Need HELP?! My Spyder is running Hot at High Speeds?

[tjranch9]

I need help figuring out what's going on.
When I first got the bike (a 2016 F3L), I had a problem with it running hot and it was low
on coolant. Fast forward to yesterday coming back from Daytona. Cruising along at 80 with
cruise on and all of a sudden it slowed down, no cruise or power. The temp gauge read one notch
down from the top. The bike slowed down and I was able to do about 60 - 65 mph.
After it cooled down a little, everything was ok again. This morning, I checked the coolant cold and
it's right on the cool mark...

Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Gwolf]

Check and be sure the radiators are not plugged up full of bugs or some kind of bloom from the air.

Check the direction of the fans changing as it should.

Possible in an older radiator the cores inside the radiator could be partially blocked. You can't see that from the outside. A shop that specializes in radiator can boil the inside passages out and clear them.

Make sure none of the hoses are pinched, kinked, or collapsed. Thermostat could be mallfunctioning or not opening completely.

Lots of things it could be. You just have to eliminate the possibilities one at the time.

 

[tjranch9]

The Bike only has 13000 miles on it. It has a bug screen in front of the rad.
This only happens at high extended speeds, other wise, it's nominal.

 

[Gwolf]

The Bike only has 13000 miles on it. It has a bug screen in front of the rad.
This only happens at high extended speeds, other wise, it's nominal.

You did say coming back from Daytona, and Florida has bugs like you wouldn't believe. Little tiny ones that will go right through screens. Big ones that splatter all over the front end. Got plenty of small blooms and pollen too. It collects on everything this time of year. Even if you have screens, you should still check the radiator for plugged fins. I live in Florida all the time. This is the time of year when little mud wasps plug up narrow spaces with wet mud that dries like cement and dog fennel blooms blows with the wind and gets in everything.

 

[TheMariner]

The Bike only has 13000 miles on it. It has a bug screen in front of the rad.
This only happens at high extended speeds, other wise, it's nominal.

It might only have 13,000 miles but it's almost 10 years old. Coolant need changing? Radiator hoses gone soft?

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

The Bike only has 13000 miles on it. It has a bug screen in front of the rad.
This only happens at high extended speeds, other wise, it's nominal.

So, the bug screen clogs up with bugs instead of the radiators. Same effect. Suggestion would be to remove the screen, thoroughly clean it, inspect and clean the radiators, and go out and do a test drive. See what's what then. If still hot, do a test without the screen. A screen cuts down on airflow even if it's clean, especially with the F3 design. It all depends on the screen design. Of course, doing coolant system required maintenance is never a bad idea, either. But, ethylene glycol doesn't wear out. It does, however, lose its corrosion inhibiting ability over time due to depletion of the additives. Maybe not a root cause of your problem, but the maintenance is worth doing if it is overdue.

The other thing to double check is that the coolant tank cap got put on correctly and competlety when you added coolant that last time. It's not exactly human friendly to get back in there with a hand. Make sure both tabs on the cap are engaged to the tank and you tightened it up all the way to the stop, and not just to where it appeared to get tight.

 

[BajaRon]

What Gwolf said. Under the right circumstances, your radiators can clog in a very short time. Best to take the screens off and blow them out from the backside. Great Fun That!~

 

[VitoNam]

* Here's what I do in an attempt to keep my radiators free of crud of my F3, and it works.
* I wrap the grill with black nylon screening.
* The screen is retained on the back side of the grill with Gorilla tape.
* I've never had a problem with the screen affecting coolant temperature in the 7 years I've been doing this.

 

[tjranch9]

I put my screening on the inside of the grill... I didn't have a problem going up to Daytona
just on the way home.. Same day about 490 miles

 

[BajaRon]

I put my screening on the inside of the grill... I didn't have a problem going up to Daytona
just on the way home.. Same day about 490 miles

Try running without the screen. That screen may be blocking enough airflow at high speeds to starve the radiators of the volume needed to cool your Spyder at higher speeds and increased workload. If this is the case, it will also increase the amount of energy needed to push your Spyder along.

I know you say that you had no trouble on the way down. But if the temps were just a little higher, or some other small aspect changed, it might have put you over the tipping point.

Too much air resistance at higher speeds will create an air dam in front of the vehicle. This will change the aerodynamics and shape of what you are pushing through the air mass. Air will begin to flow around instead of through the restricted opening. I'm not saying this is for sure your issue. But I highly suspect it. It won't cost you much to remove the screen and test the theory.

If a fine mesh screen were a good idea, you would see it on just about every vehicle because it will certainly help to keep bugs out.

 

[pauly1]

Likely lack of airflow, as others have stated. If removing the auxiliary screen doesn't solve the over-heating, use a garden hose spraying from the outside inward to flush out the radiators: you'll likely see a lot of dirt, debris, bug remains, etc, pouring out the bottom of the front grill. DO NOT use extreme pressure with an air hose or pressure washer to flush the radiators: the fins a quite thin and bendable (ask me how I know).