I had the misfortune to go out for a ride with a load of Harley riders last week. Speeds didn't exceed 50mph and when I pulled into the car park coolant started to leak from the area around the coolant level indicator. The temp guage was showing 105, much higher than it has been before. After leaving it to cool down, the leak stopped and still having coolant within the specified levels I decided to risk riding it home. During the ride back, temperatures didn't exceed 80 and no further leaks. What could have happened that has now resolved itself? Could I somehow have boiled the coolant due to slow speeds? Thanks in advance
Speeds not exceeding 50 mph is a bit of a clue - these bikes get hot if ridden slowly. 105 should be fine though, I'd have thought. That's only just above the level where the fans cut in to stabilise the temperature. Excess coolant is supposed to flow into the expansion tank when it gets hot and expands and then get sucked back as it cools again. Maybe you have a leak between the main coolant reservoir and the expansion tank... How is your coolant level??
Did the fan kick in at all ? It could be a stuck Thermostat or fan switch which meant it got a bit hot. But as above, I've seen 110deg on bikes when the fan is kicking in when commuting in London etc.
I don't think the actual temperature is a concern at all. What is worrying is coolant loss at that temperature - unless the reservoir was overfilled. That would cause it. If the coolant level is fine now, I would suspect an over-filled reservoir and keep a good eye on it to make sure.
I didn't hear the fan. Coolant level has stabilised now, could do with a top up after losing a bit but it hasn't dropped any further. It now sits halfway up the window.
Easy to check the fans. Just let it idle until the temp reaches 101 when the first fan should kick in and the second 2 or 3 degrees above that if the first fan didn't stabilise it. Check for loss of coolant at the same time. If you get none, I suspect all is well but keep an eye on it till you're sure.
Btw. If I were you, I wouldn't top up the coolant level if it is stable between the two lines. The extra may well just get pushed out again and give you more cause for concern.
I think that is the main cause of the problem. Ducatis are just not designed to go as slow as Harleys...
It was a struggle and not at all enjoyable. Why buy a bike thats slower than my car? I wont be making that mistake again soon, thats for sure.
Riding with a bunch of Harley's eh?? That carries a punishment of at least 50 lashes!! But seriously check the smaller of the two water hoses on the near side of the rad. They tend to swell up and perish if not using the bike for a long period of time and only leek when the water reaches a certain temperature. I had one go on mine last year and took me ages to find as when cold they reseal them selfs up. OE replacement was only £12 so didn't break the bank. The easiest way to change this hose I found was to loosen the rad mount bolts and carefully wriggle the hose out and refit the new one using a smearing of white greese will help it slide back into place. When refilling with coolant squeeze the hoses to prevent any air getting stuck in the system then run the motor for a few moments before you replace the coolant cap. Bring it up to temperature letting the fans kick in and out then recheck the coolant level when everthing has cooled down. Finally avoid any Harley activities and all will be fine !
The Expansion tank split on mine, was fine when cold but any heat and it opened up, might be worth a check. Good luck with it.
