Guest bikeman1 Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I have 180 miles on my new 2010 VFR1200 and the bike seems to heat up and turn the cooling fan on fairly frequently. Today I took it for a short ride and the fan kept coming on when riding short distances (about 1/4 mile or so) in 1st and 2nd gears. The temperature was only 57 degrees and I just wonder how it will be when it gets to be around 100 degrees. I hope the fan doesn't run constantly! This is my 64th bike in 50 years of riding and have had a lot of experience on air and water cooled bikes and don't remember any water cooled motorcycle running the fan that easily. Any ideas or comments on overheating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted June 6, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted June 6, 2012 The cooling fan system in later model bikes is not controlled by an electro-mechanical sensor but rather by the ECU based on the reading it receives from the ECT sensor. I have a 2005 CBR1000RR track bike which used to switch the fan on at 50 degrees C coolant temperature and it would come on and go off at what seemed like odd intervals. My best estimation after thinking about it, is that the ECU monitors not only the current temperature but the rate of change. If the temperature is increasing higher than a specific rate, it kicks in the fan to slow that rate increase down. I'd hazard a guess this is more likely on new engines as they're still a bit tight. Even my dad said his 1997 VFR from new ran really hot and the frame itself was hot to the touch. Once it had a few thousand miles on it there was less heat soak. Older bikes (VFR800 and earlier) use an electromechanical switch to activate the cooling fan, so they will basically come on at 100 degrees or so and switch off when the temperature falls below that. Those systems are actually higher risk because while the ECT sensor is connected to the engine block the cooling fan switch is mounted right at the top of the radiator. If your coolant is low, the switch may not read 100 degrees and your cooling fan may not come on even though the engine is overheating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I thought about the "engine being tight because it's new" idea and have considered that a contributing factor. It's just that it was so cool that I had to wear a heavy riding jacket to stay warm. I guess I was expecting the engine to stay a little cooler than it did. Thanks for the analysis - I'll keep an eye on the "newness" theory over time and hope for a cooler running engine as it breaks in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anbark22 Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I thought about the "engine being tight because it's new" idea and have considered that a contributing factor. It's just that it was so cool that I had to wear a heavy riding jacket to stay warm. I guess I was expecting the engine to stay a little cooler than it did. Thanks for the analysis - I'll keep an eye on the "newness" theory over time and hope for a cooler running engine as it breaks in. I agree with kaldek. When my bike was new (vfr1200 DCT) I experienced the very same heat issues, I even had the dealership trailer my bike back to their shop for investigation. I created a really mean post about how much i disliked the bike because of the heat and hot frame. Naturally, the dealership found no problems. But, after the bike started to break in, it gradually became normal. It's fine now. Furthermore, I really, realy, really love the bike. Hopefully your bike will begin to settle down and maybe more members will chime in with their experiences and / or advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam2 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Is it actually getting hot or is the frequency of the fan coming on that is troublesome? Don't equate the fan cycling to overheating. It's working as it should if the temp stays where it's supposed to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 The manual actually mentions the fan's frequent cycling and it is completely normal. It's just not tied to a specific temperature/electromechanical switch anymore. The CPU is in charge now. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Yokel Posted June 8, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted June 8, 2012 I've noticed the fan on mine pops on when the engine's cool provided I'm running consistent RPM... Like it will trigger at a dead stop after a cold start idling the motor at 3k for 10-15 seconds. Perhaps it's just a pre-determined point it pops on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Thanks all for all the feedback. I took the bike out for a 350 mile ride yesterday where temperatures ranged from 41 degrees to 58 degrees (I've got good riding gear". when out in open country there were only 3 bars on the temp. meter, but when slowing down for small towns with several stop lights the temp. gauge would quickly move about 1/2 way to the "hot" mark and the fan would come on. Again, I was expecting the fan to not come on until the gauge got closer the the "hot" mark. I guess it's not really an issue that warrants a trip to the dealer yet but just a "mild" concern. Hopefully as the engine breaks in more it will correct itself. Side question - does anyone know of a vendor that markets a nice clean setup for installing a BMW type power port for an electric vest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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