Coolant Change

Use caution as the chemicals can be different but if shopping in halfords I would be looking for one that states it is suitable for all aluminium engines and has a high temperature ceiling.

The one you have posted has a temp range of up to 108 degrees which I would say is too low for a motorcycle as it would be starting to boil at the upper thermal working range.

I use this which is rated to 133 degrees...

Motul Motocool Expert 1 Litre Ready To Use Anti-Freeze / Coolant - Motorcycle | eBay

 

I order stuff like that from reputable sellers on ebay. Same price as the shop but you dont have the faff of going around shop to shop to find the stuff.

Nothing worse than going all the way to the dealers only to find they havent got what your after.

 

I've used car antifreeze in a bike before with no problems (it was one rated for aluminium engine components) but since then I have become more nervous, as a result of:

a) Confusion about which type of corrosion inhibitors are in the coolant - with many cars now using "extended life" varieties which are often red in colour. It can be bad to mix different types, e.g. blue and red.

b) Suggestions that even with the right corrosion inhibitors (to meet your vehicle manufactiurer recommendation, or to avoid conflict with anything already there) some bike water pump seals are very sensitive and can be wear out more rapidly with some car coolant blends. I am not sure how true this is.

As a result of this, I reluctantly put expensive Castrol pre-mixed bike coolant into my Suzuki. Fortunately my Ducati is air cooled! It may be worth seeing whether there is an official Ducati recommendation. I bought my Castrol coolant (and fork oil) from Opie Oils recently when they were offering some sort of sale prices. May be worth looking for discount codes:

Motorcycle Coolant / Antifreeze

 

The Ducati recommendation was SHELL Advance Coolant or Glyco SHELL at a 35% - 40% ratio with water but since the debacle with the MTS cylinder heads it is now the somewhat expensive Agip Permanent Spezial pre-mixed coolant.
Whatever coolant you use do not change from blue to red or vice versa without thoroughly flushing the system with water first.

 

Very few engines don't have at least aluminium cylinder heads these days and an aluminium/iron combination is even worse for galvanic corrosion. As far as know just about all antifreezes contain corrosion inhibitors nowadays.
The data sheet is here - http://www.motul.com/system/product...original/Inugel_G13_Ultra_(GB).pdf?1369901902
It says it's suitable for ferrous and nonferrous components.

 

silly question but have you taken the rad cap off and drained the expansion tank also?
i always rock the bike back and fourth and side to side to make sure its all out. maybe a quick google will show the correct volume.
i then flush the old coolant using a bottle of deionised water (in halfords as battery top up water) and you will see it coming out and when its clear its good to add coolant. if you add water and nothing is coming out then that coukd be a hise blockage and indicate why you havent drained all the coolabt out.

 

EDIT - I read a thread on it. Will pm it you.

 

have you tried pinching the bottom hose top- hose with the tank cap off, this helped me, as some air blooted out so i could put more coolent in .just a thought.

 

I work for a vehicle manufacturer, as already said I would be careful mixing coolants and make sure you use the manufacturers approved coolant type (it's very much the same as oil specifications).

I have seen radiators lined with a calcium scale which was the result of a reaction between the coolant and silicone hoses and in another example the coolant reacted with copper hoses on an auxiliary heater. The message being you don't know what metals are tucked away in your cooling system so go with the manufacturers approval list.

 

The new Agip coolant Ducati are using is a technically better product than the old Shell stuff. Iirc, it protects down to minus 40, has better cooling properties and has a 4 year service life vs. the 2 years of the Shell.
Motul MotoCool is very good, but they are also bringing out a comparable product to the Agip. I can't recall the blurb but it's a new tech being applied to coolants in general.

On the 748, as well as the two drain screws, pull the bottom hose off the stat housing and the elbow that links the front cylinder to the water pump. With the system cold, the stat is closed and holding fluid in the radiator.

 

I know old thread but my local Ducati dealer use Silkolene Mag Cool on my Ducati.

 

No Sev. I use the Motul