Flush the radi with a garden hose too when you are in there. Fix it and keep riding...it's experiences under your belt for a life time...

Keep us updated and hope you solve the cooling system.

Thanks again! I hope to be as knowledgeable as you about these things some day :icon_biggrin:

I'll make sure to flush it out, I hope I don't find anything too terrible... :(

I'm only knowledgeable for the mistakes I've made in the past. Now a days, at least we have the Internet & forums to source our problems...

These are Hondas, so they should last us long time..with property maintenance.

It's hard to say why engine don't start until cool down? At least you are not riding bike when it's HOT! ....can it be that you might have flooded the carb with too much gas when trying to start? Then wait cool down, ok to start...

If bike is running fine on highway, it's good sign, meaning air cool is still proper...now hope it's that thermostat gone bad, it's not letting coolant in when needed, so during traffic, bike heats up....or radi cap?

Keep us posted...

And +1 on your carb job & others, great job! I get tentative going in too deep because I don't have to time and the patience...

Looks like you were right on that thermo... I'll put up more detail stuff in a bit.

In the mean time, runs great!!

Attachment 40688

That's great!!! Another job under your belt!

Thanks again for the advice!

My friend made an interesting point though:

Doesn't the thermometer close to restrict coolant flow so that the engine can heat up in cooler climates? If that's the case, why would a wide open thermometer be causing the bike to overheat?

Because the coolant entering the engine block didn't have significant time to cool down, then forced back into the block? Just a guess....if the radi cap works and the thermostat stuck open, how is coolant suppose to flow easily? Thermostat maybe open and cooler coolant is ready to enter, but radi cap is not ready to let hot coolant out...

If any one component fails....wouldn't work.

ah, the open thermostat boggle...

the thermostat restricts flow. the transfer of heat takes time to happen. if coolant moves through the engine without stopping, the heat wont transfer. ever wave your finger through a candle flame? not a problem as long as your finger is moving. i dont suggest leaving your finger in there for the time it takes heat transfer to take place...

temp gauges may read cool as well, but the heat transfer also needs to heat the sensor for it to read accurately.

True, but in the candle example it's only a small point of heat. The engine is a relatively long area for it to pass through, so wouldn't it still pick up heat when moving quickly?

The temp gauge was reading hot like normal before too. Maybe the new coolant or radiator cap also had something to do with why it is working better?

details, details. the coolant also needs equalize to from the part touching the hot part to the water that is not. think of a pot of hot water, the water in the center isnt as hot as the water closer to the pot. or better yet, take a hot pan and put it under running water. the pan will stay warm for a while. (the air is cooling it also). then put hot pan in a sink full of water, the pan will cool as it heats the water, over TIME. do both pans at the same time and see the difference in temps during the same time, trying to use the same amount of water.

the same works on the other end in the radiator. the coolant needs to stop in the radiator for the time needed to transfer its heat to the radiator (then the air cools the radiator as it passes through)