Rad Temp Gauge

SheWolf wrote:

You must have... Mine sure as hell doesn't do that!!!

Yeah, I'm an idiot. It wasn't on fully. When it is the gauge is perfectly aligned with the x-axis of the radiator, so you can read it perfectly from the seat. In my photo above, I needed to turn it about another 1/8th turn.

Tibarus wrote:

mwakey wrote:

Tibarus wrote:

Does the WR not have a thermostat gauge stock?

You can read the coolant temp in DIAG mode on the meter, but not while you're riding.

Sorry to say this, but a LC bike with no temp gauge sounds kinda stupid to me... I mean, it's a critical system... and by the time the light comes on it's too late.

If and when I get my WR (still debating over bikes) I think I might look into getting this Trail Tech Vapor Comp Looks like a real nice little package.

Not sure that will work on the WR250R/X. How will you get a temp reading? I didn't see our bikes listed in the applications list. It just says YZ/WR 250, which usually means the WR250F, not the WR250R/X which is a totally differnet engine package/system. And I'm not real sure that application list isn't just for the speedo sensor needed for each bike, since some of the choices in that list don't mention a manufacture, but just a fork or disc style. Have you emailed Vapor Tech to find out for sure it will work on a WR250R/X engine? Seems like the ThermoCap is a much cheaper way to get the same results. The Vapor Tech doesn't offer much more that the bike doesn't already have on it's stock meter, except for the tach.

I talked to them and the YZ/WR is what I was told will work with ours.

After several highway jaunts and city traffic, I can report that the temp guage needle points straight up when on the freeway. While idling in traffic it creeps up to about 200F. My fan has not cut on even when idling. I don't know what temp the thermostat opens at or at what temp the fan cuts on, but I'll find out and post it up.

FYI, thermocap appears to be fairly accurate. Tested in near freezing water and boiling water and temperatures indicated very close to what they should actually be.






Additionally, this is what the cap should look like when properly secured. You put it on not all the way and you get the leakage noted in my posts above.

SheWolf wrote:

I talked to them and the YZ/WR is what I was told will work with ours.

I ordered a 720-2473R from JEGS. I hope that is the YZ/WR model?

75-300 was the part # off the Trailtech site I was given.

SheWolf wrote:

75-300 was the part # off the Trailtech site I was given.

You bought a Vapor? Did you do the install yet? Pics please!

No, I didn't buy one. I was doing my homework and e-mailed them there and asked them specifically what model would fit the R², and that was the one I was told will fit. I'm kinda at a toss-up between that one and the Acewell, which has everything, including turn signal indicators, hi/low beam indicator, gear positioning and some other stuff. It's more expensive but damn it's a nice little unit.

Wolfie... when they said it will "fit", how well does it fit? Did they specify that?

I mean things like.. "... you can just plug and play with model XXXXX, everything, including the stock dash sockets, should go on perfectly...."

Ok guys, I did a run today and believe it or not, the fan kicked in and anyone wanting to know what temp this thing is set for, it turns on at 210º.

Tibarus wrote:

mwakey wrote:

Tibarus wrote:

Does the WR not have a thermostat gauge stock?

You can read the coolant temp in DIAG mode on the meter, but not while you're riding.

Sorry to say this, but a LC bike with no temp gauge sounds kinda stupid to me... I mean, it's a critical system... and by the time the light comes on it's too late.

If and when I get my WR (still debating over bikes) I think I might look into getting this Trail Tech Vapor Comp Looks like a real nice little package.

Fear not, you can turn on the temp light as many times as you like and it wont hurt the bike
If you keep riding it and blow all the coolant out THEN, you will hurt the bike

Remember the operating temp of an air cooled bike, it's wayyy higher than a liquid and they go forever

I know where I can get my hand's on a bunch of small rad's about half the size of the stocker
Maybe a second rad can easily be added to the left side where the AIS used to be, I'll scope it out

Keep us posted Red, I'd be into that.

Machtig wrote:

Additionally, this is what the cap should look like when properly secured. You put it on not all the way and you get the leakage noted in my posts above.

How did you get the cap to face that direction? Mine faces to the side like SheWolf's pics. The way the two slots are on the rad did not allow for it to face up and down on my bike like your pic shows. Are you sure you have it on right, or did you get a different model than the rest of us?

0007onWR wrote:

Fear not, you can turn on the temp light as many times as you like and it wont hurt the bike
If you keep riding it and blow all the coolant out THEN, you will hurt the bike

Turning on the temp light several times over the life of the engine will indeed eventually do some damage. The light is on for a reason. The engine is getting too hot. And several near overheats will eventually score a cylinder or do worse damage in the long run. Better to find the cause of the light the first time it comes on instead of letting it turn on several times.

Somehow I just knew someone would misinterpret my post
I am not suggesting you tolerate the temp light coming on 3 times a day and do nothing about it
Most people will never even see the light on, However
If if the light come's on for some reason there will be NO engine damage as long as you dont keep on riding
The light tells you that you are at Max operating temperature, it's not an engine failure light
Can you imagine what would happen if the factory made a machine that seized when the temp light lit?
In my 29 years working in the motorsport industry I have never seen a damaged engine that did not blow the coolant out
Sticking a piston to a cylinder is a function of a complete loss of manufacturing tolerance
Severe overheat will distort a lot of thing's including the piston, Ring, cylinder and Head but that's not what we're talking about

No, you're just hot period Red, don't deny it. It's kinda neat tho that I've managed to find out the fan kicks in at 210. On that gauge, that's right where it hits the red zone...I was a little stumped about that, but it didn't go any higher than that. I was surprised tho, considering when it kicked in I was in the snow and the temp was fairly cool outside.

0007onWR wrote:

If the light come's on for some reason there will be NO engine damage as long as you dont keep on riding
The light tells you that you are at Max operating temperature, it's not an engine failure light.

I'm aware of that. I wasn't doubting you, I just wanted to clarify what you said.

0007onWR wrote:

In my 29 years working in the motorsport industry I have never seen a damaged engine that did not blow the coolant out
Sticking a piston to a cylinder is a function of a complete loss of manufacturing tolerance
Severe overheat will distort a lot of thing's including the piston, Ring, cylinder and Head but that's not what we're talking about

Well, we are sort of talking about it. Repeated overheats or even running it up to max temp many times with the light on will do unseen damage. It may not sieze up but it may score a cylinder slightly. And each time you get it close to being that hot you take a chance of scoring it some more. I too have been in the biz for close to 30 years, although my experience is with outboard motors not bikes. Still, a water cooled engine none the less, and the results will be the same from constant running at or near the threshold of max operating temp. Although more times than not, the scored piston is due to a lean condition or lack of lubrication, but I have seen a hot motor do the same type of scoring. Saltwater outboards tend to build up deposits in the cooling passages over time and as a result, you get less and less water flowing around the cylinders. Sooner or later a piston gets scored and it's only a matter of time before you start losing compression and power. 4-strokes seem to be more forgiving than 2-strokes in this regard, because of the lack of ports in the cylinder. A 2-stroke piston ring scored will surely catch that port sooner or later and then that's all she wrote. A 4-stroke will live longer with a scored piston or ring, but keep overheating it and I think you'll get the same ball of aluminum on the end of the rod. I can't say I've had the pleasure of seeing that yet on a 4-stroke, but then they haven't been on the water as long as the 2's. Big 4-stroke outboards have only been around for about 10 years. You guys in the motorsport industry are a little ahead of us guys on the water when it comes to 4-stroke experience.

Idiot lights for me go about as far as you can throw them. Give me a temp gauge any day, or better yet, a water pressure guage. As a side note, I used to have a little junk Ford Fiesta and the idiot light went off one day. It had never gone off before. I shut it down about a minute after it went off and low and behold the head gasket had blown. Not much of a warning feature in my book.

SheWolf wrote:

No, you're just hot period Red, don't deny it. It's kinda neat tho that I've managed to find out the fan kicks in at 210. On that gauge, that's right where it hits the red zone...I was a little stumped about that, but it didn't go any higher than that. I was surprised tho, considering when it kicked in I was in the snow and the temp was fairly cool outside.

It wouldn't be all that mud covering your rad would it?

SheWolf wrote:

No, you're just hot period Red, don't deny it. It's kinda neat tho that I've managed to find out the fan kicks in at 210. On that gauge, that's right where it hits the red zone...I was a little stumped about that, but it didn't go any higher than that. I was surprised tho, considering when it kicked in I was in the snow and the temp was fairly cool outside.

LOL
Hey, you rode yer bike in What?
What part of the word "Motorcycle" has the word "Snow" in it?
I tried coming out there yesterday but gave up after my knacker's froze off

The little bit of off road riding I have done on the WR I was surprised how soon the fan comes on, doesn't seem to be a problem but that bike is a hot runner

mwakey wrote:

[
How did you get the cap to face that direction? Mine faces to the side like SheWolf's pics. The way the two slots are on the rad did not allow for it to face up and down on my bike like your pic shows. Are you sure you have it on right, or did you get a different model than the rest of us?

I posted my model number of the cap I bought earlier in this thread. I would ensure your cap is on all the way. If it is, turn it 180 from where it is when you remove it and try it again. Mine lines up perfectly?!

Machtig wrote:

mwakey wrote:

[
How did you get the cap to face that direction? Mine faces to the side like SheWolf's pics. The way the two slots are on the rad did not allow for it to face up and down on my bike like your pic shows. Are you sure you have it on right, or did you get a different model than the rest of us?

I posted my model number of the cap I bought earlier in this thread. I would ensure your cap is on all the way. If it is, turn it 180 from where it is when you remove it and try it again. Mine lines up perfectly?!

My cap is on all the way. Very simple to see that if you look underneath at the locking tabs up against the stops. If I put it on 180˚ it only makes it face 180˚ to the other side. Maybe they are not that exact with the stamping process when they make them. I have the same model everyone else does. The small import model for 16psi. Not a big deal for me. As it is now, the red section of the gauge points forward so it's easy to see when the needle is showing hot.

I see the issue. When the rivet the guages to the cap, they've got a 50/50 chance of getting it on correctly. Mine is riveted 90 degrees (1/4 turn) away from the way yours and Shewolfs is riveted. Obviously either their quality control isn't where it should be, or they just don't care.

Machtig wrote:

or they just don't care.

I'm going with that option.

Like I said it's not a big deal to me. You can see the gauge either way just fine.

I guess that means we're just special, eh Mark? That or we're just naturally twisted.