Coolant

[Maniac 0]

In my KTM owners book it says overheating is caused by riding too slowly, and to please ride more briskly when this occurs.

No joke. In fairness, my bike has never gotten hot. I keep moving and I use engine ice.

KTM - ready to race, just don't idle the bike. And that's fine with me, I always shut off when coming to a stop for more than a few seconds. That's why we have electric start.

[Wakemedic 0]

Yea I was definitely going pretty slow on that goat trail. I have no problem admitting that 4ft ledge with a 200 ft drop off was the upper limit of my riding ability. While the other guys weren't fazed at all. The bike also overheated on a wide open ride earlier as well so .... .... Paul thanks for the offer, I'll take you up on that ! The bike already has a fan, like Chris said before, we found a Jet completely clogged, some pretty oily fluid coming from the radiator, we adjusted the Valves, got on the phone with the mechanic and checked some other things looking for a head gasket failure. It still ran and sounded like crap. Taking it up to All American tomorrow morning .

[Uncle Champ 116]

Thank God I'm on a Honda, that way I don't have to "ride briskly".

[Guest Crusty]

I wish I would have read this thread before I raced this bike.

My Honda's never do this.

I was afraid to shut it off because it barely started and was running like crap!!!

RACE READY.LOL.

At least I had a couple miles of pavement ahead to cool it off before the first 30 miles of whoops.

Got docked for going over 60MPH.

I was so pissed off.

Do you guys turn off your bikes when you stop at a traffic light..LOL.

[bikeslut 1]

I wish I would have read this thread before I raced this bike.

it's not really new, and pertains to lots of liquid cooled bikes that are EPA strangled from the factory

and there are TONS of threads about it, plastered ALL over the internet... Honda guys seem to think it is a fatal flaw, and KTM guys seem to think it is a way of getting past the enviro-nazi EPA and a simple fix

gotta say- i don't foresee an orange bike in my garage, but I'll side with Kool-Aid on this one... simple fix

...how long were you idling (or more likely revving the snot out of that bike) before it started getting hot? Do you know if it was properly jetted for that elevation and temperature?

[Covered in Dust 163]

I think that's a bike with to much coolant to start with. The overflow hose drains right onto the pipe.

CiD

[Guest Crusty]

I wish I would have read this thread before I raced this bike.

it's not really new, and pertains to lots of liquid cooled bikes that are EPA strangled from the factory

and there are TONS of threads about it, plastered ALL over the internet... Honda guys seem to think it is a fatal flaw, and KTM guys seem to think it is a way of getting past the enviro-nazi EPA and a simple fix

gotta say- i don't foresee an orange bike in my garage, but I'll side with Kool-Aid on this one... simple fix

...how long were you idling (or more likely revving the snot out of that bike) before it started getting hot? Do you know if it was properly jetted for that elevation and temperature?

The bike had been re jetted

It was not a plated bike so no EPA drama.

I started my bike right after the person in front of me

and rode to the start, just like everyone else.

I have never reved the snot out of any bike at a start, till the last 10-20 seconds before the gate drops.

The sad thing was when the bike quit running, I looked down

and saw the fuel line had broken, fuel was dumping on my new boots.LOL.

We were 190 miles into the race, the bike was brand new.

After a half hour trying to make a fuel line out of a vent hose, I had to cut

my Camleback hose to make a new fuel line.

[Covered in Dust 163]

Crusty everyone knows that KTM stands for Kan't take Mexico.

CiD

[daijones 0]

I think that's a bike with to much coolant to start with. The overflow hose drains right onto the pipe.

CiD

Yes thats another common problem with overfilling rads on KTM's.

Truth is any large capacity MX/enduro bike even with correct jetting will overheat if running for long stationary or at slow speeds if no fan, a lot of clutch use or rekluse makes it happen quicker. At recent Tecate GP the bikes all got together to warm up at the pits for escort by local cops to start in middle of town. Local kid next to me on a 450CRFR was blipping his throttle and was annoying loud trying to impress his hot girlfriend standing by him and as cops didn't turn up as quick as expected suddenly a cloud of steam and coolant puked out all over the road and his girlfriends shoes, so funny. Then he had to send his buddies to go and get some coolant as we all set off, didn't see if he even made the start.

[Guest Crusty]

I think that's a bike with to much coolant to start with. The overflow hose drains right onto the pipe.

CiD

After this race I learned not to start "this bike" till you are 5 bikes away from the start.

Five bikes is 2.5 minutes, any longer and it can purge watter.

The bike could take Baja, with a few modifications.

It finished a respectable 5th. in the next race,

"The Baja 500" In the 30 Pro class.

[bikeslut 1]

I think that's a bike with to much coolant to start with. The overflow hose drains right onto the pipe.

CiD

Yes thats another common problem with overfilling rads on KTM's.

Truth is any large capacity MX/enduro bike even with correct jetting will overheat if running for long stationary or at slow speeds if no fan, a lot of clutch use or rekluse makes it happen quicker. At recent Tecate GP the bikes all got together to warm up at the pits for escort by local cops to start in middle of town. Local kid next to me on a 450CRFR was blipping his throttle and was annoying loud trying to impress his hot girlfriend standing by him and as cops didn't turn up as quick as expected suddenly a cloud of steam and coolant puked out all over the road and his girlfriends shoes, so funny. Then he had to send his buddies to go and get some coolant as we all set off, didn't see if he even made the start.

Wha...? A....honda overheate...I...wow

[paulmbowers 236]

Wha...? A....honda overheate...I...wow

Too much watter in the radiator.

[Covered in Dust 163]

Wha...? A....honda overheate...I...wow

Too much watter in the radiator.

Watter u takin bout?

[paulmbowers 236]

Watter u takin bout?

you misspelled whatchu.

[dsfox 0]

maybe I missed it, but didn't see that anyone mentioned the elevation factor in mammoth, where you are riding most of the time from 8000 to 12000 feet above sea level....

overheating occurs quicker at higher elevations...where boil point is lower....

mammoth is the ONLY place my KTM has EVER overheated, but in the bike's defense, that was before it was properly adjusted and only when I was in slow technical terrain......

I since also added a fan, and have NEVER overheated ONCE since then.....I do use engine ice, or similar racing coolant........my lack of overheating is most likely NOT because I'm going at a blistering fast pace... I'm sure eddie rides faster than I do...

Another option is to take out the thermostat and replace it with a simple motocross version "Y"..... I haven't done that because the overheating problem is gone....

[paulmbowers 236]

Mostly good info, but I don't think the boil point in a pressure vessel changes with altitude. It's up to the radiator cap to create a specific atmospheric pressure within the pressure vessel. It's14 lbs psi at sea level or 10,000 feet- right?

Scientists?

[Guest Crusty]

Can't believe this thread is still alive.

Well I figured out why I haven't seen many bikes overheat lately.

I stopped taking people on rides on the infamous trails of Vista.

" AKA Hammer's Hero Loop"

On a funny note!

I was at Cycle Gear in San Marcos looking for special coolant,

I was told I could probably find it at a KTM. dealer.LOL.

[dsfox 0]

Mostly good info, but I don't think the boil point in a pressure vessel changes with altitude. It's up to the radiator cap to create a specific atmospheric pressure within the pressure vessel. It's14 lbs psi at sea level or 10,000 feet- right?

Scientists?

no scientist here.....I just believe what my bike mentors teach me..... either way, HAPPY to not have that issue any more....much thanks to YOU Paul, for helping me get the fan on.... You Rock!!!

[AATA 0]

Somewhat of an old topic, but I will add another recommendation for Evans. My KTM rarely got hot unless stopped or really slow tight stuff. Even then it doesn't heat up too fast. I just use the Evans because it works great, lubes parts good and if you ever do heat up it doesn't boil (no need for a catch can). We've used it in our race car since before they were making it for bikes. There's more advantages to using it than not using it in my opinion. Our race car is highly modified and used to flash boil the water around the cylinders on really hot desert races and have overheating problems. Our mechanic who worked for some of the LMP cars recommended it and ever since we've never had an overheating problem and never lost a drop. Since the boiling temp is so high, I know race teams that don't even pressurize their cooling systems. Great stuff and worth the extra money in my opinion.

[jbw 0]

Here is my initial theory...The pressure that the cap releases depends on relative pressure to the outside atmosphere thus it will let coolant out at a lower absolute pressure and thus temperature than when at sealevel.

Also lower density air does not cool as well.

I will not run coolant that does not boil... seems like a good way to blow up your bike! Boiling is a great indication that the bike is too hot.

[Guest Crusty]

Here is my initial theory...The pressure that the cap releases depends on relative pressure to the outside atmosphere thus it will let coolant out at a lower absolute pressure and thus temperature than when at sealevel.

Also lower density air does not cool as well.

I will not run coolant that does not boil... seems like a good way to blow up your bike! Boiling is a great indication that the bike is too hot.

I had this discussion with a group of veteran riders a couple of weeks ago,

we all agreed, that its easy to tell, that your bike is too hot,

long before it boils over.

I have only had 1 bike boil over!!!

It wasn't mine!

[jbw 0]

It may be easy to tell sometimes but is it always?

Will you always notice even if it is easy to tell?

Fail safe is key for me.

[Guest Crusty]

It may be easy to tell sometimes but is it always?

Will you always notice even if it is easy to tell?

Fail safe is key for me.

I kept waiting for my air cooled XR680L to boil over.

[jbw 0]

I see that you are waiting for a reply "Trolling"

You know the lights on the dash board they call idiot lights,

waiting for your bike to boil over.

I am in no way trying to incite or troll anybody and am sorry if you feel that I am.

I get email notification of quotes of me so maybe that is why you think I am waiting for a reply?

(quote added for accurate context)

[Guest Crusty]

I see that you are waiting for a reply "Trolling"

You know the lights on the dash board they call idiot lights,

waiting for your bike to boil over.

I am in no way trying to incite or troll anybody and am sorry if you feel that I am.

I get email notification of quotes of me so maybe that is why you think I am waiting for a reply?

(quote added for accurate context)

Both replies are accurate!!

If your bike is equipped with a coolant recovery tank would you be able to tell that it was boiling over? NO.

When a bike boils over it loses it's ability to cool! (less water)(boiling water)

I have been on many rides where bikes boiled over, but the riders never stopped to let the bike cool,

to properly replace the lost watter, except once.(Duallies bowmont ride, Schwinns bike) top of Allesandro.

Most people don't even know the proper way to refill the cooling system after boiling over.

Riding a bike that has lost water is a good way to blow up a motor.

My bikes don't run hot, or overheat., but I am with AATA. on the Evans coolant!