Why is my Triumph getting so bloody hot?
Discussion
Simple question, not so simple answer I suspect.
When I first got my Tiger 1050, the temperature gauge sat firmly at 4/10 occasionally climbing to 5/10.
As the bike aged and the mileage increased the base line crept up to 5/10, with 6/10 becoming the new high.
Now, over the last week, 6/10 appears to be the new norm with 7/10 and now, one day during the week in standing traffic, 8/10 occurring regularly.
I appreciate this past week has been hotter than the surface of the sun, but the increase on the gauge has been disproportionate.
The oil isn't creamy, the coolant isn't smokey...thermostat works, water pump is pumping, the rad isn't blocked.....the bike just seems to be hotter. It's like the process of combustion itself is creating more heat. Within a couple of minutes of starting I can feel it belching from every orifice and gap.
What's going on?
When I first got my Tiger 1050, the temperature gauge sat firmly at 4/10 occasionally climbing to 5/10.
As the bike aged and the mileage increased the base line crept up to 5/10, with 6/10 becoming the new high.
Now, over the last week, 6/10 appears to be the new norm with 7/10 and now, one day during the week in standing traffic, 8/10 occurring regularly.
I appreciate this past week has been hotter than the surface of the sun, but the increase on the gauge has been disproportionate.
The oil isn't creamy, the coolant isn't smokey...thermostat works, water pump is pumping, the rad isn't blocked.....the bike just seems to be hotter. It's like the process of combustion itself is creating more heat. Within a couple of minutes of starting I can feel it belching from every orifice and gap.
What's going on?
theshrew said:
It has been really hot the last week or so it will get hot especially sitting in traffic. I cringe when I have to in this weather I always get the feeling its going to overheat.
Same here. When I first got my bike, it spewed a load of coolant in traffic on the way home from Scarborough. It promptly went back to the dealers in a van for repair (stone stuck in fan causing the fuse to blow). It's worked fine ever since but it's still a 'hot' bike and Triumphs are known to run hot. I still get nervous waiting at traffic lights on hot days.
One thing to do is get the following cable:
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Triumph-Motorcycle-Tu...
and this software:
http://tuneecu.com/TuneECU_En/index.html
You can then connect it up to the ECU and check what the tune is, if the thermostat is working and what the temp setting is. Did the same with mine and you can adjust it, check the fan kick in / out and so on. Bloody brilliant program and well worth the $30 for the cable.
And as previously commented, check the rad cap - had this screw up on mine and it doesn't adjust the water flow through the radiator and engine and hence just gets hotter and hotter. Did a flush of the coolant too, and has been fine since.
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Triumph-Motorcycle-Tu...
and this software:
http://tuneecu.com/TuneECU_En/index.html
You can then connect it up to the ECU and check what the tune is, if the thermostat is working and what the temp setting is. Did the same with mine and you can adjust it, check the fan kick in / out and so on. Bloody brilliant program and well worth the $30 for the cable.
And as previously commented, check the rad cap - had this screw up on mine and it doesn't adjust the water flow through the radiator and engine and hence just gets hotter and hotter. Did a flush of the coolant too, and has been fine since.
Rad cap is quite recent.
I'm also not convinced on the weather and think it's too easy to attribute it to this.
Yes it's been very hot recently, but even at 6am one morning it was up to 6/10 within minutes and that was on a motorway.
I did think maybe it needs the ECU looking at but have heard that can really bugger things up if not done properly.
I'm also not convinced on the weather and think it's too easy to attribute it to this.
Yes it's been very hot recently, but even at 6am one morning it was up to 6/10 within minutes and that was on a motorway.
I did think maybe it needs the ECU looking at but have heard that can really bugger things up if not done properly.
Thermostat if working should not change temp at which it operates.
Fan should come on at a set temp, and is often driven by a seperate switch/sensor to the gauge.. If the rest of the gubbins are working, in hot weather, it should kick in the fans etc., more often, but shouldn't really run 'hotter' - with the fans on and stat open it *should* have excess cooling capacity. If it doesn't, the fan will be runing continuously/never click out, and it's likely to continue getting hotter until it blows. An equilibrium just 5 deg hotter is rather unlikely from a system point of view.
There are advantages to running 'hot' in so much as the greater the differential temp, the better heat will transfer out - so smaller rads / cooling system works.. but again, doesn't change with age.
All of which leads me to suggesting that maybe it's the sensor driving the gauge, and the coolant temp isn't what it says. I've got one at home (off a car), that insists the oil never exceeds 50deg - by my reckoning it's reading about half reality
Fan should come on at a set temp, and is often driven by a seperate switch/sensor to the gauge.. If the rest of the gubbins are working, in hot weather, it should kick in the fans etc., more often, but shouldn't really run 'hotter' - with the fans on and stat open it *should* have excess cooling capacity. If it doesn't, the fan will be runing continuously/never click out, and it's likely to continue getting hotter until it blows. An equilibrium just 5 deg hotter is rather unlikely from a system point of view.
There are advantages to running 'hot' in so much as the greater the differential temp, the better heat will transfer out - so smaller rads / cooling system works.. but again, doesn't change with age.
All of which leads me to suggesting that maybe it's the sensor driving the gauge, and the coolant temp isn't what it says. I've got one at home (off a car), that insists the oil never exceeds 50deg - by my reckoning it's reading about half reality
I have a speed 1050 (2011 vintage) same engine as your Tiger OP.
I run mine round London all year - the bike sits at 2 bars from the hottest once warmed up cos of the slow traffic/stop start and lights with the fan cutting in as needed. When I've run my Speed out of town recently on a long motorway run is two bars cooler than round town max on the temp gauge. i.e. 4 from the top
When was the coolant last changed? You didn't specify that - so its had a new Rad cap why?
Weds just had my bike serviced and I got new coolant added too - pretty sure was original from factory before - should be done every 2 years.
Also on weds it hit about 34deg in London I got stuck in a very slow moving traffic jam coming back from the service place in Kennington in the Rotherhithe tunnel (cannot legally filter) where it was at least 40deg ambient.
That was the first time ever I saw my bike goto 1 bar from max on the temp gauge.. fans running the whole time. First proper test with the new coolant - no issues whatso ever and did not overheat.
Irrespective that was seriously uncomfortable for me stuck on it with it belting hot air against my legs - right hand leg around the knee had a nice heat rash for around an hour after I got home
Bike is back to running at 2 from the top for normal London work with the fans kicking in as needed.
I run mine round London all year - the bike sits at 2 bars from the hottest once warmed up cos of the slow traffic/stop start and lights with the fan cutting in as needed. When I've run my Speed out of town recently on a long motorway run is two bars cooler than round town max on the temp gauge. i.e. 4 from the top
When was the coolant last changed? You didn't specify that - so its had a new Rad cap why?
Weds just had my bike serviced and I got new coolant added too - pretty sure was original from factory before - should be done every 2 years.
Also on weds it hit about 34deg in London I got stuck in a very slow moving traffic jam coming back from the service place in Kennington in the Rotherhithe tunnel (cannot legally filter) where it was at least 40deg ambient.
That was the first time ever I saw my bike goto 1 bar from max on the temp gauge.. fans running the whole time. First proper test with the new coolant - no issues whatso ever and did not overheat.
Irrespective that was seriously uncomfortable for me stuck on it with it belting hot air against my legs - right hand leg around the knee had a nice heat rash for around an hour after I got home
Bike is back to running at 2 from the top for normal London work with the fans kicking in as needed.
Edited by sjtscott on Friday 23 June 10:20
Hot triples... seems like a common theme in the forums but that's because I had something similar on my 955i
Change and flush the fluid making sure you have no air locks.
Change the rad cap as from my understanding they are piss poor at sealing for too long. Maybe you have a duff one.
Check thermostat and replace if in doubt. Do it anyway.
Check fans are coming on and staying on? Fuses?
Report back.
Alternatively don't look at the gauge until the head gasket gives up.
Change and flush the fluid making sure you have no air locks.
Change the rad cap as from my understanding they are piss poor at sealing for too long. Maybe you have a duff one.
Check thermostat and replace if in doubt. Do it anyway.
Check fans are coming on and staying on? Fuses?
Report back.
Alternatively don't look at the gauge until the head gasket gives up.
Flushed out and renewed the coolant this morning and it seems to have improved a bit, but then the ambient temp has dropped massively since three days ago so hard to tell.
Rad cap was changed recently (I'd guess a year ago.....so recent in the bike's life) due to the previous incidence of the temperature increasing overall.
Going to work via Jack Lilley, see if they've got a rad cap in stock, just to be sure.
Radiator itself seems in pretty good shape. Not blocked, no fins missing or mashed.
Fan kicks in at six bars, the turns off even though the gauge still shows six bars.
Weird.
Rad cap was changed recently (I'd guess a year ago.....so recent in the bike's life) due to the previous incidence of the temperature increasing overall.
Going to work via Jack Lilley, see if they've got a rad cap in stock, just to be sure.
Radiator itself seems in pretty good shape. Not blocked, no fins missing or mashed.
Fan kicks in at six bars, the turns off even though the gauge still shows six bars.
Weird.
If everything is working as it should, at this point I'd be asking myself how I knew it was getting worse, and hadn't instead been caught out more on hot days since I'd been aware of the issue.
Obvious stuff now excluded, I'd wait and see personally, the best of the hot weather is probably over for another year anyway.
Just my two pence.
Obvious stuff now excluded, I'd wait and see personally, the best of the hot weather is probably over for another year anyway.
Just my two pence.
Crossflow Kid said:
Flushed out and renewed the coolant this morning and it seems to have improved a bit, but then the ambient temp has dropped massively since three days ago so hard to tell.
Rad cap was changed recently (I'd guess a year ago.....so recent in the bike's life) due to the previous incidence of the temperature increasing overall.
Going to work via Jack Lilley, see if they've got a rad cap in stock, just to be sure.
Radiator itself seems in pretty good shape. Not blocked, no fins missing or mashed.
Fan kicks in at six bars, the turns off even though the gauge still shows six bars.
Weird.
Ok so with new coolant see what happens.Rad cap was changed recently (I'd guess a year ago.....so recent in the bike's life) due to the previous incidence of the temperature increasing overall.
Going to work via Jack Lilley, see if they've got a rad cap in stock, just to be sure.
Radiator itself seems in pretty good shape. Not blocked, no fins missing or mashed.
Fan kicks in at six bars, the turns off even though the gauge still shows six bars.
Weird.
Another thing TuneECU can do is allow you to alter in the ECU what temp the fans kick in ( I see its mentioned above).. I haven't played or needed to with mine but its an option if you are still worried having changed everything else.
Crossflow Kid said:
Flushed out and renewed the coolant this morning and it seems to have improved a bit, but then the ambient temp has dropped massively since three days ago so hard to tell.
Rad cap was changed recently (I'd guess a year ago.....so recent in the bike's life) due to the previous incidence of the temperature increasing overall.
Going to work via Jack Lilley, see if they've got a rad cap in stock, just to be sure.
Radiator itself seems in pretty good shape. Not blocked, no fins missing or mashed.
Fan kicks in at six bars, the turns off even though the gauge still shows six bars.
Weird.
Good job.. Rad cap was changed recently (I'd guess a year ago.....so recent in the bike's life) due to the previous incidence of the temperature increasing overall.
Going to work via Jack Lilley, see if they've got a rad cap in stock, just to be sure.
Radiator itself seems in pretty good shape. Not blocked, no fins missing or mashed.
Fan kicks in at six bars, the turns off even though the gauge still shows six bars.
Weird.
To be fair OP is was pretty diabolically hot here in London over the last few days.
I would bung a new cap on there for the sake of £10-15 and get the TuneECU to have a looksee at the thermostat and perhaps see if you can make the fan kick in earlier?
ks.
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