Radiator baffle removal

Clawdog60

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2 years ago coming back from big bend I got stuck in an inyerstate traffic jam near Midland it was about 105 fan kicked on but temp would not drop below 220 I got very nervous and shut the bike off till traffic got moving. not a good feeling 1500 miles from home.
 

EricV

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Why are you worried about it being 220 degrees? That's not hot enough to stress about. 250º you worry about.
 

gapmtn1

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2 years ago coming back from big bend I got stuck in an inyerstate traffic jam near Midland it was about 105 fan kicked on but temp would not drop below 220 I got very nervous and shut the bike off till traffic got moving.
I was in a similar situation this weekend; stuck on the interstate. It had me thinking... is it better to keep the engine running or not? Would uncirculating, unfanned 220*+ coolant drop in temp significantly? Or some other consequence? Would keeping the motor running result in better temperature management? My thinking is leaving it running would be the best way to go.
I didn't find out as I took option three... be a d*ck and use the crossover that happened to be right next to me. Funny, I would never do that in a cage and loathe those that do. (Relevant: no oncoming traffic; they must have been blocked, too; and the plume of smoke over the hill suggested a long wait)
 

Jimz1

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My bike was up to 100degrees Celsius today, fan kicking in a lot
Is this a safe temp?
 

Clawdog60

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I found other posts on the site that mention of the baffle being removed by previous owners. Appears I'm not the only one that was looking for better cooling.
I think it's just to keep bugs and debris to a minimum from entering the radiator but what the F do I know.
sure makes cleaning the radiator much easier.;)
 

Clawdog60

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I understand what your worried about but apparently it’s unnecessary worry and that’s the way Yamaha designed it, I have noticed my fan seems to kick in easier since I installed TRex Crash Bars and skid plate, the skid plate seems like it would definitely slow down cooling more than the previous Yamaha skid plate I had. Apparently Yamaha figures it should be able to handle 220+ easily.
ok
 

Wallkeeper

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What's the boiling point of factory coolant anyway? Still too close for comfort.
boiling point will be in the 370-390 F range @ 1 bar. The system is pressurized so I assume the boiling point is easily over 400 F
 

EricV

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too close for my comfort level.
I wonder who the genius was at yamaha to have the fan kick on at such a high temp?
Too cold is worse than too hot for emissions. The fan comes on, it does keep the coolant from overheating and does cool down. Most of the time we take off riding again before the fan turns off, but obviously in stop and go, you hear the fan a lot. And it's a powerful fan that makes a lot of noise because it's blowing a lot of air. It's doing it's job. I get the impression you're concerned about the bike running too hot. But there isn't a history of overheating on the Super Tenere.

Ride more, worry less.
 

Don in Lodi

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Just about every modern auto out there runs it's cooling fan at the same temps, unless the ac is on, it's emissions, a hot engine burns fuel better. As long as the fan does come on at 220 all is well with everything. Turning off the bike at 220 will give you a temperature spike, the coolant will actually be hotter when you turn the key back on. Circulation is a good thing.
 

EricV

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@Clawdog60 - What experiences have you had that makes you concerned?

I've run oil temps on race cars well into the 280 range and coolant temps were targeted to keep them below 250.
 

WJBertrand

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I found other posts on the site that mention of the baffle being removed by previous owners. Appears I'm not the only one that was looking for better cooling.
I think it's just to keep bugs and debris to a minimum from entering the radiator but what the F do I know.
sure makes cleaning the radiator much easier.;)
Do you have a picture of how the "baffle" is positioned on your bike? It should be mounted securely to the inside of the cowl, but if you think it is blocking air it sounds like it has been displaced some how.
 

SkunkWorks

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240F is fine for oil temp.
I have an oil-temp gauge on my FJ1200, and riding through town on a hot day or "aggressively" in the twisties and it's common to see 220-260F.

220F is normal for engine coolant on a hot day.
I see that regularly when riding the S10 up a mountain here where the air is thin.
When the fan kicks on it cools it right down pretty quick.
I wouldn't be concerned at all.
 

Sierra1

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I actually looked today at my coolant temp; 96F, 75mph, and 172F coolant. Granted that was on the highway with plenty of air, but it was hot & humid air.
 
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