back to 2 bars. Could this be a water pump issue? I'm not low on coolant, and its the right 50/50 mix would a pump not circulating explain it?

 

[03HiYoSilver]

Wanderer,

Sounds normal to me. Mine runs while running in these temps around 3 bars, bumps 4 (at stops) and then back again.

 

[Bokerfork]

Probably nothing. I used to run around town at 3 bars consistently. One day I started running 4 bars for no particular reason. Hasn't changed since. I suspect I was on the cusp between 3 and 4 bars the whole time and age, both of the bike and the coolant, bumped it in to the next bar.

If it goes to 5 consistently, I'll start looking for a problem.

Just my 2 cents.

Mark

 

[r1byker]

I wouldn't worry about it; sounds pretty normal to me. If you want it to run a little cooler, change your coolant mix to something like 60% water and 40% coolant, or even go with straight water with Water Wetter. That's a assuming you're not going to be in freezing weather.

 

[Toecutter]

Mine only runs at two bars below about 85 degrees ambient, three bars above. Stop, goes to four, fan kicks on until it gets back to three....

 

[madmike2]

Yeah...what Toecutter and 03HiYoSilver said. :blink:

Both of my Gen I FJRs have run at 2 bars only when the ambient temps are in the 70s. Once the outside temps raise to 80s my '05 runs at 3 bars, 4 bars (fan on) when stopped at signals, etc.

It sounds like your engine temps are normal.

Here's what made me worry...After gas it still was at 3 bars, I watched the newly reset tripmeter and it took .8 miles and one stoplight to get onto the interstate, the temp guage didnt drop back to 2 bars for NEARLY TEN MILES at 75-80 mph. I know this is worse than it used to be and can't be normal.I do not have a warm and fuzzy about this, the more traffic I ride the longer it takes to get back to 2 bars. Could this be a water pump issue?

Filling it with gas will not lower the temperature of the engine, it only modifies what heat is transferred through the tank to your seat area.

One thing you might want to check is any road splooge/dirt that is in the fins of the radiator. It's possible that dirt and road grime has collected in the fins and is hindering the time and ability of the cooling system to recover.

 

[wfooshee]

My '03 runs 2-3 bars in town. Normal.

It's not overheating till 6 bars or so, anyway.

 

[user 213]

Remember that the Gen Is have a different scale than the Gen IIs.

Sounds pretty normal. If you have a radiator guard I'd recommend you pull it off and clean the radiator out with the hose and spray nozzle.

 

[Wanderer]

Filling it with gas will not lower the temperature of the engine, it only modifies what heat is transferred through the tank to your seat area.
One thing you might want to check is any road splooge/dirt that is in the fins of the radiator. It's possible that dirt and road grime has collected in the fins and is hindering the time and ability of the cooling system to recover.

I wasnt assuming a full gas tank would make the bike cooler, I was referring to the 5 minutes or so that the bike was completely shut off and parked in the shade having not made any difference...but then the pump wouldn't be spinning either, so it wont cool...duh.

I have checked the radiator, no plastic cover, no dirt, no bent fins.

OK then, several people much more knowledegable than me and much less paranoid all say it's normal to run 3 bars on the highway with air temps hovering around 80, then I'll just cover the guage with tape and listen for the fan! :lol: just kidding. but I'll worry less.

Thanks for everyones input.

 

[biknflyfisher]

Not to worry - the bike's pretty smart. If it runs too hot, the cooling fans turn on to suck air through the radiator. My Gen II (2007) runs 4 bars normally, then goes up from there depending on traffic load an ambient air temp.

I saw 8 bars (yes U read that right) last summer climbing a very slow grade in Sequoia Nat Park behind slow traffic in 100 plus degree Calif temps. The fans kicked in like they are supposed to, and all was well.

I believe that as we are so passionate about our bikes, we perhaps worry a shade too much.

These bikes were engineered to be run, and run hard.

Fill with gas, ride, repeat.

biknflyfisher

Not to worry - the bike's pretty smart. If it runs too hot, the cooling fans turn on to suck air through the radiator. My Gen II (2007) runs 4 bars normally, then goes up from there depending on traffic load an ambient air temp.

I saw 8 bars (yes U read that right) last summer climbing a very slow grade in Sequoia Nat Park behind slow traffic in 100 plus degree Calif temps. The fans kicked in like they are supposed to, and all was well.

I believe that as we are so passionate about our bikes, we perhaps worry a shade too much.

These bikes were engineered to be run, and run hard.

Fill with gas, ride, repeat.

biknflyfisher

 

[C&C]

And also consider that your sending unit just may be a smidgen off, sending a slightly higher reading than actual; you now know what 'normal' is for your bike, if you see 'that' change, then it's time to explore the possibility of needed repair.

 

[03HiYoSilver]

Wanderer,

Here is a more detailed Temperature link that may shed some more light for you:

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?s...st&p=445846

 

[Hit the Road Jack]

From the '03-05 Bin O' Facts (Generation I)':

Fahrenheit: 1 bar 104-140, 2 bars 140-176, 3 bars 176-212, 4 bars 212-230, 5 bars 230-248, and 6 bars 248 and up.

(Gen I's have 6 bars)

There are 10 segments on the coolant temperature bar graph/display for Gen II FJR's.

 

[RB's]

While I don't doubt that for some 80 + degrees seems hot to them, in the last 2 months it has probably been near or over 100 degrees here in South Texas. I am sure there are many threads that are in the forum about it. I know for sure that Texan here on the forum has had a few.

Here is my experience when I ride to work.

Mornings the temp is about 78 to 80 to start. Usually I have two bars all the way to work on the highway and when I get on the access road by the highway and slow to 45 mph it goes to three until I park at work (1.5 miles along the access road).

Evenings when I am leaving and the temp is any where from 98 to 103, when I turn the key on (not even having started the bike mind you), there is already one bar showing on the temp gauge. By the time I get about 10 to 15 miles down the road (approx 15-20 minutes) it starts reading three bars steady. By the time I get near my neighborhood (6 to 8 miles more and two miles from the house) I can feel the heat from under the tank starting to heat my legs pronouncedly running at 30 mph. When I stop to grab the mail and leave the bike running it goes to 4 bars and the fan kicks in. I go up the street to the house and sometimes the fan will kick off and sometimes not.

At first I was worried about this since the bike is relatively new to me and the previous owner who had it for two years and only put about 1500 miles on it did not do much maintenance. Not even an oil change, which is the first thing I did after having it home on the third day. I still would like to do the coolant change, but have not taken the time and effort to do this yet. But after reading all the information here on the forum, mine seems about as normal as everyone else has with theirs. As long as the fan kicks in and it does not go above the forth bar, I think you are safe.

I have done the cromeit heat shield fix and put the insulation under the tank for help. I still feel the heat at 98 + degrees. I would like to do more with foam, but just have not found a good source to get the foam and the time to do it.

I still enjoy every opportunity I can get to ride. :yahoo:

I hope that you and everyone else does as well.

 

[Jer]

Probably nothing. I used to run around town at 3 bars consistently. One day I started running 4 bars for no particular reason. Hasn't changed since. I suspect I was on the cusp between 3 and 4 bars the whole time and age, both of the bike and the coolant, bumped it in to the next bar.
If it goes to 5 consistently, I'll start looking for a problem.

Just my 2 cents.

Mark

Mark, if you are riding an "07 then 4 bars would be normal. The gen II has more bars on it's temperature gage.

 

[NSrider]

As others have said that is normal for a GenI, my 08 is usually at 6 or 7 bars at speeds below 60mph and after a couple minutes at highway speed it drops back down to 4 bars.

 

[Big Sky]

My '03 almost always ran two bars, until its first tune-up, then ran three bars afterward when temps exceed 70-75 ambient. Only goes to four in hot stop-n-go traffic, then the fan comes on. Didn't worry then and still don't worry.