A question about cooling systems and VV heat

[Kim]

That is a line to advertise the sale of the new voyager of course there not going to elude to the fact that the prior bikes have a heat problem. That would make them liable don't you think.

[big worm]

the kams kit was desigend to adress a rider comfort issue... not an engine overheating issue... for a little perspective on this take your car out on a hot day then when the engine is good and hot stop in a parking lot open the hood and sit on it... bet its gonna be pretty warm !!!!! well that is basicaly what you are doing on a 1700 you are straddling a 1.7L engine and expecting it to be cold....now if there was a overheating issue ie: the coolant boils over, then i am sure kawasaki would adress the issue !

[Bubba in TX]

flatop I like your idea and will do the same.

I have had the Baker wings on other scoots but what they did for the Voyager is overkill I think.

Plus it is more than I would spend......

[Scott_in_TX]

Originally Posted by big worm

the kams kit was desigend to adress a rider comfort issue... not an engine overheating issue... for a little perspective on this take your car out on a hot day then when the engine is good and hot stop in a parking lot open the hood and sit on it... bet its gonna be pretty warm !!!!! well that is basicaly what you are doing on a 1700 you are straddling a 1.7L engine and expecting it to be cold....now if there was a overheating issue ie: the coolant boils over, then i am sure kawasaki would adress the issue !

I agree...in principle.

A 1700 is going to be hot.

I think the smaller radiator and the fact that only the top 1/3rd of the cylinders are liquid cooled result in MARGINAL cooling performance.
This is how the bike was engineered and it is operating as designed.

In hot climates the stock set-up flirts with running too hot for some peoples preferences. (and close to the red line on the gauge too)
Pipes, breathers, fuel controllers, 70/30 mixes, additives and other tricks can bring the temps down (a bit) to a level that doesn't approach "too hot".

If Kawasaki thought the bikes were running in a manner they believed would cost them in warranty claims they would fix any issues.

But the warranty is only 3 yrs. What if I want to ride mine for 10? Running cooler can help prevent wear.

Scott

[tjhfwtx]

I wish there was an "easy" way to know what kind of engine temps are being experienced by other big-bore water-cooled bikes, like say the Yamaha Venture, and by other big-bore air only bikes, like the Yamaha Road star, or some of the Harleys. I know that a good friend of mine who has a big Harley says that his performance suffers when it is really hot outside, but I wonder what the actual NUMBERS are for cylinder temps on any of these bikes. I think the Kawasaki gauge on these Voyagers is a BAD design, and is causing a lot of concern, but we do not have exact temperature numbers for comparison.
Tom

[Oldturer]

My dealer had a product from France..called Mo Cool made by Motul. It runs my VV within the first half of the dial. In the hottest summer, it goes a bit over. I have my pipes wrapped and sprayed all the way to the mufflers. With these two changes, I'm able to ride with decent comfort in TN in July/Aug.

The website for the product is: www.motul.com

[Bubba in TX]

Did not see Mo Cool but did see Motocool.

I know people that use their oil and swear by it, but they all have air cooled engines rip roaring dirt bikes. I would assume the coolant isn't bad either. And Ebay has both of them......

[Dozrtravlin]

Thanks for all your input, I've been away for the festive season but managed to get a few miles in once I put the new cooling fluid in the bike. I bleed it according to Kawa and then went back a fed. More times to check for air bubbles.

End result in our 35 deg Celsius temps here over summer it runs cloe to or on the 5 th white mark. At around 29 c or below it sits on the 4th white mark moving with the thermostat. In cold weather it doesn't always get to the 4th mark. The Kams kit works a treat so I suppose I'm happy. But can't shake the feeling it shouldn't be like this.

Thanks again for th input

[twowheeladdict]

Originally Posted by tjhfwtx

I wish there was an "easy" way to know what kind of engine temps are being experienced by other big-bore water-cooled bikes, like say the Yamaha Venture, and by other big-bore air only bikes, like the Yamaha Road star, or some of the Harleys. I know that a good friend of mine who has a big Harley says that his performance suffers when it is really hot outside, but I wonder what the actual NUMBERS are for cylinder temps on any of these bikes. I think the Kawasaki gauge on these Voyagers is a BAD design, and is causing a lot of concern, but we do not have exact temperature numbers for comparison.
Tom

All I know is that my friends who own Ventures and Harleys complain about the heat off the engine.

Many of the riders of full fairing sport bikes who refuse to wear full leathers complain about the heat off the engines.

My naked 1600 Mean Streak gets very very hot on my upper thighs when caught at a long light. Of course, once I get moving again there is enough air flow on the naked bike to move that heat away from me.

Kawasaki had to redesign the fairings on the Concours to move the heat away from the rider. Don't put your legs out where the vents are or you will feel that heat.

There are many who complain about heat on all the big bikes. The more wind protection the more complaints. At least Kawasaki addressed it with the KAMS kit.

BTW: they even installed the KAMS kit on the new Ninja 300. Don't want to scare off the new riders who might move on to larger displacement bikes.

[truckie]

My bike sits on or near about the second mark or just over traveling at 100kph at 30C degrees ambient temperature,about half way or a needle width in stop and go traffic