Hi there, so I recently got a 1999 black CBR with around 32k on the clock. I have been running it up and down a roads, 70 miles an hour and it stays nice and cool. Once I get in town and.face a little traffic the temp gauge goes up to half and the fan kicks in, which is a good thing, my journey takes around 30 minutes with the last ten minutes me trying to get through town? And the gauge goes up to over half? Is this normal. I do filter as when I can, to try and.keep moving. I did notice that the water/antifreeze filler bottle was full above the max level. Any advice would be much appreciated. I will also try and upload some pics when I can work out how to do it. Thanks Dan

 

Hey Dan,
That's all pretty normal for these bikes. Mine is cool on the highway and pretty hot in traffic. I don't worry when the temp goes halfway up the gauge, but it should stop rising at ~5/8ths or so. If it goes past that point, you'll want to take a look at the thermostat

It'll also kick a bit of heat up around the tank/seat, like a built-in warmer

 

Hi there, thanks for the quick response. Yeah I noticed the heat coming through the edge of seat below the tank, very handy in winter. I figured that it would get quite hot as it's a big bike. It went just above half and the fan was kicking in. Seems normal now. What type of oil would you suggest when replacing?. Cheers Dan.

 

Yeah, mine seems to really like ambient temps 10-20 degrees C. She runs great if there's just a bit of chill in the air. Past 25 C she gets a bit miserable in traffic

Suggesting oil is a bit like asking what color shirts are best. Everyone's got an opinion. I run the Honda GN4 10W40 mineral. It's good solid stuff, and I'm a bit of a Honda fanboy. Personally I like mineral oil for older bikes, cause I find the synth will seep out of my goldwing, and it's cheaper so I can change it twice as often. Plus extra purity. I'm also 90% commuter 10% highway, and don't really bury the needle all that often. If in doubt, go with synth or semi-synth for better protection during sport riding

Going heavier is kinda pointless where I live. If you're in a hot climate, probably go up to a 20W40 or even a 20W50 if you're gonna take it through a desert or something

Capacity is 3.8L (4 qts)

 

I've been using GN4 10W40 as well. You go to a Honda dealership and and they always point to that jug no matter what bike you have. If you had an old Studebaker they would probably recommend that oil. I think it's only 30 or 35 bucks so why mess around. Cheap piece of mind.

 

Whenever I go to my local stealership, they always point me to the Motul stand. I might enquire about the GN4 next time.

 

I'm riding in 25-28 degs at the moment and the gauge gets up to 3/4 - 7/8 when in traffic (sometimes a little nerve racking). The fan kicks in around 3/4. That's all after a recent coolant change using ipone radiator fluid.

 

Great thanks for the the advice.