Has anyone installed coolant temp gauge? There are many out there, but I am wondering where I can install the sending unit on the motor. The water temp sensor on the bike puts out variable resistance. Anyone had any success mating a gauge with this sensor? Thanks -- Hank.

This is one of the things I am glad Kawasaki decided not to include. I would only fret and obsess about the temperature if I knew what it was.

+1 on that. I find temp gauges distracting because I start to worry about the engine. I realize they are built to run under all conditions.

A temp gauge would be nice because then I would know when the engine was warmed up.

There are temperature sender adaptors that are installed on the rad hose after cutting it in half, but coolant only flows there when the thermostat is open. There is also the possibility of having a threaded Y adapter with the ECU's coolant temperature sensor, but that would cause the sensor and sender to be backed out from the coolant flow.
It would be easier to read oil temperature. A common 1/8" pipe thread temperature sender could be installed in the oil pressure access plug (3/8" pipe thread) by tapping a 1/8" pipe thread hole in it, or with a 3/8" NPTF male (1) to 1/8" NPTF (2) female adaptor. http://www.discounthydraulichose.com/product_p/5406.htm
Oil pressure gauges as used by the dealer has various interchangeable fittings for different applications, including 1/8" and 3/8" pipe thread...
http://www.kosonorthamerica.com/index_us.html

I had my warning light come on and off once for my coolant level going up a slight hill. I took the side cover off and the coolant was a little low. I put in some Prestone antifreeze that I have for my car and no problem everey since then. That was about 4,000 miles ago. If I had a temperature guage I'd be constantly looking at it to see if it was ok.

Sorry but stupid question , where is the temp warning light ?

When you turn your key on and before you start the bike a red light will come on at the left below your rpm gauge. If your antifreeze gets low in your radiator that light will come on while your driving the motorcycle. That's what happened with me going up a hill. It went out when I was on a flat surface again. I checked it and the antifreeze was a little low. Every since then I've never had a problem. I just had to throw in a small splash of antifreeze.

Coolant temperature warning light is set to go on if coolant temperature reaches 239F (115C), but not if level gets too low. Cooling fan comes on at a coolant temperature of 91C (196 F). Thermostat valve opens at 80.5-83.5°C (177-182°F). Full opening lift: 8 mm (0.31 in.) or more at 95°C (203°F).
Permanent type of antifreeze (soft water and ethylene glycol plus corrosion and rust inhibitor chemicals for aluminum engines and radiators) Mixed Ratio: Soft water 50%, coolant 50%.

I don't remember my fan ever coming on...this may explain why my bike always smells hot. But the temp light has never come on, so I don't know.....how can I test the fan? I'll check the fuse first I guess.

The only cooling fan test mentioned in the service manual is:
"•Disconnect the connector. •Using an auxiliary leads, supply battery power to the fan motor. If the fan does not rotate, the fan motor is defective and must be replaced."

Coolant has to be drained to test the temperature sensor-
•Remove the water temperature sensor •Suspend the sensor in a container of coolant so that the threaded portion is submerged. •Suspend an accurate thermometer with temperature sensing portions located in almost the same depth.
NOTE
○The sensor and thermometer must not touch the container side or bottom. •Place the container over a source of heat and gradually raise the temperature of the coolant while stirring the coolant gently. •Using the hand tester, measure the internal resistance of the sensor. If the hand tester does not show the specified values, replace the sensor.

Water Temperature Sensor Resistance:
Temperature / Resistance (kΩ)
–20°C (–4°F) *18.80 ±2.37
0°C (32°F) *(About 6.544)
40°C (104°F) 1.136 ±0.095
100°C (212°F) 0.1553 ±0.0070

Graham,
My fan comes on all the time in traffic and at lights. In this weather yours should be coming on as well!!

Does the temp light come on when the key is turned on without starting ?

I have a light at the bottom below the oil light which never comes on .

Regarding a temp gauge, there is something I use that is even better. I had a temp gauge on my previous bike that screwed into the oil inlet hole. I wanted to see how accurate it was so I bought one of those laser pointer surface temp readers (it does not really have to have the laser though). Harbor Freight has them cheap and I also have the more expensive ones but they read the same but do more.

Anyway, I carry the small one in my bike and hold the guage at various parts of the left and right side of the engine about 4 inches away to see what the temps are.

The bottom of the engine on the sides run the hottest. The right side is cooler than the left. Right is around 210 and left about 217. Never had it read over 220 even on very hot days with city riding. My Bonneville often got over 250 on hot days.

:eek:I had my warning light come on and off once for my coolant level going up a slight hill. I took the side cover off and the coolant was a little low. I put in some Prestone antifreeze that I have for my car and no problem everey since then. That was about 4,000 miles ago. If I had a temperature guage I'd be constantly looking at it to see if it was ok.

It is not recommended to use automotive coolant with a motorcycle as it has antioxidants in it that can cause damage to the aluminum water pump used in most motorcycles, including the Versys.

I don't know what a small amount would do to damage the water pump, but if it was me I might want to consider a flush and refill with motorcycle specific coolant.

Zeniac

Does the temp light come on when the key is turned on without starting ?

I have a light at the bottom below the oil light which never comes on .

No... Mine never goes on either.

My fan comes on if I have to stop and idle for an extended period, if I'm riding in heavy stop and go traffic or something.

Concerning the choice of anti-freeze fluid. Most car engines these days are made of aluminum. I'm not sure what difference there is between the aluminum used in car engines and motorcycle water pumps. I'd do a close reading of the contents to see if there are any ingredients listed that might be harmful to aluminum.

From personal experience, most motorcycle anti-freeze is extremely over-priced.

Red

OOPs I forgot to comment on digital gauges. I find that digital gauges are fine for shop work and diagnostics but aren't as good for use on the bike itself. Analog gauges are superior for mounting on the bike because they are easier to scan. Its not really necessary to know what the exact temperature is while riding, you only need to know the "range" of the temperature. The needle position sitting in the good zone is easier to quickly scan than to read, for example, 196 deg and then recognize that that is a good temperature. If your scan policy has you looking at all the gauges, you can see that the needles are in the expected places faster than analyzing the exact digital reading.

Red

You can actually order the 3/8" male to 1/8" female pipe thread adaptor to read engine oil temperature, from your Kawasaki dealer... Kawasaki # 57001-1233 -GAGE, OIL PRESSURE.
$5.56 from http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/Street.aspx

Has anyone installed a oil temp gauge on their bike?
I got a billet re-usable oil filter w/ cooling fins and wanted to see if it helped in dropping oil temps since the V does not have a oil cooler.

Has anyone installed a oil temp gauge on their bike?
I got a billet re-usable oil filter w/ cooling fins and wanted to see if it helped in dropping oil temps since the V does not have a oil cooler.

could we see a photo or a link with infos of this filter?

another question.my radiator fan goes on every 10 minutes in traffic and slow motion situations with the ambient temperature above 30 degrees celsius.i know its normal.the winter with ambient about 10-15 i heard it working one or two times.
the problem is that when the fan is on and i reach my destination i wanna switch the engine off,if i doit the fan instantly stops ,its connected to the key switch.my car and some other bikes i had continued reving till the thermostat kill signal .have you noticed that also?>

Same here, Naz.

It's a little bit concerning. I would like it to keep running especially in those situations, but I don't think leaving the bike idle at that point is good.

PC Racing spin-on re-usable oil filter w/housing available thru motorcyclesuperstore.com for $98.99 and free shipping.

Has anyone installed a oil temp gauge on their bike?
I got a billet re-usable oil filter w/ cooling fins and wanted to see if it helped in dropping oil temps since the V does not have a oil cooler.

I did help poochar install a Koso temperature gauge to read oil temperature on his V... He's getting normal readings of 177(+/-4)°F, and up to 205°F in slower traffic at 80+°F.
The coolant thermostat is calibrated to keep engine's head and cylinders as close to 82°C (179.6°F) as possible... When coolant temperature is below 80.5~83.5°C (177~182°F), the thermostat closes so that the coolant flow is restricted through the air bleeder hole, causing the engine to warm up more quickly. When coolant temperature is more than 177~182°F, thermostat opens allowing coolant flow. When coolant temperature goes up beyond 219°F, the radiator fan relay conducts to operate the radiator fan. Fan stops when coolant temperature drops below 210°F.

The fan on my '10 runs when the engine gets hot which usually happens in stop and go traffic. I also noticed it only runs when the engine is on, not when the key is on. I guess that is to keep the fan from running down the battery but I wonder why they didn't put in a time delay circuit so the fan could run for a few minutes if the engine were hot enough for it to need to be on? I had an '06 KLR 650 and I'm pretty sure the fan ran when the bike was hot, even with the engine and key off. Maybe it's different for a single vs. a twin. Most of my previous bikes were air cooled big single dual sports so having a fan is new to me.

I have yet to hear my fan come on, on my 08 KLR after 12K miles.They said they increased the cooling capacity of the radiator on the 2nd generation.
On the V that's not cool that you can't leave the fan running w/ just the key on after killing the engine.Makes you wanna leave the bike running till the fan shuts off.Otherwise you'll get a temp spike.

the truth is that if you let it idle with the fan on it will shut off 20 minutes later....in ambient of 35 celsius its a suicide.when i switch off i always hear the cooling fluid expanding violently ,i will have to modify the fan circuit to last longer when i kill the switch.

... i will have to modify the fan circuit to last longer when i kill the switch.

I don’t know that having the fan running without the water pump circulating the coolant would help much...

In fact it might even be detrimental because the fan would be blowing on the front of the cylinders only and that could cause them to cool & contract asymmetrically.

Yeah, I know... I’m probably over thinking it... but that’s what I do :o

no it wont work like that.if the fan keeps blowin the radiator will have a dθ (Cylinder Fluidtemp-Radiator fluid temp) comparing with the engine hot parts so there will be a natural circulation within the fluid.now the temperature rises suddenly in the radiator when i kill the switch (fan stops) so it expands violently because of this sudden temp rise.

no it wont work like that.if the fan keeps blowin the radiator will have a dθ (Cylinder Fluidtemp-Radiator fluid temp) comparing with the engine hot parts so there will be a natural circulation within the fluid.now the temperature rises suddenly in the radiator when i kill the switch (fan stops) so it expands violently because of this sudden temp rise.

I can see where (obviously) the temperature would rise rapidly in the engine water jacket – and how that would increase the pressure throughout the whole system, including the radiator – but would the temperature differential between the engine and the radiator actually cause circulation of the fluid? I’d guess it would if there was some vertical (heat rising) effect but I really don’t know diddly squat about thermal/fluid dynamics.

Thanks
.

I can see where (obviously) the temperature would rise rapidly in the engine water jacket – and how that would increase the pressure throughout the whole system, including the radiator – but would the temperature differential between the engine and the radiator actually cause circulation of the fluid? I’d guess it would if there was some vertical (heat rising) effect but I really don’t know diddly squat about thermal/fluid dynamics.

Thanks
.
yes the temperature changes fluids density,the density differential causes the movement.dont imagine a very fast circulation,just some circulation would be enough for not having a spike in the cylinders.there is also the boiling point of the coolant,if it boils for some seconds every day during summers(30-45 celsius) it gonna loose its properties faster . waters boiling point is lower so if the hydraulic circuit is not perfectly sealed while the 2 phase coolant-steam expands you may have some tiny leak of steam (proly from radiators cap) and in the long run your fluid coolant concentration grows higher ,more than 50-50 versys should have.i recently changed mine coolant and i verified its poor quality after 2 years,its sure the result of overheating and i plan to do something about it.

Thanks to the help of invader.....
here are two pics of my Oil Temp install.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh105/poochar/temp2.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh105/poochar/temp1.jpg

yes the temperature changes fluids density,the desnity diferential causes the movement...


Thanks for the explanation... It sounds like a time-delay relay for the fan circuit is in order...
.

A temp gauge would be nice because then I would know when the engine was warmed up.

When idle settles (1000-1100 rpm), it means that the engine has reach a "working" temp, your good to go !!!


LOP

Thanks invader and poochar.Thats the ticket.Is that what I get if I order the kawasaki part# 57001-1233,gage oil pressure? Also,Poochar where did you get that digital KOSO gauge? Thanks.

The Koso Temperature Gauge I got at Dennis Kirk ($75.99)
Dennis Kirk Part #: 408372
Brass fitting (3/8 to 1/8) I got at Home Depot.

The unit runs on a watch battery.... (12 volts only needed for
the backlight)

very nice setup,i like it very much.i would prefer an analog gauge though,retro style.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SWOOSH-60mm-JDM-Stepper-Motor-OIL-TEMP-C-Gauge-W-R-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem27acb20fccQQitemZ17040 1075148QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccesso ries
invader do you realize that you are a real reason for someone to travel to canada?? :D :joke: canada is a very beautiful country dont get me wrong :cheers:

Here's a link for the brass (#33220-06-02) 3/8" NPTF Male Pipe x 1/8" NPTF Female Pipe, Hex Reducer Bushing
($0.86 each): http://www.discounthydraulichose.com/Hex_Reducer_Bushing_Brass_p/33220.htm

It replaces your oil pressure access plug...

I have also been wanting to install an analog guage from a <08 KLR 650 in the inner cover ajacent to the instruments. There is plenty of room and that guage is < $50, although I might have to fab a lense. My real question is if I piggy-back wiring from the OEM sensor to this, how might it effect the signal to the ECM?

ECM's coolant temperature sensor's probe is an NTC. Its value decreases in logarithmic mode when the T increases. A signal conditioning (with high impedance) is necessary to obtain a linear V/T scale that's compatible with a conventional temperature gauge.

http://digilander.libero.it/JH61/Versysinstr-ENG/vi_brochure-e.jpg

- Price of Coolant Thermometer Kit with all accessories for easy installation: 47 Euro
- Price of Voltmeter Kit with all accessories for easy installation: 43 Euro
- Packing and Shipping costs thru Italian Registered Mail Service (EU and Mediterranean area): 12 Euro
- Packing and Shipping costs thru Italian Registered Mail Service (Rest Of World): 18 Euro

I've been researching the idea of mounting an analog temp guage from a <08 KLR 650 seen buying my V. That guage is < $50 and their is room to mount this in the inner fairing adjacent to the instruments. But I question will the added resistance of this piece cause a false signal to the ECU?

I've been researching the idea of mounting an analog temp guage from a <08 KLR 650 seen buying my V. That guage is < $50 and their is room to mount this in the inner fairing adjacent to the instruments. But I question will the added resistance of this piece cause a false signal to the ECU?

If you speak regarding the Versys Instruments (see above), the gauge DO NOT modify in any way the signal to the ECU. :thumb: