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I was riding the other night and my bike boiled bad ('04 220). I've never had this happen till then, but a few things are different. I had been riding in this same area without trouble but it was much cooler, like 40-65 degrees. This time it was 80-90. I also had just rejetted my bike leaner, because I had it set up for 5000' and this area is around 9000'. I am always at 8000' or higher (sometimes 12,500') except in the winter.

The bike was running great, but on very low speed uphills with terrible traction it got a good boil going that emptied the recovery bottle and about 3 oz. out of the radiators.

Once I was able to get air going through the rads it stopped boiling, but I'd like to keep it from happening again. I know the rads are kinda small for high altitude, and the 220's run hot. I was wondering if anyone has tried a higher pressure radiator cap that the stock 1.1 atmosphere one. Or, Would that stress the system too much? Does water wetter really make any difference?

My radiators do not have guards on them, they do have the plastic vanes on the front, and I have rad braces installed.

I've considered installing a fan to my radiator; In fact I did once. Went through 4 of 'em before I realized the power source on a KDX is AC and I had DC fans. Ha!!

Anyway, a simple bridge rectifier solved that. However I never could take the time to figure out how to permenantly mount the fan to the radiator, so I let it drop for now.

Several bikes I've seen on the trails have fans. At least that's what I think I hear when they turn their bikes off and a whirring noise starts a few seconds later. KTM's to be specific. Their fans must be on a thermal coupled switch to do than and have a battery for power source. If I were to persue this again, I would either wire the fan for always on, or add a small toggle switch near the fan I could just reach down and flick on.

In any case, the 220 tends to run hotter than a 200 under almost any conditions. I use EVANS NPG+, a waterless coolant, and have not had boilover since. I removed my overflow tank in order to help increase airflow since it is mounted in such a bad location.

Check your local autoparts store for a cap made to work on a Mazda B2600i Pickup truck, 1994. My son's truck cap fits my KDX perfect but it is a .9; the wrong direction from the 1.1 of the stock Kawasaki cap. I bet the Mazada cap comes is various ratings though.

re: waterless

Does that mean you need a special tool to measure the level of it in the rads? I mean...you can't see the level if it's waterless, right?...so how do you know 'where' it is?

skipro3 wrote:I've considered installing a fan to my radiator; In fact I did once. Went through 4 of 'em before I realized the power source on a KDX is AC and I had DC fans. Ha!!

Anyway, a simple bridge rectifier solved that. However I never could take the time to figure out how to permenantly mount the fan to the radiator, so I let it drop for now.

Several bikes I've seen on the trails have fans. At least that's what I think I hear when they turn their bikes off and a whirring noise starts a few seconds later. KTM's to be specific. Their fans must be on a thermal coupled switch to do than and have a battery for power source. If I were to persue this again, I would either wire the fan for always on, or add a small toggle switch near the fan I could just reach down and flick on.

KTM's (and several other e-start bikes) have a threaded bung at the bottom of one of the radiators that you can install a thermo-switch in to automagically turn on and off the fans. They work pretty darn well. You can just zip ty the fan to the radiator, it won't hurt anything.

-Maurice

Hmm,, you guys got me thinking about wiring in a couple PC fans and a cordless drill battery. Might be cleaner to use Evans though. how much does that stuff cost for a gallon? Any Idea what would happen if you added water to it, say like if you crunch a radiator and have to limp back by adding water from your camelback? not that that ever happens...

Water Wetter does help added to your coolant.

If you can Find RC-20 (similar product to water wetter) get and use that with distilled water only. It was at least 30 degree cooler in my shifter kart vs the water and water wetter only.

RC-20 is used in alot of Road Racing motorcycles and shifter kart applications. Any decent kart shop can get it for you. If you can't find it let me know I can hook you up with a few online kart shops that carry it.

Mine runs hot too here in south FLA. I haven't boiled it yet. I added a little water wetter to the glycol coolant and it helped a little but it's still hot. The RC-20 is going in with the new top end shortly.

http://www.rscycles.com/product_pages/c ... micals.htm


Info AND online ordering for RC-20.

canyncarvr wrote:re: waterless

Does that mean you need a special tool to measure the level of it in the rads? I mean...you can't see the level if it's waterless, right?...so how do you know 'where' it is?

There ya go, shining like a dim bulb again!

Don't confuse waterless with liquid. The coolant is a liquid, just like oil is a liquid or fuel is a liquid. But it is waterless; again like oil and fuel are waterless. (or should be anyway) You don't need a special tool to see how much fuel you have in your tank now do you? Well, now do you, punk?
(Joking of course you know that!)

Mike:
Check out EVANS' web site. Their coolant requres you have not more than 5% water in with it or it won't work any better than water alone, I think. I drained my bike using a wet/dry vac. If I did need to add cooant while on the trail that is aquias, then once back in the garage, I would have to drain and refill again. It's about 25 bucks a gallon so 1 gallon works for about 4 refills or 4 bikes.

Good call: using a cordless drill battery. I see some sort of plug on my rads, maybe it would be possible to add a thermo switch to that? Some PC fans have the thermoswitch built right in.

I remember some KX rider mentioning a higher pressure cap. I can't remember anything else on it, though.

Here is a link to an article about mounting a fan to a n XR650. http://www.4strokes.com/tech/honda/brpfan.pdf

skipro3 wrote:Good call: using a cordless drill battery. I see some sort of plug on my rads, maybe it would be possible to add a thermo switch to that? Some PC fans have the thermoswitch built right in.

The only advantage to having a battery would be running the fan while the bike was not running (not a bad thing mind you). Without a battery a bridge rectifier like you mentioned would do the trick. If you were going to mess with a battery I'd do it right and spend the $40 for a good sealed motorcycle regulator/recifier (replace the existing regulator) and do it right. Any radiator shop should be able to install a threaded bung at the bottom of the radiator for a thermoswitch. Wire it up and away you go. You'd get DC lights out of the deal as well if you were so inclined. An aftermarket lighting coil would be a requirement. But everybody should have one of those anyway...

-Maurice

Re: Liquid, water, measuring and all...

I was just trolling there, buddy.

...can't believe you bit!

..and I DO need a special tool to see how much fuel I have left in the tank! I need to drain it into my specially metered fuel container so I can see how much I have. I mean, had.

BTW...don't need no bridge rectumfriar. ...a couple of diodes and a cap would do it. Get fancy and make yourself an SCR circuit. ..howzabout an LM317? 4-40V input, 3A output. YeeHAW!

Not related I'm sure...but last time I tried to hook up a cooling fan for my Proton 1200 power amp, I blew the thing up! 1500W into 1ohm = lotsa current!! Big POW!

rectumfriar...that's funny!

My rad actually has a temperature sender in it already. It only activates a high temp light on the speedo panel though.

You can't belive I bit?!! Well, you ARE a dim bulb! Ha!

Trev, that Aussie bike keeps popping up with all sorts of do-dads; Post a photo of the sensor and it's mount. I wonder what that would cost, the sensor, shipped to California? It wouldn't be hard to wire it to a fan instead of a light. Say, does you're bike have a battery too?

(Just spent two days on my boat. Man the whole world is slowly rocking back and forth. Feels like I'm drunk!! I'm certainly typing like that! I need my land legs back!!!)

Re do-dad photo: Gimme a few hours and I'll post one up. If I can finded da damn do-dad, dat is.

Re postage: If I can plug up where it connects to the radiator with a bung / plug / bolt, etc I'll chuck it in a tiny box and see how much they'll want to post it over. No sweat. It shouldn't be much its only a small unit. I'll check how it mounts when I snap some pics for you.

Re battery: Nope, no battery here...

Re boat: Did ya do any drinkin', I mean fishin' ??

KAY DEE EXER, check on buykawasaki.com under "DAD,DO-". You will find it.

BTW...my 'full wave bridge comment' is all wet. Actually pencilled it out last night and realized I was wrong.

I'll post the schiz if anyone is interested. I wouldn't think it will help at all anyway. Yeah...you could get a fan to run, but getting the fan to move enough air to make any difference??...I doubt it.

Basically, hookup a full-wave bridge, lighting coil hot on one side, frame ground on the other, capacitance between the two bridge outputs, fan hooked to the same. Fan will not have a ground (not attached to the frame nowhere) but will be 'floating'.

It would have to be a 5V fan...

canyncarvr wrote: ...Basically, hookup a full-wave bridge, lighting coil hot on one side, frame ground on the other, capacitance between the two bridge outputs...

... was the day I invented time travel. I remember it vividly. I was standing on the edge of my toilet hanging a clock, the porcelain was wet, I slipped, hit my head on the edge of the sink. And when I came to, I had a revelation, a picture, a picture in my head, a picture of this.

This is what makes time travel possible. THE FLUX CAPACITOR.

Thats funny Wibbens!

Could be the start of a good thread. "How many giga watts does it take to loft the front wheel"

Can one of those Flux Capacitor Temperature Sending Units be installed inline in a coolant hose somewhere with the necessary fittings?