title says it all, i just got the bike, and plan to do a full cleaning, fluids being the first.

anyone?

 

engine ice

 

What ever type of antifreeze you use, as long as it is for aluminum radiators, when you refill make sure you use ONLY DISTILLED WATER, not regular tap water. You have an aluminum radiator and tap water will cause electrolysis that will ruin your radiator.

You could use Engine Ice, at about 8 or 9 dollars a bottle, or for about three cents use two or three drops of a low sudsing automatic dishwasher detergent. It will break down the surface tension in the water the same as Engine Ice or Water Wetter or any of those snake oils.

But remember, the most important thing to do is use Distilled Water.

 

hmm thanks for the lesson more money for tires

 

Engine Ice is a Propylene Glycol coolant; Water Wetter is the surfactant reducing additive for distilled water. As Krokus noted, distilled water and dishwashing soap will have about the same effect as Water Wetter, increasing the cooling capacity of the distilled water. It is designed to keep the engine cooler, dropping as much as 5degrees claimed operating temp.

But they will not have the same effect Engine Ice or another Propylene Glycol coolantor standard Antifreeze (Ethylene Glycol) coolant. They actually raise the boiling point of the fluid (water) so at temps above 212 Fyou don't boil...they can increase boiling point up to 272 F. They also lower the freezing temperature (down to as much as -80 F) so if you live somewhere really cold your block won't freeze.

Last time I looked at a bottle of Engine Ice, it was $22. Most sportbikes would need 2.

Honda generally recommends that if you use standard Automotive AntiFreeze, dilute it with distilled water 1:1.

 

I suddenly realized I didn't know what I was talking about.
Is there an advantage then to Engine Ice? If it's the same as regular Anti Freeze, then why pay $22 for a bottle? I asked about Engine Ice once for my Brutale 910R which does run hot, and was directed away frorm it. I tried plain water and water wetter, no difference there either. So I went back to just using Prestone and Distilled Water....

 

Over regular antifreeze, the Propylene Glycol advantage is better cooling capacity (the surfactant, just like the soap and water mix). Overdistilled water/soap or water wetter, the advantages are lower freezing and higher boiling points.

An advantage to water, PG based coolants, or Water Wetter is that in the event of a crash on a track, regular antifreeze is very slick and hard to get off the racing surface. Plain water (distilled, of course), Water wetter, Engine Ice, Liquid Performance, etc. are easyto wash off and notslick - that's why alternative coolants are required at the race track (some track days will let the Novice class bikes ride with normal coolant, but Intermediate, Advanced, and atreal races must change).

The Propylene Glycol based coolants are not near as toxic as Ethylene Glycol, too. I was always worried doing anyradiator work that my dog would come up and try to drink some.

An another note, the condition of the radiator determines cooling, too. Switching to an alternative that is supposed to cool better may not show much difference. When I had to switch for the track(I switched to Liquid Performance), I noticed only a slight change in normal riding temps, but lower temps in sustained high RPM rides (i.e., track).

 

Thank you randyjoyfor clearing that up for me. Today, I can say I learned something.
I think next time I flush my bikes, I'll try a different based Anti-Freeze.

Ride Safe.

Krokus
1992 CBR600 F2
2007 MV Agusta Brutale 910R
Golden Gate Transit Bus Route #70 (Back Up Commuter )

 

I just used a jug of the Prestone 50/50 premix and that seems to work just fine. I actually noticed that my bike did not get nearly as hot when I rode it for longer periods of time. It would still warm up, so it wasn't like there was a thermostat issue, but with the previous coolant my engine temp would get up to within a quarter of an inch below the H on the gauge. Now it just gets maybe a quarter inch above the bottom line on the temp gauge. I suspect that what I drained out of it was either not diluted at all or not diluted enough because it was a very solid flourecent green, not translucent at all.

 

What exactly are the benefits ofdistilled water? I am an automotive master mechanic. I haven't used distilled water in anything I have put coolant in. The only time, and I stress only, was when I was working on a racecar for a friend and he insisted on it. I have never had a problem. In my bike, I run Honda coolant with regular old tap water. If its something like contaminents you are worried about, if you can drink it, its ok for your vehicle, IMHO. In the NW we have clean water at the tap.