KLR650 Temperature Comparison - How Hot Is TOO Hot?

[@senorboardhead]

Thermo Bob with a cooling fan switch is the ticket. The TB takes all the wild swings out of the running temps and the switch is great at traffic lights in the summer.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I understand that but I live in a pretty warm climate and don't want to add heat to the bike which a TB does at all times.

[@MillersMotors]

so many people say to " just ignore it" but for us the only way to ignore something is to debunnk it!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Exactly. I feel the "just ignore it" is the absolute worst advice

[@kawabungah20]

Liked your informative video. I have a Trail Tech digital gage on my Gen 3 that I installed with my ThermoBob, and I like always having the coolant temp info as I ride. On a warm day, say 95F, my bike runs between 195F and 215F, depending on what I'm doing. An added bonus I like at the beginning of the ride is: I can see what the ambient temp is before I start the (cold) bike. This is nice for camping or deciding what great to wear.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I like being able to see that info too. Glad you liked the video

[@MM_in_Havasu]

Appears to me that either Kawasaki didn't use a big enough radiator on these bikes, or thermostat may not be opening all the way. It should cool right down with the electric fan on the bike, and also when you start moving again. Could be worse.......my GL1800 Gold Wing blows air across the radiators from the inside out rather than sucking cool air in from outside. It is why many Wing owners reversed the polarity on the fan motors to get it to pull air in rather than push it out. Honda wasn't thinking on that one! Thanks for an informative video!😎👍

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I do have concerns the tstat is opening late. Running hot is a common complaint on these bikes. It's acted pretty similar the entire time we have had it (16 years) and just worse in the last year.

[@richardramos9799]

Fan blades are made to work only one way, reversing polarity isn't good.

[@richardramos9799]

You never did say if your cooling fan works.

[@chema1546]

hello, good afternoon, I now have a BMW k1200s from 2008 and I have only changed the amortization springs and handlebars of the R and the exhaust and it is going great 👌 best regards

[@ACECafeBikes]

I've often wondered what "hot" was too on those factory gauge clusters. Thanks for sharing a comparison. I would worry about this too.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

It really was alarming when riding for long periods. The bike just WOULDN'T cool down and I needed to know what was safe. The fuel mix changed it completely

[@katywalker8322]

Not sure they are always meaningful! Many years ago I remember reading that the early CBR1000F had a habit of running hot on the gauge, which worried people. Hondas fix for this the following model year was a resistor in the wiring to the temp sensor to lower the reading.

[@rhuntsinger8899]

my 2023 klr650 did the same thing after my first year.... buyer's remorse. sold it

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

That's unfortunate

[@bodydoc2010]

It is an aluminum piston in the steel sleeve just like an automobile. The reason cars had a 12 pound cap on the radiator for a lot of years because they were predicting how hot the engine would run before it blew off. today Many of the cars have 16 pound caps. Water boils at 212° and we cannot let it boil in the engine. This is why we put a 16 pound cap on a radiator. for every one pound of pressure you put water under it raises the boiling point ,.3°. So let’s say there’s a 12 pound cap on my 2023 KLR That means they knew that engine would hit 248° at some point and of course it’s better to keep it down around 200 but shit happens. It’s not a huge big deal but one thing for sure. Don’t lug. down the RPMs when the temperature is high because I would be asking for detonation which can eventually cause a hole in the piston. as for the high idle, I could only guess but let’s say your idle circuit was a little on the rich side, then, if that extreme heat expanded something and caused a intake leak add air to a feul mixture, which was too rich, thus increasing efficiency and increasing speed.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

For the idle it was just a lean factory setting that kept causing it to runaway. After a carb rebuild and backing out the mix it is far more stable on both idle as well as temperature control.

[@upsidedowndog1256]

Nice! Since my pipe and rejetting my KLR quit the Chernobyl effect on temp swings. They are apparently on the verge of too lean as delivered.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Interesting! So yours had a similar condition when outside temps were higher?

[@upsidedowndog1256]

@@BrickHouseBuilds Yes. The temp swings were quite dramatic with the stock jetting. From hot as hell to cold to hot as hell just riding it through town. Jetting, muffler, K&N airfilter evened it out.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

That reassuring to hear someone else experienced something similar

[@upsidedowndog1256]

@@BrickHouseBuilds There are kits available to "fix" the cooling system but I won't need that now.

[@firestorm755]

You could always remove the thermostat and re run the bike. As mentioned if it makes a difference then it's partially holding shut.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Well id just replace it. Going into fall here and I need that heat retention

[@firestorm755]

@@BrickHouseBuilds I should have said take it out temporarily. If it cured the problem then stick a new one in

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

@@firestorm755 oh the problem was my fuel mixture. I addressed it in my carb rebuild video. Just too lean from the factory and just created excessive heat and detonation

[@bobrenk5518]

OE thermostat is junk. Little more than an on off switch. You likely notice a wild swing on the temp gage once the fan kicks in. Quite certain the oil burning issue older KLRs have is due to the thermal shock caused by the open/closed nature of the OE thermostat. I installed the Thermobob thermostat since they give you a spare with the Thermobob my brother bought for his KLR. That doesn't cure the slowish warmup but does cure the wild temp swings.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Definitely a big temp swing on these bikes

[@todaywefly4370]

This KLR is almost a dead ringer for mine. I fitted a cooling fan switch after replacing the fan temp sensor and still having a problem with heat. Now mine runs at about a 1/4 on the gauge and if I turn the fan on before it gets too hot when I’m in traffic or off road it will maintain 1/2 on the gauge.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Yeah I don't feel my bike acts exactly like many others but it definitely runs hotter than some

[@trueamerican1576]

Love it purchased ducati fan yesterday

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I hope you like it!

[@trueamerican1576]

​@@BrickHouseBuilds I'm sure it will help. my middle gasket on the exhaust system was a little bit loose and melted a hole right in the bottom of my airbox on the clean side. ever since then I have been adamant on temperature even though mine does pretty good as long as everything's torqued to spec. I have the 2006 with the same paint scheme. I put the same kind of windshield on it as you have but 14 in. I brought it back to life with a bunch of OEM parts. I found an awesome Pelican case that is huge basically brand new for $128 they have a few left. that will go on the top rack. I have imitation pelican cases for the side that open from the top. mounted to a Tusk rack

[@katywalker8322]

The lean tendencies when the carb needed a thorough clean probably boosted the temperatures quite a bit. But 240f (so 115C) is way too high for my comfort! Going over 100C is bad enough. Could be interesting to confirm exactly how accurate the small digital gauge is. It is mounted on the pipe from the engine (so after the thermostat?) so I would expect a slightly lower reading than directly from the engine.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Correct the sensor is a bit up the hose from the cylinder head so I expect a few degrees cooler on the digital reading as compared to the cylinder head reading. I discussed that for a moment in my gauge install video

[@katywalker8322]

@@BrickHouseBuilds , should be cooler. Not sure how much. Suppose might be some heat soak from the exhaust which might bump the temperature up but would expect the effects of that to disappear rapidly with airflow once you start to move.

[@MrBeltaine]

Interesting that you were running hot. the thermo-bob is a popular automotive style thermostat that prevents the klr engine from running too cold. it's main benefit is for those who ride in temps lower than 80°F/27°C.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Right, when cool the bikes run too cool so that modification has its place. Once riding season starts here in the Midwest it stays above 80 pretty consistently.

[@kevinproctor8743]

Temperatures in the low 200’s F I would not be too concerned about. Water boils at 212 degrees F at sea level and rises 3 degrees F for every 1 psi pressure rise of the cooling system. So if your cooling system was to run at 10 psi maximum then the boiling point would become 242 degrees F. If the bikes gauge is approaching the ”H” mark and temperature is well up then cool down is needed. The temperature drop across the radiator is a good way of determining the effectiveness of the cooling. Hard to check on a bike of course as stopping and prompt checking with an infrared gun can see small changes that will affect results. As a Cat mechanic cooling system overheating can be complex but “most” hot running generally come down to core plugging, on bikes bugs, dirt accumulation due to dust and wet weather etc. Remove the radiator, thoroughly clean fins externally until no debris can be seen. Fixes many hot running problems. No reason why bikes should not be the same. I hope this helps. Kevin

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Hey Kevin the radiator has already been off the bike, fully flushed, and I religiously clean the fins before big rides and always make sure its free of debris. I also have water wetter in the system. Again my bike would just get hot and never come down after some hours. Not typical. I did see that 240 mark and felt it started to boil but again I was on a hill and couldn't just let it cool down. Adjusting the fuel mix helped tremendously on multiple fronts.

[@chriswilds85]

@@BrickHouseBuilds I have a 2023 KLR that I’m having similar problem with, but wasn’t until after I installed the thermobob that it started happening. Then I added Water Wetter to the system to see if it would help, and the problem got worse. I can’t seem to figure it out…

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

@chriswilds85 so you have been experiencing overall just hotter temps or have they just been spikes?

[@chriswilds85]

@@BrickHouseBuilds both actually, running hotter overall which I kinda expected after the thermobob install, around 200 or so, but then keep getting spikes into the 240s on my digital temp gauge as soon as I slow down or stop. Thinking of just taking the thermobob back off and see if it fixes it. It’s a brand new bike, wasn’t expecting these problems.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

@chriswilds85 Well that sounds about what you would expect with overall temps. The spikes are hard to say. Is your fan coming on?

[@smarba1]

Hey I'm new to klr with a recently purchased 2007, this was a great video because I've been watching my guage bounce around and was wondering what the temps were. I was curious where did you run your sensor from ? the head, sparkplug or rad? thanks

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I have a full install video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHbbiHeJbKyEpdk

[@justchillinout2002]

Seeing all the different phone mounts in this video, I'd be curious to see a review on those!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I've just been using a ram mount lately and they work for me. No vibration dampening though

[@lawerncemiller6557]

I would think a free flowing exhaust + open up the air box would go a long way to help keep the engine running cooler

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Possible. I just wouldn't want the bike to be any louder so I'd have to look for options there

[@lawerncemiller6557]

Yeah that is something that goes along with aftermarket exhaust unfortunately they are louder fmf has a muffler called quitecore but it's still louder than stock and is less restrictive

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

@@lawerncemiller6557 yup, I do lots of exhaust systems and sometimes a quiet bike is what I want

[@peterrestaino7047]

how about an air cooled cb1100 like mayby put the thermacouple pickup under the sparkplug

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

What about one? I know trailtech makes a few different temp sensing options such as that.

[@peterrestaino7047]

@@BrickHouseBuilds ok very good thanks

[@SH-vo6go]

.....and maybe you should also explain the overheat indicator.....

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Could you rephrase?

[@SH-vo6go]

@@BrickHouseBuilds oh u dont understand ?

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

@@SH-vo6go I don't understand your question the way you phrased it

[@dukie1616]

What do you think of those analog dial temperature gauges that go right on the radiator cap?

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I could see how they would be useful in situations where you could easily see them. Not possible on this

[@dukie1616]

@@BrickHouseBuilds Was curious if you knew of one that you trusted and thought as a good product/brand?

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

@@dukie1616 i have no input there as I've neve used one

[@craiggrim2577]

Ok, i was wondering the same thing for my CX 500 adventure bike. What would the temp be in the center of the gauge of a CX, has anybody ever checked? My fan blew up and damaged my radiator, so i replaced it with a cbr500r radiator and fan. The temps seem higher than with the original radiator (in the 185 - 215 range) is this too high for the CX.... I've been dying to ask you this, and its funny that you posted this video with the same question about your KLR.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

You are perfectly fine there. CX/GL can run near 220 pretty consistently but that can also vary by where you are taking your measurements. I've used this gauge multiple times and have a buddy with a gl500 and both gauges. If you watch my gl650 first ride/first start videos I believe I show the temp a bunch in there.

[@craiggrim2577]

@@BrickHouseBuildsIf anyone has experience with CXs, its you. Thanks for answering this question. I've been riding it so gingerly wondering if i was going to ruin it!

[@jimclarke1108]

240 wtF ?🥵

[@nathanshepherd6384]

Hey I have a 2001 kawaskai klr 650 and at idle it get hot hot until it’s riden like yours how did u fix that

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Well the bike will naturally get hot at idle due to no airflow across the radiator. I found the fan would come on too late as well to keep it under control. Check out the playlist on this bike as I've shown my fan mods, fan override switch, and carburetor rebuild where I richen up the fuel mix to help keep it cooler.

[@padrescout]

Did you do the doohicky?!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Yes kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnKnk4lunZ6KgK8

[@milescabbathway]

93,000 miles on a 2013 with original doo (tension checked annually). Cheers

[@97delkron]

i don't believe your temp problem is normal. i have an 07 i bought new and currently have 80,000 miles and never seen mine do that. no matter the outside temp or riding condition when it gets just past half way on gauge the fan kicks on and needle never increases past that point. i have also had couple parts bikes i cobbled together and same thing along with many friends and klr events and never seen what you describe. that high idle at temp is also weird. i recently added a thermo bob to mine which raises temp a bit and still never runs past half way. i would think your fan no working correctly. i also heard a ninja fan is a nice upgrade.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Im thinking ill replace my thermostat next season. My fan is actually from a Ducati and on an override. It does kick on when it should but always seems too late to keep up. It's ALWAYS been like this since like 2009. It's hot here in Missouri and bikes heat soak a lot. Definitely a dance

[@joejas22]

Thermostat change. They do go bad.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Always a potential but wasn't the case here.

[@yomommaahotoo264]

Yo - lemme axe you sumpmm. On a long trip have you ever wrapped ribs in tin foil and cooked them on the engine so they're ready at dinner?

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Lol I actually want to do that

[@raymondpick4945]

Temp Here 15Deg Cold And Wet UK,😂

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Its cooling off fast here