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K1300GT Overheating


Jomcc

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Just wondering if anyone has had a problem with a K1300 GT overheating. Back in autumn, I noticed temperature going very high in city traffic. I mentioned to dealer when having it serviced. They said everything seemed fine. Last week, I was riding in city traffic. Temperature went very high again. Red light eventually came on and bike ran very badly. Cut out a number of times. I didn't have time to pull in and let it cool down but knew I was getting closer to clear roads. All went fine once I could get up to speed. I was riding in Dublin where temps were about 4 or 5 Deg........not Dubai.

Radiator fan seems to be running fine and there's no sign of radiator being blocked. Anyone come across this problem?

 

Joe.

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Hi Joe,

 

I have a 2009 K1300GT. It is very important to keep the radiator clean. You don't want to run the engine too hot. Wash the junk out of the rad from the rear if possible. I take off the deflector and screen from the front of the rad and the fan from the rear. Then I wash back to front. I inspect the rad with a light on the front side and my head behind the rad to see if the veins are clear or not.

 

If you find small tar bits on your wheels, you can bet they are also in the rad, especially from newly paved roads or patches. The tar melts and then traps other bits with it. Gunk also gets behind the centre stone deflector and just sits there.

 

The K1600s also have the same issue. After cleaning, if the problem still persists, then it is a bad rad or something else, such as a sensor. I am sure others will also have ideas.

 

David

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Dennis Andress

Neither of our K13's have overheated or run hot. But I have some practical experience from riding a K1200 RS for a few years.

 

In heavy traffic, when the temp gauge goes up, the cooling system will do a better job if you keep the RPM low.

 

If you're in stop and go traffic, stuck behind a car, try riding close to the center line so you can get cleaner air into the radiator.

 

The temp gauge for the K1200 was very misleading, maybe the K13's works the same. For the K12, the fan came on when the gauge reached the red zone. But, that was also the point when the thermostat reached fully open. So, the fan coming on and the gauge reaching red weren't so much a problem as they were normal operation.

 

My K12's thermostat wore out. I figured this out by noticing the bike would never reach its normal operating temperature range on very cold rides. The thermostat could no longer hold itself completely closed.

 

 

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David is correct: your radiator is clogged.

It's a relatively common issue on Wedge K bikes: you will need to remove bodywork and thoroughly clean your radiator from dried up mud, dead bugs, debris etc.

 

The problem is caused by a short fender and poor design of the engine guard allowing crud to build up on the bottom of the radiator where the fan is located. In short your radiator is working at halved capacity and to make matters worse the fan is rendered useless.

 

Be warned if the situation is as bad as I think you'll probably need a lot of elbow grease to clean that radiator. :wave:

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Thanks for replies everybody. Had a quick look at it and thought it looked ok. Will need to check more carefully at weekend. Your suggestions certainly make sense and while it will take some elbow grease, I'd prefer that to € Euro. :grin:

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Hello All.

Took bike apart and see that radiator seems very much blocked, as suggested. Not too happy about taking power washer to it. Any suggestions as to how I could clean it. Do I need to take it off. Definitely want to avoid that if possible.

 

 

Joe.

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Sadly the radiator design on Wedge bikes allows dirt to become much "packed", hence why the elbow grease part.

 

Traditional method is get a good supply of patience, an air compressor and a garden hose.

Use compressed air to dislodge as much dirt as possible, then switch to garden hose. Repeat as many times as needed. For the best results you should use hot water: your local garden supply/hardware shop should have screw on adapters for your kitchen tap that cost just a few €€€, then pass the hose through the window while your wife isn't watching. ;)

 

If you feel like splurging, A/C repair shops have radiator/coil cleaners available in both aerosol and foam format. Work very well but they are expensive. Just spray them, let them soak and rinse.

 

Alternatively generously spray the radiator with a good household degreaser (green Cillit Bang works the best) from both sides, let it cook for half an hour, rinse with water, repeat treatment and, if you have access to it, finish the job by using compressed air.

 

 

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I'd be using the chemical assist to help break up dirt clumps and debond tar bits. Water or air by itself aren't real good at either without that assistance.

There is a reason all my bikes get extenders and why I don't mind rain riding- nothing like a few miles of highway speed in a down pour to clean rads and coolers- gets the bugs and tar chunks out very nicely.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Simple Green dissolves bugs like crazy. Spray on , let sit, flush. Repeat. Smells kinda nice too.

 

 

Morning Tri 750

 

Simple Green can be corrosive to aluminum, to varying degrees & depending on the alloy, solution dilution, & time on target. It is advisable to anyone using standard Simple Green on a motorcycle to Google using Simple Green on aluminum before spraying that stuff on & allowing it to soak.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

#2 on the bugs in the radiator. I had this on tour last year over in the Alps. Every uphill was an overheat, every downhill was ok, engine running for 10mins would have max temp and fan running continual. I foolishly damaged the radiator fins by being a little overkeen when cleaning. £400UK later, a new radiator and problem gone. I kept the old one just incase... My machine is a 2009 K13S with 49k miles. and there's a lot of bugs in Scotland in our summer trips...

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update.

At the time I was told the only true way to clean it was to remove the rad and soak it overnight. I've used all sorts of bug shifters, but it's road grit, grime and bent fins in there too.

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