In my opinion, I'm sure there's a method to their madness. I wouldn't touch a thing. The sensor decides when the fan is started/stopped. Sensor may go bad, but I wouldn't jack with the flow. I was riding the other day, low 50s, bumper to bumper traffic. Kinda surprised me when the fan came on, but she hates heavy traffic. As long as she's moving, the fan stays off . . . . even in our summers.
Radiator Fan Temperature
- Thread starter sureshshanmugam
- Start date
Fordf350
Well-Known Member
Fortunately our summers are only 9 to 9 1/2 months.
And the rest of the year is Spring.
Regarding the lower cover of the radiator that you mentioned, it looks like the shape of the fan blades would push the air
in towards the radiator and then downwards into the lower cover on the section of the radiator that is not in the fan's radius
thus creating a sort of cooling "ram air" effect.
WJBertrand
Ventura Highway
The fan sucks air through radiator from the inside and blows it out the left side. Just put your hand there when it’s running. That panel, behind the radiator, together with the installed left faring assembly, which has another panel mounted inside it, forms a scoop that directs air coming from the front of the bike to the inside of the radiator where it exits through the radiator and out the grill on the left faring.
That lower panel helps divert air to the fan from the lower part of the radiator.
Folks have tried removing these inner panels have noted higher running temps.
That lower panel helps divert air to the fan from the lower part of the radiator.
Folks have tried removing these inner panels have noted higher running temps.
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Cycledude
Well-Known Member
Yamaha probably should have used a bigger radiator
I'm sure that if the panels didn't serve a purpose, Yamaha would save na s**t tone of money, and not put it on the bike.
bikeover
New Member
Thanks, all. Yeah, I have to trust the engineers at Yamaha, but I would like to know their thinking. It seems that if that bottom part met up with the ring around the fan, and that the ring was a screen in that section, that it would better suck air from the bottom of the radiator. Without the help of the fan you can see how the air would nicely flow through the fins...except for that bottom third. I know it doesn't matter that much but I tend to over noodle everything.
I found a paper on radiator fans. They are made with both backward and forward swept blades, go figure. I my earlier post I had assumed the blades were backward swept.
So, it seems the fan rotates counter-clockwise in the photo in post #20 pulling air from the radiator and out through the fairing grille. The lower plastic radiator cover would prevent high pressure air behind the fairing from recirculating back into the radiator. This would happen when the vehicle is stopped or at low speed and you need the fan the most.
Fan tech paper attached for those interested.
So, it seems the fan rotates counter-clockwise in the photo in post #20 pulling air from the radiator and out through the fairing grille. The lower plastic radiator cover would prevent high pressure air behind the fairing from recirculating back into the radiator. This would happen when the vehicle is stopped or at low speed and you need the fan the most.
Fan tech paper attached for those interested.
bikeover
New Member
I started my 2013 for the first time this Spring (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and allowed it to warm up until the fan came on. I still have my cowlings off from when I took that photo earlier in this thread. The blades do turn as expected in a direction that pulls air through the radiator and away from the bike BUT I was feeling where the air was being blown as the fan was running. Oddly, it's not going straight out at all like you would think. It is pretty much making a "circle" of wind, blowing nearly parallel to the radiator. In fact, before I could confirm the direction of the fan, I thought maybe it was running in the "wrong" direction, thus causing that kind of blowing pattern. But once the fan turned off, I could confirm the correct direction. The exception to the circle of wind is where that bit of covering is at the bottom of the radiator. I didn't feel any blowing going downward. So based on that, the cowling doesn't appear to be designed effectively in dispersing air from the fan since the blown air is going right into the solid parts of the cowling. I'm sure it is eventually forced out the grill but not very efficiently, IMO.
I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts if you get a chance to check this out.
I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts if you get a chance to check this out.
I personally think you are overthinking a problem that doesn’t exist. People have gone over 300K miles with these bikes without issues. Yes the fan goes on pretty quick in traffic and when delivering hard labor, but that is because it’s mounted in the side.
Just my opinion.
Just my opinion.
I wouldn't worry about it. The Yamaha engineers designed a pretty good bike in the Super Tenere. Wait until you ride it around town or at at slow speeds off road. The fan cycles on and off constantly even in cool temperatures. Your left leg will stay nice and warm. I have never seen the temperature get over about 230F, even when riding single track. The bike cools off quickly once you get moving at higher speeds. It's all about moving air through the radiator.
bikeover
New Member
Absolutely right on all counts, @magic and @StefanOnHisS10. ...even the overthinking part. 
The cooling system obviously works. I find that getting into the weeds on this kind of thing a nice distraction. Thanks @sureshshanmugam for bringing it up. I've learned a lot from all the posts.
The cooling system obviously works. I find that getting into the weeds on this kind of thing a nice distraction. Thanks @sureshshanmugam for bringing it up. I've learned a lot from all the posts.
MattR
Well-Known Member
I don’t think the bike heats up that quick. My Zx14r fan cuts in much quicker and had a radiator that is twice as big and two fans. The s10 is fine.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Absolutely correct. She has to be at a dead stop for a few to turn the fan on. I ride her pretty hard and fast, and not one time this last summer did the fan kick on; 100F+ air temps. But the longest I had to sit was for a redlight. Couple weeks ago, a signal light was broken. Had to sit in traffic . . . . fan came on; 50F air temp. Traffic started moving . . . . fan went off.