Question/poll: VFR750 temp gauge reading cold in winter- what's yours say?

Hey all. '95 VFR750 owner here with a temp gauge question, or poll if you will. I'm heading into my first winter riding season with her and now that the temps are in the 30's my bike doesn't seem to get up to "normal" temps, well according to the gauge anyway. I commute 30 miles mostly freeway and the gauge barely hits the C mark at best. Summer months it read in the normal range. I understand its sort of an arbitrary gauge reading since there's no actual number reading but I still want to be sure its getting hot enough while riding in winter. Last night after my commute home I used my infrared thermometer and shot into the oil fill plug hole- the temp reading on the clutch hub was about 155* Which seems low to me... I also understand it could be a sticky thermostat, but want some feedback before I roll her onto the lift and get into all that.

Wondering what the rest of you are experiencing in similar weather conditions?

Thanks in advance. -JD

 

It's not at all unusual to need to block the radiator a bit and tape over the oil cooler to get anywhere near optimum operating temp in cold weather.

Try sliding a cardboard cover that blocks about 1/4 of the radiator under the screen.

 

When I first got the bike, mine ran cold. Replaced with Gen Honda T-stat--still ran cold.

That's kinda how they roll.

I blame the NACA ducts.

 

Mine runs cold, only heats up if I get stuck in traffic.

 

Mine runs cold as well. I was also thinking of changing the t-stat. Seeing how it doesn't change anything, I guess I won't.

It looks like Squirrelman has the right answer, after all. Unless you want to go :crazy: and build a controllable shutter system.

 

IIRC these are double-action thermostats with two plunger rods, so twice as much chance to fail as a single rod unit, and twice as expensive to replace, plus a hassle to access and remove. Definitely a FUBAR design.

So in my troubleshooting and testing i've used strips of duct tape across the radiator to regulate temperature and increase fuel economy in the process--had to cover nearly 3/4 just to get it up to normal operating temps in all but the hottest part of summer. Squirrel's idea of cardboard sheet may be easier to test and adjust quickly--wish i had thought of that before i stickified everything with that dam tape...

 

Thanks for the insights everyone. Sounds like the way to go is a simple shield on the radiator vs. tearing into the bike to get to the t stat! Plus I don't relish the idea of doing all that work just to have it not make much of a difference. Maybe if I got the bike apart for something else I'll go ahead and swap it.

Do I even want to know what t stats for these things cost?

 

Ah ok. I'll check with bike bandit and maybe grab one to have on hand. Are there any aftermarket upgraded ones? If I do it I only wanna do it once!

 

I had a lousy Kawasaki that I taped up the cardboard to for the winter and it still ran like shite. The trucks up North would do that too!

My VFR was a winter inhabitant for 5 years up North and when I would go oot in the winter, the fan would never come on, no matter how hard, fast, slow you rode it.

That is ions ago, I have gotten softer and would not tolerate that miserable weather on two wheels. Cardboard is cheap, nothing to lose, happy riding...

 

My 4G has ALWAYS seemed to run 'cold' and registers only slightly above 'C', except in traffic when it's above 75 degrees or so. When this happens, the fan kicks on when the gauge gets to about 2/3-3/4. After some airflow to the radiator, it resumes it's 'slightly above C' setting.

 

Not so much if it's inside a plastic bag.

The bike normally runs cold in cold temps unless the rad is partially shielded. Try 3" strips at each side of radiator, but leave open at least 5" in the middle so the fan can work if needed.

Vary the area of the radiator block you need to run proper temp, say 185-190F. in whatever ambient you have. Northern motorists know this instinctively, and in Canada, it's taught in pre-K.

 

Ended up putting a cover on the oil cooler and using a piece of aluminum flashing to cover a 1/3 of the radiator. She now registers in the low side of the normal range when riding casually and mid normal when pushing her a bit.

FYI I bought the 5"x7" flashing from Home Depot in the roofing section for $2.77 and you get ten pieces in the package. Had to trim a bit to fit but works great and no worries when it gets wet.

 

So pulling the side fairing, carbs, draining coolant and pulling apart thermostat housing is as easy as slipping a piece of sheet aluminum over the radiator? Moreover, based on what other riders have said, replacing thermo might possibly not have any affect anyway?..

Sorry, don't see your logic, but thanks for chiming in!