Good afternoon,

I recently acquired the 2015 30th Anniversary ZX14R. Michigan temps are around 45 degrees today. I took the bike for a ride, and the temp hovered at 145 degrees unless I slowed down in the city, then it rose to 168-172. Does this seem like it's running cold?

Thanks, Kurt

That gold accent makes it . Sounds normal. Remember, it's still an air cooled bike even still with radiator and fan. Let the bike sit and idle, it goes yanni. LOL

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My Gen1 only had bars for coolant temp so I have no idea how that corresponds to actual temperature. I'm in N Wisconsin and I don't believe my fan would come on a day as cool as today. Perhaps if I were to stop and idle in traffic for 5 minutes after an hour long ride. Mine rarely ever rose above 3 out 6 bars and on a day like today, I'd only see two bars. I never slowed down much though.

Were your shins and ankles actually getting hot? That would never have happened on my Gen2 unless it was a hot day. Hope you get some more precise info about normal operating temp for your Gen2. You might have a look at the fuel mapping. With a full exhaust, I would expect that bike to run cooler than it is but I never had any exact number to say what "cooler" should be.

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Rook, think about it. I'm riding in the wind and 145 is moving air at 45 degrees. I slow down if not creep in traffic and the temp rises to 172.

Now the thinking begins. Kurt never mentions an overheating issue. You missed the numbers. The thermostat is not stuck if it follows the ambient. The big think now is, I have an air temp sensor before engine takes a gulp and that means fueling up at a colder degree. Kurt never makes mention about bad running, equipped with pc or not, not to mention heat is HP.

Not to mention sitting next to a 5 or 6" thermodynamic theory book. If I took the ambient and those numbers, flip thru the pages to find the formula, how much do you want to bet the manu took the same book, and formula says, not one 14 after its long production run, has an overflow design problem ever, and I mean I never saw one on here except yannih's.

Would you conclude, I date/write these numbers and ambient. Next few degrees either way a week later, think it will remain at the 45 degree number it spit out now? So I'm up against ambient, no bad running, no overheating, no stuck thermostat, no spinning water pump blade to stop flow.

Don't go Brandon on me, Rooksteer.

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not one 14 after its long production run, has an overflow design problem ever, and I mean I never saw one on here except yannih's.

Remember Donny? His Gen1 overflowed in his garage. It's a hot running engine. It's had overflows in desert testing. For me in N Wisconsin with full system exhaust, 3 bars all summer, might touch 4 bars occasionally, never 5 unless I it's a 90 degree day and the bike is sitting there idling a long time.

You have the Exact numbers with your Gen2s Hub. If you see 170 F with your stock exhaust at 40° ambient temp, a bike with an aftermarket exhaust should be about 20° cooler, I'd say. This time of year on N Wisconsin, I don't even ride because it's too cold to go fast. All I know is I never feel heat on my legs unless it's a 90 degree day. I have no idea what that equals in exact engine temp but it would be between 4 and 5 bars on the Gen2 water temp gauge.

* Last updated by: Rook on 10/25/2021 @ 4:33 PM *

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This is such a basic question and all we have are a guy in Cali with a 100% stock Gen2, a guy in Montana with a H2 and me in Wisconsin with a wrecked Gen1 I haven't ridden in 4 moths. Sad. Participation has been low but there's no excuse to not have someone step up within a couple days and say exactly how their Gen2 reacts to these temperatures. Thats a super easy one. I wonder if the spam has turned people off so much they don't even look anymore?

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Oh and a guy in New Zealand with a Gen2.

Sorry Fnshrmaster, we don't have anyone who owns an operting motorcycle in your same climate. It's just you and about four maybe five others out there reading this stuff....maybe.

* Last updated by: Rook on 10/25/2021 @ 9:11 PM *

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Mine used to make me worry about temp, I have an 06, I do not worry about it now. Gauge seems to tell me its hot, but bike itself shows no sign of over heating.

Ron

I remember we would schedule trips to Catalina every October because of the heat wave coming thru before it gets cold. Had just a little heat wave the other day. Was in a medical center so I rather ride slow with all the in and out traffic. Found a parking spot, killed it, fan came on. I looked just for you and it was 205F (96.1C).

Slow riding, creeping for a parking space so it was a lap or so before I saw someone pull out. That's all she wrote under a minor heat wave and slow riding to heat things up, being mostly an air cooled bike.

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Fnshrmaster, your bikes temperatures are normal. I live in ND and I was riding my bike last Friday with the outside temp about the same as where you are, 45-55. On the highway the bikes temp showed 145 and in town with stopping and going it went to 180.

By the way, that's really a sharp bike you have.

* Last updated by: mokaw on 11/4/2021 @ 5:26 PM *

No heat at all. Just a regular mid 70F's. Another slow heat up finding the parking spot. 203F. Fan kicks off at 176F I believe.

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Those temps seem about right. Keep the coolant freshened every couple years, really helps cool these big motors. In summer riding in stop and go my bike with get to low 200s in which the fan kicks on. Not an issue. But yes, in 60F or cooler temps it's not uncommon while moving for the bike to be in the same ranges you're seeing, where it almost seems like it's not warming up enough Completely normal.

Here's a pic from when my bike was just a baby...