Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Hey is it normal for my ZX2R to overheat (level close to red) while i'm in traffic on 25c + days? I'm kinda scared something will happan... when ever i'm stuck in traffic waiting at the front of the lights my bike temp goes up alot..... but when i ride it goes to down below half again. i just had my bike serviced and it was doing this before the service as well..

I'd have to say no, that's not normal. Is your fan working, and how's your coolant level?

It should not be getting that hot mate, I had the same problem on my cbr. First things first, make sure your radiator fan is kicking in. The best thing you could do if the fan does work, would be to drain the radiator and get it professioanlly flushed out then replaced with fresh coolant. This will do wonders for the temp it runs at. Hope this helps.

Paz

John H wrote:I'd have to say no, that's not normal. Is your fan working, and how's your coolant level?

nah mate, ive got a 89 model and ive ridden it all week, and my temp barley gets over mild. get it checked out again maybe by someone else, i had this issue wit my ute and i alsmost cooked the head, cost me a few $$$ cos i left it too long. Or there might be a problem wit your thermo gauge if its always been happening, but i doubt it

i used nu8lon radiator flush on my cbr250 and it worked also get a new thermoste while your at it and hows the inside of the radiater cap the rubber bit chould be in one peice.

Had the over heating thing i drained it then flushed it then refiled with clean water and flusher this stuff is usually caustic soda that the bottle calls chemical salts then take it for a ride with the flusher in and get it hotish like 20 mins then home again and flush it thouroughly after it has cooled down like 20 mins with a garden hose and take the thermostat out before the final flush.

refill with supercheap radiater stuff because they make it with demineralised water to the correct strenght and use a new thermostate and radiater cap and your cooling woes will be gone for as long as you will probably be keeping the bike so at least a couple of years.

The highest my bike has gotten is in the middle of the highest 1/3 area but that was heavy traffic on a HOT HOT day like around 30d - 35d.

Usually it is just above the lowest line slightly over blue

So I'd say you may need a coolant flush and refill + general check radiator while you're at it.

i took my ninja out for a blat last night and the temp gauge moved about 1cm from the second cold bar!!

BTW, wat temp is the thermo fan ment to come on at ?? if it does shit itself wat is the usual cause ??

Yeah, my ZXR250 had the same problem...after flushing the radiator, replacing the thermo, putting in a manual switch for the fan...and a whole lotta panicking on hot days in heavy traffic (nothing like being stuck in morning peak hour traffic crawling over the Westgate bridge!), my mechanic suspected a blown head gasket.

thats a good idea a manual switch!!! how does the thermo fan activate ?? does it have a sensor which activates the fan at a certain temp ?

my mechanic just wired up a switch on the side of the bike...I just flicked it on whenever the bike seemed to be getting hot or if I was stuck in traffic.

obviously u need to disconnect the sensor which is activating the fan otherwise, if your fan is working, and the motor is too cool, but u want hte fan running cause yer a weirdo, then it won't come on, otherwise, if the motor is too hot and u wanna put the fan on, and there is a switch but your sensor is buggered it won't work, so u have to put the fan on a seperate circuit!