How hot is a Blackbird supposed to get?

[Alexhoc]

Now I know they run hot, but I'm a little worried about mine. It gets hot quickly in traffic, and feels hotter than the temp gauge says. I feel in on my legs mostly, after a bit of traffic riding I can't touch the frame with bare hands.

The fan kicks in, but I'm not sure how effective it is. I recently changed the rad for an ally one, I don't think I have an airlock, but what's the best way to be sure?

The bike overheated whilst on holiday too, with coolant boiling.

It's manageable, but I'd rather sort it!

 

[57grant]

Hi, The Fuel injected birds run very hot, its normal for them. The carb birds run much cooler. Some companies make uprated aftermarket radiators with a higher coolant capacity on e bay. That may help a little. Some on here have fitted them, they will be along with a comment soon!

Grant

 

[Rheumatoid]

Hi, The Fuel injected birds run very hot, its normal for them. The carb birds run much cooler. Some companies make uprated aftermarket radiators with a higher coolant capacity on e bay. That may help a little. Some on here have fitted them, they will be along with a comment soon!

Grant

Mine doesn't seem to run particularly hot. Is it the CAT versions that do for emissions?

 

[Alexhoc]

Is it expected that the frame is too hot to touch though?

It's a 99FI by the way.

 

[noobie]

It varies, the fi's seem to run a bit hotter and I think if you have the digi dash it's not unusual for them to show 100-102.

the water boiling out should of course be looked at but as you mentioned you changed the rad it's worth checking the level. The bird coolant level is a pig to check often leading to mostly over filling than under filling.

I tried so see the levels, used black perma marker on the min and max level lines on the outside of the bottle and still it was difficult to see, checked here and some suggested in a garage close the door and put a torch at the top in the hope you can see it, it still wasn't inspiring confidence. A few days later sure enough perfect normal running it spat out what I had overfilled.

I got around it by using a thin magnetic strip that are used on them big wipe boards and laying it against the outside of the expansion bottle then lining it up with the min and max marks and marking them and also marking where the strip was resting at the top of the bottle. I now have a consistent and accurate way of measuring the coolant level.

The magnetic strip is heavy enough to follow the contour of the inside of the bottle without bending and distorting.

 

[Alexhoc]

I think the levels are good, but as you said it's a pain to check. Would an over-full system stop the coolant from flowing properly?

I'm sure before i changed the rad the temp would climb in traffic, but as soon as the fan would kick in it would stay constant. Now it just keeps climbing until I move enough to give it good airflow, it feels very much like an air-cooled motor at the minute...

 

[DEG5Y]

I had been running my carby, up until 3 months ago, without the air scoop that directs the air flow to the oil cooler. Mine is wearing an inj top fairing. When I took it off to do the cooler pipes I fabricated the brackets to put the scoop in.
I'd ignored as normal the temp gauge pointing half way, 'as Birds run hot', but now it only reads about a quarter of the way up the scale. @tu*

 

[ianrobbo1]

As you know I've a 99, injection and although it runs "hot" not so that I cant touch the frame, you mention the system may be over filled, although that possibly wont make that much difference have you just "topped it up" using plain water, if so it could be that it needs some proper coolant in it, as this seems to not only keep the temperature at a slightly lower temperature but is also a rust inhibitor, I'd look at the ratio it's supposed to be at and check against what you've actually got going round the engine!! :dunno: is the fluid in the expansion tank clean, as occasionally rust or other contaminants can interfere with the circulation and cause the rise in temp!!:dunno:

 

[Alexhoc]

I have had to top it up with water as I'd found a little leak while out on the road... I might just flush the coolant out and refill, then see how it goes.

 

[noobie]

Just as a brain fart,

you mentioned the fan kicks in. Do you hear it kick in or see it kick in? I ask because some rads were not that great and on occasion the fan was making the motor noise but the cooling was not working. This tended to be the aftermarket rads and their mounts for the fan were mounted too close to the rad so it could not spin and work but the motor still sounded like it was working.

So, have you run it upto temp and seen the fan work?

Also are you having to top it up a lot?

 

[andyBeaker]

My Fi ran very hot, to the extent that if stuck in London traffic on a hot day i turned it off. Soon cooled down when moving though.

It's not ideal but you soon learn to live with it.

A fenda extenda helps keep the crap out of the radiator, it can only help.

I did think about going down the waterless coolant route but never got round to it. It also crossed my mind to remove the mechanical water pump and replace it with an electric unit but again never got round to it.

Overall too busy fixing the charging circuit to worry about temperature8rfl@

 

[Portugeezer42]

It's been very very hot

Hi, for what it's worth my bird got very very hot in Italy a couple of years back - saw 128 on the dash temperature read out.
BUT, that's because the rad was shot AND idiots at the garage where I get her serviced only topped her up with water (I know this as on the same trip my reg/rect died and lost all power, mentioned the heating issue and the garage in Italy told me it virtually only had water in the cooling system).
Birds do run hot, especially in town and in traffic.
Not being to touch the frame sounds wrong.

Flush your system completely, refill with coolant mix, run her to temp where the fan kicks in and actually see that it does...and that it actually brings the temp down.

Consider getting a new ally radiator and perhaps beafed up fan....also recommend a fenda extenda and radiator guard.

Good luck and hope you get it sorted.

 

[ianrobbo1]

If you find it's the rad thats shot you can go straight to Jaws MC spears!! and order one from there or maybe the bay of evil http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alumin-ra...606369?hash=item2a6b2aff21:g:d7oAAOSw-4BXcMor they are at a price it's not worth pissing about with trying to find an original for less than £400 quid!! :dunno:

 

[hatty64]

My 2000 digital clock model runs at 84-86 on open roads. In traffic quickly hots up to 104 ish and is regulated by the fan cutting in and out. Drops to about 96 when the fan cuts out.
I'm surprised by the fuel,consumption of it though. Two up run with luggage 80-100 plus a bit of commuting 45mpg.

 

[andyBeaker]

Don't be fooled into thing 'the cooler the better'. Cold air into the motor is better than hot air but in terms of running temperature the FI was designed by Brunel to run hot - Honda San knew what he was doing (Except the charging circuit8rfl@) in fairness the Bird wasn't designed for slow speed work in traffic. I regularly saw 120c + in traffic in summer but rarely felt the need to switch the motor off to prevent it boiling over.

Learn to live with it@tu*

Waterless coolant seems sensible for a commuter but it is expensive, although from memory it never needs to be changed.

As I said above an electric pump crossed my mind more than once; a simple enough fit with the ability to increase the flow either manually or automatically. Also adds about 0.379867 bhp by removing the mechanical drag of the stock pump.

 

[Heinekeninfectious]

I would drain the old coolant off, I refill with a 50/50 mix of water and coolant in all my bikes.

I have a 97 Carbed, it does go hot when you hit traffic but the fan kicks in and keeps it under control.

I have just purchased an Ally rad, they do fit and the fan also spins up. However it's a very snug fit when putting the fairing back on but it does go. The replacement rad also seems to be working fine, and was under a ?100 :yo:

My frame has never got so hot though to be unable to touch it with my bear hands. :dunno:

Hope you get it sorted @tu*

 

[andyBeaker]

My frame has never got so hot though to be unable to touch it with my bear hands*

Do you call them 'bear hands' just because they are big, or because they are hairy, or Both?

 

[Squag1]

Maybe new radiator cap??
Happened me on another bike.
Just out of the blue on day!!
Began to boil out.

 

[Alexhoc]

Sounds like I have a few things to check, I changed my original rad for a cheap aluminium one because my old one was caked in 40000 miles' worth of road crap, and at the same time I fitted a fender extender to avoid a repeat.

I'll get the coolant changed asap and report back, what's worrying me is how hot the frame gets, which could point to the radiator not actually being used?

The fan does kick in (I have seen it spinning) and the temperature gauge gives me a reading, but going by the frame temp I'm not sure if the reading is right. Is the temp gauge on the rad or on the engine?

 

[noobie]

Just a thought, you haven't bought a carby rad for an injection have you?

I ask as some of those being sold on ebay claim to cover the entire range of bird with the same one rad but carby and injection are different sizes.