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Gen 3 FJR - How Hot is too Hot?

8K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  wkndwanderer 
#1 ·
120 Degrees in Phoenix - getting kind of warm around these parts.

Still riding my '16 FJR to work each day. Though the bike doesn't burn me like my previous '05 did, the bike still gets kind of warm, especially sitting at the occasional red light.

So I watch my bikes temp rise quickly at these lights, getting up to about 220 degrees or so, until I get the green light and zoom off.

My question is, at what temp do you guys get concerned about too high heat? Is there a temp that is too high, or an amount of time the bike stays hot that you guys would be concerned about overheating?
 
#3 · (Edited)
I have a 2013 model & it reaches the 220 - 222 range at long red lights in this 95+ heat in NC. Never any problems. Fan kicks on in that range and starts bringing the temperature back down. She has about 17k miles and still on initial coolant from purchasing new. Need to do a good drain & flush this winter since it was supposed to be done at the 2 year point per the manual.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I have a 2013 model & it reaches the 220 - 222 range at long red lights in this 95+ heat in NC. Never any problems....
Thanks. Good to know. I just watch these numbers climb and climb... and am wondering at what point should I just pull over and shut the bike down...

I would hate to find out later someone says... "Yo... you should have never gone above XXX temp... that is just bad..."
 
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#8 ·
Depending on where I am. I like to let the fan run a few minutes then start it back up so the coolant in the radiator gets circulated back into the engine.
Haven't ridden the FJR in the heat yet; but my Kawa would drop 20-30 degrees.

Scott
 
#9 ·
I looked through my 15ES service manual to try to see whether or not the FJR sensors will kill the motor in the event head temperatures exceed a certain threshold. I was unable to find anything in the manual that indicated that the FJR has this feature. I know the HD bikes all do, even the newer liquid cooled versions.

There are sensors all over the FJR monitoring all kinds of temperatures. Head temps, oil temps, coolant temps, etc. You can bet that if coolant is 225 degrees, the head and oil temps are a lot hotter than that...but that's not necessarily a bad thing either. Remember the oil needs to get to at least 212 degrees to boil-off condensed moisture found within the oil itself.

The important thing, especially if you find yourself in traffic snarls and high temp scenarios quite frequently, is to run a true synthetic oil that is designed and tested to withstand the higher temps...those temps approaching 250 and above. HDs can run up to and over 300 degrees with no damage to the engine as long as the viscosity properties of the engine oil do not become compromised by repeated heat cycles.

Maybe someone will come in and let us know if the FJR has any self-protecting shut-down features related to engine temps. I will keep researching this myself as well.
 
#10 · (Edited)
.....The important thing, especially if you find yourself in traffic snarls and high temp scenarios quite frequently, is to run a true synthetic oil that is designed and tested to withstand the higher temps...those temps approaching 250 and above...
Good info, thank you. High pressure system over Arizona shows record high temps around 120F, predicted for like... forever.

Do you have an synthetic oil brand recommendation?
 
#12 ·
A 50-50 coolant should go around 240 before it starts to boil (somebody will know the technically correct temp), as long as the rad cap is still on (15 psi). IF it boils, it will puke coolant into the overflow reservoir and out the overflow hose. Likely won't happen. IF it happens, ride. Get air going through the rad. The fans should take care of it, but on a 100 degree day, you want to be moving more air. Or, if it was me, I'd be riding in an AC equipped vehicle. You gotta be nuts to ride in 100 or more.
 
#15 ·
Just a Safety Sam note: Be extra careful commuting to work on a motorcycle Scott. Lots of owners do it, but that does not make it any less dangerous. Cagers are especially distracted and drowsy in the mornings, all of the teenagers and most women are on cell phones (who the heck are they talking to?) and in the evening on the way home are tired, short on patience, and are again on cell phones doing who knows what while totally distracted.

Drive like you are invisible and stay out of their way!
 
#18 ·
not to worry. the cooling system in the bike is designed to "boil" at about 280 degrees. this is accomplished by pressure and using a coolant other than water. the pressure in the system is about 15 psi. 1 psi raises the boiling point of water by 3 degrees. so with a 15 psi coolant system pressure the boiling point of water would be raised by 45 degrees. so 212 degree boiling point becomes 257 degrees. add glycol and the biling point is raised further. in your area you should be using 20W40 oil. make sure it is a high quality synthetic. i really like Mobil 1. also to releave some engine heat i believe you can open the louvers on the tupperware.
 
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