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Overheating

danmcdermott

Member
Member
Short version. My bike overheated, fan fuse blown. Fans rotate smoothly. Fuse replaced and bike runs at idle cycling the fans on and off as normal. No blown fuse.

Bike - 2012 Concours 14
Miles - 96,000 purchased at 5000 miles
Coolant - I use the coolant cocktail detailed on this site and have successfully for many years

Story:

I am on a 2-3 week riding trip. While riding from Sedona to Las Vegas I noticed the temp a bar higher than normal when below 20 MPH (I ride in the PNW and figured this normal in higher temps). When stuck in standstill traffic in Las Vegas the dash cluster displayed a high temp warning (probably a few minutes until I noticed), I pulled over under an overpass for shade and shut the bike down. After the bike had cooled to the mid temp range (about 60-90 min, and many people stopped to ask if I had water and needed help....that was nice....thank you LV), I started up and rode on the shoulder (still standstill traffic) to my exit and hotel. The bike gave the high temp warning again just as I was pulling into the parking garage and shutting down. The next morning I ran the bike at idle and noticed the fans were not operating and after further investigation verified the fan fuse was blown. Also, I noticed there is no coolant visible in the overflow sight. There are no signs of boil over or fluid leaks so my assumption is that the overheat event expanded fluids to the extent that the overflow reservoir dumped excess and after cooling now shows low.

This ride has taken me through many high wind warnings and high temperature warnings. Also, I have ridden hours being tormented from winds from all sides. I am figuring that either I picked up some debris that inhibited a fan that is no longer there and caused a fuse to blow, or the massive and constant side winds somehow increased the workload of the fans to cause the fuse to blow (pretty far fetched I know).

Currently I am waiting for the bike to cool down and I am going to take the plastics off, top off coolant and hope there was not damage during the over temp events.
 
Short version. My bike overheated, fan fuse blown. Fans rotate smoothly. Fuse replaced and bike runs at idle cycling the fans on and off as normal. No blown fuse.

Bike - 2012 Concours 14
Miles - 96,000 purchased at 5000 miles
Coolant - I use the coolant cocktail detailed on this site and have successfully for many years

Story:

I am on a 2-3 week riding trip. While riding from Sedona to Las Vegas I noticed the temp a bar higher than normal when below 20 MPH (I ride in the PNW and figured this normal in higher temps). When stuck in standstill traffic in Las Vegas the dash cluster displayed a high temp warning (probably a few minutes until I noticed), I pulled over under an overpass for shade and shut the bike down. After the bike had cooled to the mid temp range (about 60-90 min, and many people stopped to ask if I had water and needed help....that was nice....thank you LV), I started up and rode on the shoulder (still standstill traffic) to my exit and hotel. The bike gave the high temp warning again just as I was pulling into the parking garage and shutting down. The next morning I ran the bike at idle and noticed the fans were not operating and after further investigation verified the fan fuse was blown. Also, I noticed there is no coolant visible in the overflow sight. There are no signs of boil over or fluid leaks so my assumption is that the overheat event expanded fluids to the extent that the overflow reservoir dumped excess and after cooling now shows low.

This ride has taken me through many high wind warnings and high temperature warnings. Also, I have ridden hours being tormented from winds from all sides. I am figuring that either I picked up some debris that inhibited a fan that is no longer there and caused a fuse to blow, or the massive and constant side winds somehow increased the workload of the fans to cause the fuse to blow (pretty far fetched I know).

Currently I am waiting for the bike to cool down and I am going to take the plastics off, top off coolant and hope there was not damage during the over temp events.
If you have access to a large syringe, you can pull the hose off the radiator (just under the cap) and push coolant to the overflow tank without having to pull plastics. I'll do almost anything to not pull plastics and deal with that rubber strip...
 
Well, I have ridden about 600 miles and been in stop and go traffic and the fans keep cycling. I can't for the life of me figure out why the fuse blew but everything seems to work. All I can figure is that there was momentary resistance to one of the fans that caused the fuse to blow. There has been high side winds throughout this ride.
 
All I can figure is that there was momentary resistance to one of the fans that caused the fuse to blow. There has been high side winds throughout this ride.
Come to think of it, when I had the machine apart last, I noted and pulled off a piece of what looked like fresh road tar from the housing on mine. Baked right on the housing (luckily external for me), so it’s totally feasible something jumped up in there and caused like you said a momentary spike.

If it happens again wiring (chaffing), switch (internal fault), motor (worn causing high amp) would be my initial guesses in that order.

Hopefully a one and done occurrence but keep extra fuses handy.

Wayne, Carol & Blue
 
A question on overheating. Both times the high temp warning came the bike was shut down in a matter of moments 1-3 minutes. Is there any reason to think this short duration would cause damage to the engine? Since then I have ridden a few thousand miles with no apparent issues. My hope was to take this bike t0 250,000 miles at least (I am at 96K now), however I am wondering if this brief overheating has compromised that.
 
A question on overheating. Both times the high temp warning came the bike was shut down in a matter of moments 1-3 minutes. Is there any reason to think this short duration would cause damage to the engine? Since then I have ridden a few thousand miles with no apparent issues. My hope was to take this bike t0 250,000 miles at least (I am at 96K now), however I am wondering if this brief overheating has compromised that.
An indication of "hot" on the temp gauge isn't the same thing as overheating. In my experience, overheating looks like blowing all your coolant out, engine knocking loudly and then dying, and perhaps being seized up until it cools off. I've never experienced that on a motorcycle, but on more than 1 tractor and a friends car. I think You're fine.
 
That's good to know. I have never had a vehicle get overly hot. Like I said it is my hope to ride this bike to 250K with good maintenance.
 
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