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?
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.
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.
Well yeah, that's on the cards too.
Thing is, in all those miles all it's needed is a new clutch cable, a new generator stator and now, what ever's causing this overheating issue.
I kinda like my bike, and part of me feels obliged to hang on to it and keep it going, in return for so many faultless miles.
Thing is, in all those miles all it's needed is a new clutch cable, a new generator stator and now, what ever's causing this overheating issue.
I kinda like my bike, and part of me feels obliged to hang on to it and keep it going, in return for so many faultless miles.
So the new coolant certainly helped, as did a flush with some off-the-shelf snake oil.
Bike is still getting 'kin 'ot, not helped by the warm weather, but bizarrely the coolant is no longer boiling as much as it did even though the bike's temperature is still up.
Got some citric acid on order to give the rad a proper de-gunk.
I'm almost certain it's the coolant not being cooled enough itself that's causing the problem.
Bike is still getting 'kin 'ot, not helped by the warm weather, but bizarrely the coolant is no longer boiling as much as it did even though the bike's temperature is still up.
Got some citric acid on order to give the rad a proper de-gunk.
I'm almost certain it's the coolant not being cooled enough itself that's causing the problem.
Not so fast...
Out on it again today and it's STILL doing it.
Ride out....temp gauge relatively normal, coolant level up/boiling.
Ride home...coolant level relatively normal, temperature gauge up.
I give up......
Just an aggressive clean of the rad interior to do and after that it's scrap.
Out on it again today and it's STILL doing it.
Ride out....temp gauge relatively normal, coolant level up/boiling.
Ride home...coolant level relatively normal, temperature gauge up.
I give up......
Just an aggressive clean of the rad interior to do and after that it's scrap.
Oh FFS......
Now just ridden it to work in the cool overcast morning air of 6am and it's running away to 8/10 on the temp gauge, the coolant brimming the head tank and the fan running constantly.
It's f
ked. Whatever it is, it's just fked and I'm beginning to think it'll never be properly diganosed.
Local indy place says there's nothing wrong with it, no coolant loss, no exhaust gases in the fluid, thermostat opens,fan runs and so on.
But it's just generating more and more heat every time I ride it.
Now just ridden it to work in the cool overcast morning air of 6am and it's running away to 8/10 on the temp gauge, the coolant brimming the head tank and the fan running constantly.
It's f
ked. Whatever it is, it's just fked and I'm beginning to think it'll never be properly diganosed.Local indy place says there's nothing wrong with it, no coolant loss, no exhaust gases in the fluid, thermostat opens,fan runs and so on.
But it's just generating more and more heat every time I ride it.
Coolant has been tested for exhaust gas - negative.
A new rad is £500 by the time the VATs added.
Not a common bike so no pattern parts.
Recon on my rad is half that but takes two weeks during which time I'd probably spend the difference on public transport getting to work.
Have got some citric acid at home now which is the stuff to give the rad a really good clean although I've yet to try it as the problem just seems to be running away now.
It's already had a system flush which came out quite clean.
Water pump is another option, costs about the same as the rad to resolve and is equally liable. It's almost a coin-flip decision although most owners (online) report rad issies.
A new rad is £500 by the time the VATs added.
Not a common bike so no pattern parts.
Recon on my rad is half that but takes two weeks during which time I'd probably spend the difference on public transport getting to work.
Have got some citric acid at home now which is the stuff to give the rad a really good clean although I've yet to try it as the problem just seems to be running away now.
It's already had a system flush which came out quite clean.
Water pump is another option, costs about the same as the rad to resolve and is equally liable. It's almost a coin-flip decision although most owners (online) report rad issies.
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 8th July 10:30
And so it goes on.....
Acid-flushed the radiator, with the solution draining out a distinct green colour so it's dissolved something.
Temperature appears down across the board now although there are still bubble rising in to the header tank.
Then riding home last night, a new aspect...
Temperature remained rock solid at five bars but the coolant expanded to overflowing and even more intriguing still, hasn't siphoned back down now the bike's cool.
Utterly random.
Acid-flushed the radiator, with the solution draining out a distinct green colour so it's dissolved something.
Temperature appears down across the board now although there are still bubble rising in to the header tank.
Then riding home last night, a new aspect...
Temperature remained rock solid at five bars but the coolant expanded to overflowing and even more intriguing still, hasn't siphoned back down now the bike's cool.
Utterly random.
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff