Stu Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 I have one of the Chinese rads on mine and it runs spot on! The temp holds just the same as the stock rad Quote
Fozzie Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 I have one of the Chinese rads on mine and it runs spot on! The temp holds just the same as the stock rad Ideally that's how it should be, but it's like the chinese cheap brake discs.Some people rave about them, others say they warp inside 5000 miles. Chinese kit is very hit and miss stuff, or in the case of most of their bikes, a solid miss Quote
Stu Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 I know a fair few of these rads fitted and I don't know of anyone with trouble yet! Quote
Guest Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 Wonder if it's because it's a big ol' powerful thou that would normally run at 100 degress anyway?? A slightly less efficient rad may make it run a couple of degrees hotter? Perhaps the grills for the water exchange are ever so slightly smaller than stock, maybe an R6 wouldn't have an issue for example as it's a smaller engine and runs slightly cooler...??Today I noticed it wasn't going above 113 but still... seems to have a mind of it's own!FWIW - the mechanic that fitted my headstock bearings said usually the Chinese rads are OK. But he also said mine had corrosion... would probably last a year. Quote
Fozzie Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 I know a fair few of these rads fitted and I don't know of anyone with trouble yet! Mostly they're ok, but on a high end bike like an R1 I wonder if it's more sensitive to changes. The more highly strung, the bigger the effect a small change has.A lot of people have no problems, others have some. A colleague has one on his SV, and he said it runs hotter but is still within acceptable levels. So not a problem, but a difference.It overheats when sat still, which is what mine was doing. It was good enough to keep the bike cool on the move but when stopped on a warm day the coolant reservoir would boil as the rads heat dissipation wasn't good enough. Easiest way to tell is see if he can score a cheap OEM rad on ebay, and swap it to see what happens.If the thermostat was bust it sounds like it would be stuck closed, as if it was open it would take forever to heat up and then it would keep on heating up. They are usually cheap components so might be worth changing that. Quote
Guest Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 I know a fair few of these rads fitted and I don't know of anyone with trouble yet! Mostly they're ok, but on a high end bike like an R1 I wonder if it's more sensitive to changes. The more highly strung, the bigger the effect a small change has.A lot of people have no problems, others have some. A colleague has one on his SV, and he said it runs hotter but is still within acceptable levels. So not a problem, but a difference.It overheats when sat still, which is what mine was doing. It was good enough to keep the bike cool on the move but when stopped on a warm day the coolant reservoir would boil as the rads heat dissipation wasn't good enough. Easiest way to tell is see if he can score a cheap OEM rad on ebay, and swap it to see what happens.If the thermostat was bust it sounds like it would be stuck closed, as if it was open it would take forever to heat up and then it would keep on heating up. They are usually cheap components so might be worth changing that.I think this is the most logical explanation to be honest...As Stu said, sensors rarely fail and if they did, I'd get an error code.As for the stat, modern ones are manufactured to fail in an open pos no? So being stuck closed is also unlikely I guess...There was no damage to the bike around the water pump area so I guess that would be a bit bizarre as well.No chance of a cheap OEM though mate... £400 new or £150 used Quote
Guest Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 Just had an idea...A manual fan switch on the dash! I only really need the engine to be cooler during commuting hours... so maybe that's an alternative solution?!How would one wire this so it doesn't interfere with normal operation?? Quote
Fozzie Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 Oosh, and it's never 100% that's what it is until you try it.Do you have any pics of the chinese rad, so I can compare to the OEM one? I'll be able to better judge what's going on.So long as the temp is bouncing up and down and not at random it looks more likely to be the rad.The thermostat is designed to fail in an open position, however a sharp jolt like a sudden deceleration and tumble could change this. You can always get it out, pop it in a clear bowl of water, look at it's state, then heat the water to boiling and it should spring open. Eliminates that at least, providing its not a total pig to reach! Quote
Fozzie Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 Just had an idea...A manual fan switch on the dash! I only really need the engine to be cooler during commuting hours... so maybe that's an alternative solution?!How would one wire this so it doesn't interfere with normal operation?? Bit of a pain to do but possible, you'd have to run a power supply from the battery to the fan power line, activated by a relay connected to a side light (so it only runs when ignition is on).One idea I have is flush the system and put "engine ice" in there. An American product but it really works. They use it in 30+ degrees places like California/Texas etc Quote
Guest Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 I have a relay that is set up on an ignition line for 3 USB chargers & heated grips. I could pop it on this circuit... just run a live to from a switch to either, or both fans?I have a photo on my other phone but you would think it's identical to OEM.*EDIT* it's ok - found out... needs to be wired through the fan motor switch (using the relay circuit I have). That's now my job for Saturday!! Quote
Stu Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 add another 300 cc to that bike and your in the same league as my bike I know of at least 6 of these fjr's that run these rads with no problems The fjr is well known to run very hot due to the size of the engine and limited airflow So saying it's because it's a highly tuned 1000 is crap! Once I hit traffic the fan on my bike is pretty much on constantly even with the stock rad Quote
Guest Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 Once I hit traffic the fan on my bike is pretty much on constantly even with the stock radYes, same as mine was with OEM.What fozzball was saying, and I think it's totally plausible, is that a slight inefficiency (corrosion perhaps!) could be the difference between going down at 109 degrees and 117 degrees... I think a manual fan switch is the way to go with this rad... that way when I see I'll be filtering for a while, I can just stick it on and keep the engine sub 100 degrees hopefully... Quote
Stu Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 if you fan kicks in and cools it down then you dont have a problem if it doesnt cool down you have a problem somewhere as I say I would give it all a good flush and replace the stat stats can fail in all sorts of ways and they dont always stick open you could have a lazy stat that is slow to respond which would cause it to run hot then cold then hot again! when you get some time strip it down and change the stat and flush it then add a 50/50 mix of coolant also remove the rad and give it a good look over make sure its not clogged or bent fins also check the inlets and out lets make sure they arent restricted in any way Quote
Guest Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 I really don't think that will help Stu... I've flushed it twice and use a 50/50 mix. That didn't help.The Stat is a bugger to remove and to make it worse - I can't even find the part, think it may need to come with the housing as well, maybe built in!? I think expecting an aftermarket, inferior product to work exactly the same as OEM is my problem and a quick google search shows others have had similar issues with a hotter running engine. I'll go with a manual fan switch to ensure a healthy engine for now, and in the meantime I'll keep an eye on the bay for a OEM rad. I reckon that's most probable... Quote
Stu Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 have you got your old rad? and how badly damaged is it? there is plenty of companies that can make you a rad that will be just as good if not better than the stock one it will cost you around £300 what year is your bike? 08? Quote
Stu Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 stat for an 08 https://www.yamahamotorcyclespares.co.u ... STAT&uid=0not cheap!! part number 5LP-12411-00 Quote
Guest Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 Old rad is well and truly gone... being recycled somewhere lol.There was no coming back from this; Thanks for the research on the stat....£2 for a switch To be honest, it's fine when it's moving... it's just in traffic. If I can install a switch for a couple of quid that helps keep the engine cool, that's what I'd rather do at the moment than to fork out for expensive parts. Probably a good thing to have anyway... Quote
eastanglianbiker Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 all i done when i put a switch in line for the fan on my fzr 1000 was take both wires off the rad switch and plug them onto the rear of a normall toggle switch so you are just bypassing the fan switch and you can turn it on and off as and when you please my bike was fine like that for over 5 years Quote
Guest Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 all i done when i put a switch in line for the fan on my fzr 1000 was take both wires off the rad switch and plug them onto the rear of a normall toggle switch so you are just bypassing the fan switch and you can turn it on and off as and when you please my bike was fine like that for over 5 yearsYeah - I'm going to wire the switch in-line to the temp fan switch in order to retain the ECU input. Cheers. Quote
Stu Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 buy this and get it repaired http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-YAMAH ... 419a3475d8 easy repair is that Quote
RantMachine Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 Is there any one really reputable supplier of new/used spares for Yamaha? I know there's Motorworks for BMW stuff or David Silver for Honda stuff, but I don't really know about the other brands Quote
RantMachine Posted August 26, 2015 Posted August 26, 2015 Just don't get it delivered to your home! Quote
Guest Posted September 9, 2015 Posted September 9, 2015 Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the winner is...............................Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-ango! or you've got an airlock in the water jacket...... I decided after it was getting serious (120 degrees after 20s of being at the lights) to bleed the system of air since that would be logical to the dips in temps... turns out I didn't do this before. Schoolboy error!!Anyhow, gave it an extra 1L of coolant and seems to be every bit as good as OEM now. Think I'll still put a manual fan switch on... figure it's good for the cold days! Quote
Fozzie Posted September 9, 2015 Posted September 9, 2015 Glad it was simple, it's always brilliant when it's the cheap thing That rad maybe Chinese but it would be very bad luck to get a naff one. Hopefully that's the last we hear of it being an issue. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.