How often do you clean your radiator

[fz6nick]

All those bugs and debris builds up in the find of your radiator!

How often do you clean it out and how?

I do about once every two weeks or however often I was the bike. I take the hose and hit the back of the radiator pushing the water through the fins out the front. Not to high of pressure tho.

 

[Stumbles06]

Hmm... Must have a look at mine. I haven't cleaned out the radiator... Ever!!
22,000 Kms travelled in 4.5 years.

Got me intrigued now.. going to look

:rockon:

 

[DaveOTZ]

I rinsed it down a little.. just switched to Engine ICE!!!

Question... it says "dont lose HP"

Hows antifreeze going to increase HP??

 

[abacall]

I take the house and hit the back of the radiator pushing the water through the fins out the front.

Wowzers. The house? You are serious about cleaning your radiator!
Sorry Nick, couldn't help it.

I do it every time I wash the bike. Just like you, light pressure from the back to push the bug carcass' out.

I guess the whole "don't lose hp" thing comes from the popular belief that running cooler means more power. Kinda silly, but you would be surprised how well this type of marketing works.

 

[fz6nick]

Wowzers. The house? You are serious about cleaning your radiator!
Sorry Nick, couldn't help it.

.

Ya...... thats the second miss spelled word. I caught the first one. guess being an english teacher is outa the question.... guess ill just stick to the HVAC trade

 

[SovietRobot]

Wowzers. The house? You are serious about cleaning your radiator!
Sorry Nick, couldn't help it.

I do it every time I wash the bike. Just like you, light pressure from the back to push the bug carcass' out.

I guess the whole "don't lose hp" thing comes from the popular belief that running cooler means more power. Kinda silly, but you would be surprised how well this type of marketing works.

Most if not all engines have an "ideal" operation temperature.

Any hotter, the engine is doing more work and making less power. This is a pretty well accepted idea and generally true.
Any cooler, and the engine isn't able to work at its optimum potential either, but not as bad as overheating.

If your vehicle has a fully functioning cooling system, including radiator, water pump, thermostat, and radiator fan, all with the proper amount and quality of 'Heat transfer liquid', there should be a temperature it remains at during most situations.

Motorcycles are less predictable, and can run below this(for example going 70mph in cold weather), or above it(sitting still on a hot day).

So in conclusion, overheating can cause you to lose power, and causes increased wear.

 

[Stumbles06]

Well. I went and looked, and (suprisingly) there's not much debris or bugs stuck in the front of mine.
I will give it a rinse out next time I wash it (if I can hide from the authorities whilst using the hose.. water restrictions here).

 

[Nobby]

Well. I went and looked, and (suprisingly) there's not much debris or bugs stuck in the front of mine.
I will give it a rinse out next time I wash it (if I can hide from the authorities whilst using the hose.. water restrictions here).

If your worried about water restrictions use compressed air :thumbup:

 

[Motogiro]

When I ride South Grade on Palomar Mountain I pass this lake. We live in an arid area and though we have bugs when I pass this lake, I hit so many bugs that I have to clean that radiator weekly and sometimes right after I get back from riding Pally.

 

[Fred]

I rinsed it down a little.. just switched to Engine ICE!!!

Question... it says "dont lose HP"

Hows antifreeze going to increase HP??

It won't.

Fred

 

[xj750_Pete]

I used to wash it everytime I washed the bike, which is every time I clean the chain, which is approximately once every month.

 

[abacall]

Most if not all engines have an "ideal" operation temperature.

So in conclusion, overheating can cause you to lose power, and causes increased wear.

Absolutely, but since his cooling system worked fine, and the best this product can claim to do is make the bike run cooler, it's nothing but marketing BS that it will gain more power. Even if it worked as advertised and made the bike run cooler all the time, it may drop to below it's efficiency level, losing power.
However, if it keeps the bike from getting too hot, then it becomes worth using as it helps the system keep the engine within it's safety range. I know if I'm sitting in slow traffic my fans are cycling every few minutes. While it's not that bad for our liquid cooled engines (as they do a great job of keeping the engine temp within spec) it does put extra drain on the battery. If it helps keep those fans off a bit, it sounds interesting.

 

[Oscar54]

Well I completely misunderstood the question before I voted.

I thought the question was fluid cleaning / changing. I change my fluids once a year other than oil every 3,500.

It is so easy and cheap I figure why not.

As for backwashing the radiator cooling fins, well I guess I will take a look at that. It makes sense to me that too many bugs would cause a problem.

 

[BranNwebster]

The thermostat is going to start closing off between 160 - 185 deg F and I'm not sure when the fan kicks on but it seems to be about 210. So I guess you could say that the bike is designed for optimal performance between 185 and 210.

Though engine ICE sounds like a good environmentally friendly product and it won't kill your little kitty kitty.

 

[fz6nick]

Though engine ICE sounds like a good environmentally friendly product and it won't kill your little kitty kitty.

My parents and I got rejected for a kitten adoption because the litter box was going to be in the garage. So if our vehicle leaked anitfreeze it would drink it up. I was 11 years old and devistated.

 

[rjo3491]

Never thought about this, I suppose it would depend upon where one resides. My mother lives in the panhandle of Florida and passing through South Alabama on Summer visits produces some amazing art on the windshield and grille of our van. Here in Michigan, bugs are not so much a issue.

 

[FZ1inNH]

Same as Nick... just a bit less frequent. Hose through from back to front but not to harsh on the stream. I had NO choice this past weekend. Shined the bike Sat. Sun, helped a friend set up his new 5th wheel at a park and got detoured leaving the grounds by the police, road was closed due to a downed tree. GPS took me the only possible route that included about 3 miles of dirt road in the rain! Mud run on the FZ6! So, when I got home, I had perhaps the dirtiest FZ6 EVAH! Should have snapped pics but I was too pi$$ed.

 

[wrightme43]

My parents and I got rejected for a kitten adoption because the litter box was going to be in the garage. So if our vehicle leaked anitfreeze it would drink it up. I was 11 years old and devistated.

If the cat falls in the toilet it could drown, so maybe we should all poop outside?????

JEEEZZZZ

Cats are not stupid. I hope you have a cat now.

 

[Zealadin]

My parents and I got rejected for a kitten adoption because the litter box was going to be in the garage. So if our vehicle leaked anitfreeze it would drink it up. I was 11 years old and devistated.

Thats the point when you say "but thats where I sleep" and get your parents in real trouble