Hey Guys, need your expertise and knowledge, temp issues...

I just purchased a new '08 Interceptor which was a holdover model due to the new 2010 Interceptors that came out. Bike is brand new, picked it up with only 2 miles on it. I done some research and discovered that there were previous issues with high temperatures regarding R/R and stator issues but found a thread which stated recalls letters were sent out finally due to those issues and rectified with new harnesses. With that in mind, I took my bike out for a few rides just to get more familiar with it. I noticed the temp would increase in stop and go traffic. Once it went all the way to 223 degrees before the fan kicked in. My question is... is this normal operation? What will happen when summer gets here? I live in Texas and it tends to get pretty hot here. Don't wanna fry anything. Words of experience and wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

 

The fan should kick in at 220 degrees but that sounds normal to me. I've had my bike in Hawaii and Tennessee (both places get relatively hot...especially TN in the summer) and in stop and go traffic my 04 constantly hangs out at 220 and about 180 on the interstate. These bikes just run hot. There are numerous threads on this site about how hot the vfr's run. Welcome aboard!:cheersaf:

 

Thanks. Appreciate the info.

 

Sounds normal to me. Mine kicks on right at 223F as well. Its a know fact that these bikes run hot and it probably has a lot to do with the radiators being placed how they are. Since they aren't out in front like most bikes, they don't always have a ton of fresh air flowing to them and don't cool as well as say a CBR or R6. There is not much you can do about it other than deal with it unless you want to get into some custom stuff. I'm not going to worry about my temp till I see 230F.

The owners manual says that the warning light will not come on until 250F at which time the black bar under the coolant temp will turn red and the coolent temp indicator light turns on.

If you are seeing a lot of those higher temps (200+), I would suggest making sure that you have fresh coolant and you use a higher quality synthetic oil (Motul, Amsoil, Red Line) and perhaps even consider some water wetter or engine ice to add to the coolant.

 

Congrats on the new Interceptor! That is good question on the temp problem, had the same concern myself with new 07. My VFR did the exact same as yours, ran up over 220 in stop/go traffic and fan starts about 223. Even now in the winter, still gets up to 220 on 50 degree days when in traffic. Worst though was hitting 230 temp on 95 degree day riding in high desert, no traffic, riding hard in twisties. Will be switching to engine ice this summer.

 

In all honesty when I lived in Hawaii I ran water wetter and didn't notice a difference in the temp my bike was running...I guess it's all about the illusion of running cooler.

 

Depending on ambient air tempperature, I noticed a 4-6 degree drop in average operating temperatures on the highway with Water Wetter. Nothing major, obviously not going to fix an overheating problem but it does work.

 

So which product works better, EngineIce or Water Wetter? Anyone tried both? Or more importantly, is either really necessary? I'm planning trip for this summer on VFR through all south Utah National Parks, southwest Colorado, and then New Mexico and Arizona. Likely to have some very hot days on sun-baked blacktop. Which would be better to use?

 

Your cooling system from the factory is normally filled with a 50/50 mixture of water and ethylene glycol (antifreeze) which is in a pressurized cooling system of about 15 psi. This combination will not boil until about 268 degrees fahrenheit nor will it freeze until about –35 degrees fahrenheit.
With a 70/30 mix of water and ethylene glycol (anti freeze), not typically a factory mix, the boiling point is raised to about 280 degrees fahrenheit and the freezing point is about –67 degrees fahrenheit.
Water alone boils at sea level at 212 degrees fahrenheit. I assume this is your cause for concern. Pressureized to 15 psi in a typical vehicle cooling system the boiling point of water is raised to about 230 degrees fahrenheit.
Based on the above your system is well within the norm.
Whatever combinations of water and “chemicals” you choose there is factual information available from which you can base your decision of which mixtures to choose based on your needs.

Hope this helps to calm your concerns.

Years ago vehicles had direct reading temperature (and other) gauges. In the 60’s they started to use so called “idiot lights” which illuminated only when normal limits were exceeded. Today more and more vehicles are equipped with direct reading informative gauges. I wonder what we should call them.

 

Thanks so much for the info guys. In the future I may try the Engine Ice or the Water Wetter to see if it gives me a few degrees of advantage for the summer rides.

 

When i first got my viffer the fans were almost always on in the summer or while sitting at light, nowadays (since the last coolant service) it hasn't got past 200 at its hottest point, most of the time it sits around 174-178 while cruising. I don't run any coolant anymore, its just plain water and a bottle of Redline Water Wetter. I haven't heard the fan come on since June of last year lol.

 

I had the same question a couple of weeks ago as I picked up an '07. I live in AZ and it does get rather toasty down here. Last weeks temperatures were in the 113-115F range in Phoenix. I do most of my riding in the a.m. hours when it's relatively cool, e.g. 86-90F. I notice coolant temps of anywhere from 180-190F at freeway speeds. But, for sure, when you stop for a light or such, the temp soars quickly to 200-220F. Best advise, in the summer, keep moving.

 

Both work good WITHOUT antifreeze. Any extra heat extracted by WW/ICE will be adsorbed and held by the glycol. If your cooling system can't cool the extra heat then your engine will run a little hotter yet. I've had this happen. Called WW tech and that's what they told me. Drained and used just water w/rust inhibitors and WW. My engine temps dropped 5-10 degrees overall from where I originally started.

Yes it says it can be used with antifreeze. Doesn't say it will cool better though.

 

I was out riding today. 91 degree air temp. bike stayed at 178 to 184 at a constant 70mph. I have 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water. The coolant that was in when i bought the bike with 5k miles looked like straight antifreeze. in traffic the bike does get hot and the fan will come on if I am in stop and go traffic for more than 5 minutes and under 25mph.

Good things to practice on hot days when dealing with slow traffic is to short shift and do not engine brake to come to stops.