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Temp gauge

14K views 36 replies 16 participants last post by  fasteddiecopeman 
#1 ·
Has anyone put a coolant temp gauge on a Versys? I know the KLR has one. Just wondering what my coolant temp is; I will be going to Arizona soon and don't want to damage the engine. The smaller the better, I have an already cramped cockpit area.
 
#2 ·
Engine Temp motoring system:

the display:


The heat pick up sensor:


The Module;


You can set the fan kick in temp at provided range in the module. Original fan kick in temp is set at 102C. I set fan to kick in at 90c. Now my V runs coolllllllllllll.

Hope it helps.

:goodluck: on your trip.
 
#3 ·
#6 ·
#8 ·
Not messing at all with the sending unit. Just physically attaching the foreign probe to the sending unit. I've done it presently but my gage is the round needle type.
 
#13 ·
Probably because, like the KLR, the V does NOT have a by-pass in the radiator which makes the "Thermo-Bob" a good mod. I guess Kawasaki figures that what you don't know can't hurt you....

You've noticed how the temp on your KLR (in cooler temps) fluctuates? That's as the thermostat opens then closes. Check out the "Thermo-Bob" here:
http://www.watt-man.com/
 
#29 ·
I have been wishing for a temp gauge for a long time, but didn't know of a cheap, effective, bolt-on option until I started following this thread. I bought the TTO unit off ebay (thanks to Post#27 above by Seeya) for $43.90.

I mounted the sending unit in the upper radiator hose. The sending unit body is about 3/4", but I only cut about 1/2" out of the hose as the "straight" section of the hose that I mounted it in is barely long enough to accept the spigots of the unit and still fit in place. It was a tight fit!

I mounted the display under my handlebars by making a small aluminum plate that I could stick the display onto, leaving a tab above the display that I could sandwich between my Motowerk bar riser and the handlebar clamp base. (See photos).

It seems to work just fine. I took it for one test ride yesterday and it seemed to settle around 180F on the open road, and reached 198F in town (in 90F ambient).

The unit is small and light and very legible. It has a "feature" that will show you the max temp, alternating with the current temp. Unfortunately this alternating display never goes away. The unit is never off, so this morning the display was still flashing 198F alternating with the current temp. It will reset the max the next time you go above 130F, but I find this "feature" distracting and irritating. Fortunately you can turn off this feature. Unfortunately the button to set the scale (F or C) and the Max feature is on the bottom of the unit. If you use the supplied mounting tape and stick it to a flat surface, you cannot get to the "settings" button. I drilled a hole in my mounting plate so that I could access the button. I turned off the Max feature and am likely to never need to use the settings button again, but I wanted the choice.

The wire leaves the display unit on the right side. I would have preferred that the wire exit out the back of the unit and the settings button be on the front, but, it WAS cheap.

I'm including all this setup information in case any of you are considering mounting this on your dash. It would be harder to do a neat wiring job with the wire coming out of the side, not to mention getting to the settings button.

All in all, I am pleased with the price, performance, appearance and, hopefully, the long-term reliability.

Michael
 

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#31 · (Edited)
Since you installed digital temperature gauge and mornings are now cold in Nor Cal.
Have you ridden your bike and gotten some idea of warm up performance?

I rode my other bike w/ OEM gauge this morning and it was at ~185 within a couple of miles
of a Blvd commute. I suspect the Versys behaves similarly.

A Temp gauge holds the answer.
 
#37 ·
No - I figured that the combination of the "Thermo-Bob" and the red overheat light on the dash would be just fine. I know Bill, and knowing how much testing he did with thermo-couples, etc, I am quite happy without the gauge.
 
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