Hey guys, I'm interested in lowering the temperature of my bike under certain riding conditions. Mostly at very low speed or on hot days approaching a known red light with some idling/waiting to be done. There are a few ideas I have:

1: Install a manual switch to turn on the fan at will. This is in addition to, not instead of, the normal fan engaging operation.

2: Install a lower temperature sensor to have the bike turn on the fan at a lower temp than it currently does. This affects it completely from here on out and is all automated.

3: Change coolant to aftermarket brand or type, and potentially add an additive such as Water Wetter or Engine Ice.

One or several of these things should work, but I'm mostly interested in number 1 & 2. My question is, has anyone bought and installed a sensor that triggers the fan at a lower temp such as 185º instead of 200º+ ? Also, how would I go about tapping into the fans circuit to add a simple toggle switch?

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1. Thru the 8 or 9 year span since the bike's inception, not one bike overheated to the point of more bikes boiling over, blowing head gaskets, blowing coolant lines, etc.

2. Thru the 8 or so years the bike began life, the bike goes thru some rugged testing for overheating, starting after hot, cold starting, engine on the dynos running for 24 hours and that endurance before something blows.

3. Thur the years, Joe A has come up with so many wacko combinations that just equal out as not doing a thing as if the bike is going to overheat in the desert, a hot day in traffic, etc.

Conclusion. Look like a squid with the wetter water and a different fan, some water temp sensor change, a toggle to the fan, everything but ride the fucker. LOL

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With your cblast flash, the fans come on at 200 degrees like stock, but the difference ive noticed is my fans will continue to run once the temps drop below 200. Don't know how Mr. Disney and Nels pulled that off but I like it.

what Hub is trying to say here is you have nothing to worry about with your temps climbing a bit higher than you "think" they should.

* Last updated by: Nastynotch on 6/6/2014 @ 5:33 PM *

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Evans coolant might help ?

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I've noticed that exact same thing nastynotch. I do a lot of slow paced riding too. Ya know, around town with a million stop lights. Or pushing her HARD on the highway makin her break a sweat just to get off the highway to go through 4 stop lights and 3 stop signs. I pull into the driveway, she hot as fuck. 210 212 fan blowing away. No worries. I just put a high velocity fan on to cool down. Keep the key on for an extra few minutes to keep the fan on. Cools right down. In traffic, no probs. 200 205. Cruising 180 185ish. Cool mornings 150ish. Tough as nails bro. Leave alone.

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My bike runs quite a bit cooler now that Cblast has had his hands on my ECU.

1. Thru the 8 or 9 year span since the bike's inception, not one bike overheated to the point of more bikes boiling over, blowing head gaskets, blowing coolant lines, etc.

You forgot about Donnie's bike, Hub. Boil over on garage floor after shutdown. That's not to sat there wasn't something wrong to cause the overheat.

3. Thur the years, Joe A has come up with so many wacko combinations that just equal out as not doing a thing as if the bike is going to overheat in the desert, a hot day in traffic, etc.

I also recall ther being some desert tests by MCN or somebody like that back in 07-08. From what I recall they said the 14s they had had some temperature issues by the end of the day.

I saw the temperature warning icon come on one time in my 14s 6 year life. It was when the bike was just a couple months old and nearing the peak of summer and I am pretty sure it was right after I shut it down and keyed back on soon after. I always have used Kawi coolant in the 14. Never had a boil over. Stuck with stock exhaust for two years and never saw the bike hit 6 bars. With the full exhaust, the bike runs at 4 bars max in 80 F air temp. 90-100 F it might go to 5 bars when I am going slow. The muffler cools down after shutdown faster than the tires do. It's just warm to the touch in 1-2 minutes after shutdown.

I'd consider gutting out the cat if you have one in your Gen2 header. That will help a little. If your slipons don't cool down as fast as mine, I'd think about a full exhaust. You can try Water Wetter or Engine Ice. It's easy enough to dump it if you don't like it. Muzzy makes an fan with blades that are supposed to push more air through.

* Last updated by: Rook on 6/7/2014 @ 6:18 AM *

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You forgot about Donnie's bike, Hub. Boil over on garage floor after shutdown. That's not to sat there wasn't something wrong to cause the overheat.

That's Don vs. Hundreds if not a few thousand of other 14-14R's that do not burp on the floor.

I saw the temperature warning icon come on one time in my 14s 6 year life.

And did you beat crap out of it that day? Ambient high?

I also recall there being some desert tests by MCN or somebody like that back in 07-08. From what I recall they said the 14s they had had some temperature issues by the end of the day.

Imagine all of us beating crap out of the bike all day. We saw a light come on but no burp, no hose blown, no head blown. No, extended story the head went belly up due to the testing that day.

1. Water wetter
2. Cat change
3. Oil change
4. Fan blade
5. Fan switch
6. Muffler change
7. Flash my fan on

Wadda fucking list going nowhere. We the squid crew will out pee forum the engineers of this bike cooling things off. Here are our 7 whackeydoodles we came up wit so far.

Not my bike, so you go for it.

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I'd consider gutting out the cat if you have one in your Gen2 header.

No cat in a 14R header.
No cat in 2006-7.
Cats in 2008 and on, up to last gen1. (if I have my trivia correct)

So removing a 14R cat is no existent sans the mufflers.

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Hub I didn't know you felt so strongly about it. I am not in a dire need to do anything about this, it's not really even a problem honestly. I know the Kawasaki engineers did enough testing to prove the system works properly. That doesn't mean I have to enjoy pulling up somewhere with my bike the hottest its been during the entire ride.

Another interesting note, how about wiring it to be able to let the fan run after the key is off? I have friends whose bikes will do this. Fan is still controlled by temp and it simply runs until that temp criteria is met whether or not the key is on or off. I wouldn't be changing anything if the ZX14R would do this, because I could get off it steaming hot and take the key out and walk away knowing that the fan will continue running until its cooled down.

Not ready to change coolant right now, seems like an awful lot of work for something thats more of an annoyance than anything. I only noted it as one possibility. Also my carbon cans are never more than warm to the touch...ever, including while riding. I've never seen my digital temp readout display a 'TOO HOT' message or become overwhelmed. A manual switch still shouldn't be that hard to wire up, and would be just the icing on the cake of this awesome machine! I'm fairly versed in mechanical and electrical work. And for the record I don't think that a simple mod for this makes me a squid. I've just returned from a 500+ mile trip across 2 states and spent many hours riding in the pouring rain. Had my bike dyno'ed and also flogged it on the track up there a few laps for the hell of it. Thanks for chiming in though!

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Having the fans continue to run once the engine is turned off will only cool the fluid in the radiator. If the water pump isnt running, its pointless.

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That's true Nasty - didn't think of it that way. Then why do some bikes do it? And if that's the case why would you leave the key on to let the fan run once you've stopped riding and shut the bike off? I guess cooling the radiator is still better than nothing.

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Heat transfer best to worst.

1. Straight water
2. Water with wetter
3. EG mix
4. Straight PG.

Byproduct of hp is heat. Just accept it. You could own a harley and have to shut it down or drive thru stopped traffic to keep from burning the oil.

Cblasts flash and a zx10 front fender helps, but nothing will stop it from hitting 205 sitting in traffic when its hot out.

* Last updated by: fatsix on 6/7/2014 @ 9:20 AM *

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I suppose leaving the fans running will shed a little heat from the outside of the engine, but the process will be painfully slow and it would drain your battery fairly quickly.

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Hub I didn't know you felt so strongly about it.

I'm not. It's to goofisthee. You are not the first one to complain about sitting over a hot engine, so there has to be some compromise, no?

I am not in a dire need to do anything about this, it's not really even a problem honestly.

Once you accept the science of it.

I know the Kawasaki engineers did enough testing to prove the system works properly. That doesn't mean I have to enjoy pulling up somewhere with my bike the hottest its been during the entire ride.

We have two fans on our bikes if yours is '012 and up. My fan still comes on times 2.

Another interesting note, how about wiring it to be able to let the fan run after the key is off? I have friends whose bikes will do this.

Nature says to science so there is concept is once you turn the stove off, you boiling tea/eggs/oil = The Cooling Down Begins.

Fan is still controlled by temp and it simply runs until that temp criteria is met whether or not the key is on or off. I wouldn't be changing anything if the ZX14R would do this, because I could get off it steaming hot and take the key out and walk away knowing that the fan will continue running until its cooled down.

The old lady's honda car does the same thing. Say you disabled it. How many times has the fan stayed on the one or two hot days or romp, whatever, the occurrence times that car's fan not turning on vs. that raggedge temp that does turn it on is what? Not enough to cause engine damage: if the stove has turned off... or it would have blown a head gasket, yes or no it was so hot?

A manual switch still shouldn't be that hard to wire up, and would be just the icing on the cake of this awesome machine!

It has to satisfy what you assume is going on. Yes, very simple to do electrically, so I don't see you solving that dead end once you sit in traffic: isn't it too late? Back to what fatsix said, correct?

And for the record I don't think that a simple mod for this makes me a squid.

I want you to imagine you are all alone with your toggle switch, or the wetter water change [whoever that was], sitting in front of the engineers that built that bike. You are what? Assuming they did their formula vs. nature's ambient and penultimate number, but you can out-engineer the dependability/durability/HP rating messing with the water temp?

I think if you did nothing to the bike and that heat exchange, I see it's like you are flushing the toilet twice as the first one was clean to begin with. Therefore, you did not UP the engineering solving anything is my assumption, correct?

That's how I see 7 moves by 7 yahoos sitting in front of a team of the guys who designed the bike, you [not you personally, Bradley] but the 7 ideas leading nowhere, once you sit in traffic, watch the needle, etc. Anything happen in 8 years due to temp? No.

I've just returned from a 500+ mile trip across 2 states and spent many hours riding in the pouring rain. Had my bike dyno'ed and also flogged it on the track up there a few laps for the hell of it. Thanks for chiming in though!

There is a fine line between a squid and a rider's rider. I'm just pointing out I think the factory covered their every move and any other move is mute vs. what six mentioned. I kill the engine when sitting too long in traffic situations. Fan comes on with key still on. I kill the engine with key off. Fan was running. You see me with a head gasket problem with 3 14's going through my fingers with the same MO?

So, if I live in the hotter part of the country, have lots of stop and go traffic on the freeways, surface streets, fan comes on, or disable fan with key off: see me question the engineering changing one thing on this bike? Do I understand a fan and temp gauge with common sense, or squid it out, insult kawi-san?

Signed,

NOLTT

* Last updated by: Hub on 6/7/2014 @ 11:17 AM *

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I saw the temperature warning icon come on one time in my 14s 6 year life.

And did you beat crap out of it that day? Ambient high?

Nope, i rode it like a cruiser pretty much when I first got it. It was a pretty hot day I'm sure but I don't recall exactly how hot. It was parked in a hot garage for a few minutes after running it up to high temperature, too. I think I started it and the indicator went off after a short time of circulating the coolant. A big piece of the puzzle is the stock exhaust. It holds back a lot of heat.

* Last updated by: Rook on 6/7/2014 @ 4:38 PM *

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It was a pretty hot day I'm sure but I don't recall exactly how hot.

Hot enough, right? But, we are down to time? How long did it stay on? Less than a minute you start moving along, correct?

And Bradley, I am not calling you a squid, but the squid move vs. the evidence I present so you are not sucked into the herd mentality, when there are no threads about blown head gaskets or overflowing engine radiators around the world.

Here is the deal. Horn wire is hot. Why? You mess with cutting bike wires, it's one more squid move showing it's tentacles. Say you manually run that fan up to a toggle.

1. When will you know when to flip the switch? You are no longer riding, you are now a computer looking at the gauge's ever bar move. So much for riding in traffic vs. the gauge.

2. When will you turn it off so the water temp tells the data to run this mapping data to this temp. Now you are at a 'BEST' mapping move is not the ideal data letting the fan kick in and out as per no guessing which is the 'best' input number. No shit, now you are messing with the mapping. Again, insult the engineering, you now control the map and when to turn off the HP vs.HEAT.

3. When will squidly figure out about dash vs road is I'm about to concentrate on the water temp when 8 years of engineering says it was right the first time: concluded it's none of your businessquidly, keep looking ahead.

Bradley, I have a red carpet that if you step on it, it was not me calling you a squid. I'm pointing out squid moves, you keep thinking about it, because I've got nut-inn to do with the science. Just laugh about it and think what these water wetters are thinking of?? The fan blade fans. The togglers about to out think the ECU with a flip of a switch.

Is that funny or what?

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If you have the hoses reversed at the filler neck it will puke after shutdown.

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How long did it stay on? Less than a minute you start moving along, correct?

That sounds about right. This was back in 08 so it's hard to remember. I saw it flashing with the display intermitantly like the low fuel indicator does. I didn't even know what it meant but after I took off, it went away.

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I've had good results on a couple of bikes switching to Engine Ice from conventional coolant. Redline makes a coolant with Water Wetter and I wouldn't hesitate to try that. If I were having heat issues, my next move would be a second fan wired parallel to the single stock fan. Hasn't been necessary, but I don't do much city riding or stoplight-to-stoplight commuting.

As I posted recently on another forum, most "overheating" issues are merely heat-management issues and heat coming off the radiator is an indication of heat sucked out of the water jackets, not actual engine temperature.

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That sounds about right. This was back in 08 so it's hard to remember. I saw it flashing with the display intermitantly like the low fuel indicator does. I didn't even know what it meant but after I took off, it went away.

In other words, I do not have an engine enclosed like a car with a clutch fan moving as per engine rpm or every rev. My bike still needs moving air to pull the heat out of the fins or radiator [if applies]. If I use water wetter, a fan blade change, I cut off a split second of time is the same engine stopped and cooking without air movement past it.

Now, the next question is, with all my mods, I'm sitting in traffic, did my gauge move from a running 2 or 3 bar, or still rise when stopped with engine running with wetter? So, did you really accomplish or defeat the sitter in traffic from still coming on is the fan and heat times no air movement? But once that bike moves... I'm asking, where the mods worth it against a lot more bikes not modded with wetter and a fan change?

I mean, how can mother tea install another fan just to read the complaints and attempt to cool the bike down, but here are the dual fan'ears chiming in, crying about heat all over again. What am I missing?

To me, these are a lot more entertaining than an oil thread. It's formula vs. heat vs. the engineers call vs. your fan/toggle/water call vs. sitting over a running engine stopped in traffic vs. moving vs. you fucking withe loop you can't get out of vs. till the engine moves in the air again.

Tell you what. I feel as strongly matching yours is to put a dime in that heat exchange. Rook just answered my logic. I'm satisfied. I'll not bore you'all anymore. I don't think I can get much more out of the common sense that makes sense to me.

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I got a Connie rad and fan off ebay and put in the red engine coolant and no problems with install, heat is a few degrees down and cools faster running both fans.

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Engine ice is Propylene glycol aka long life antifreeze. It has a lower heat transfer rate than Ethelyne glycol aka green shit.

The benefit of water wetter is it breaks surface tension and helps with corrosion.

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