Isn't 20-30 minutes of just idling in a garage a little long for a sportbike? I would imagine the fan had to kick on half dozen times.

 

dont start ur bike just to idle it. ull foul ur plugs up.

why did you not watch ur bike when it was running.

 

Sorry to hear the bad news bro !, but the real problem is that you have to move to the Land down under- And ride it like you stole it all year round baby!!!!!!!![sm=icon_rock.gif]

[IMG]local://upfiles/12573/C66C99114F69431384E6E53E0434451E.jpg[/IMG]

 

If it was really cold and your antifreeze is weak, it's possible your antifreeze in the radiator was frozen, and therefore there was no flow of coolant through the engine. That could cause it to get really hot. That happened to my car once on a ski trip. When the ice finally broke, the temp dropped from red to 'C' instantly.

 

There are only 2 things I can think of that could have cased this. The worst scenario is that you had bad antifreeze and it froze. This cracked your radiator caused the puddle on antifreeze on the ground and the overheating. The other thing that could have happened is that your fan did not function (check the fuses, one possible cause) and then the antifreeze boiled and the poodle on the ground is just overflow. Replace or top of the antifreeze just incase (not sure what happens to antifreeze when it boils)

Also when you start riding aging, keep a closer watch on the oil level, seals are the most likely parts to get damaged when the bike overheats.

+1 To Knightslugger + put the bike on stands so you get the tires of the ground �

 

my bad bushmaster, my reply was directed at feeling pruchnicki's pain of frigid chicago temps in the teens and spring far away. [&o]

 

LOL, I am in michigan, it's even worse here over 12" of snow in last 48hrs.....

 

My guess would be that either your fan doesn't work or that the air inside was to hot for the bike to keep cool, but I sat in Daytona Bike week traffic for over an hour and never got over 233.

I would think that if you are storing a bike for a long time. You would number one make sure you warm the bike up well and change it right before you store it unless you run well over the normal miles in a year. Blow by gas doesn't mix will with the oil it ends up in. Number two put the bike on stands. Tires don't do well setting in one spot for a long time. Suspension does better if the springs don't set with weight on them constantly. Other than that modern bikes have to many emissons to really worry about the gas, but if anything you fill the tank to make sure to much moisture doesn't gather because of the air within the tank.

At the temps you got to. I would expect your coolant to boil and end up with an over flow of fluid, but I'm new to street bikes. My first thought would be to bleed any air from the bike's cooling system. Air in the cooling system can cause steam pockets that will pit the head. block, and/ or any metal it comes into contact with.

 

Ok King is right except for one thing DO NOT FILL IT UP WITH GAS!!!!!!!!!! The gas will oxidize and damage your injecters.

 

What gave you that idea???

You have to fill it with gas, it prevents moisture from building up in the tank and causing the inside of the tank to rust... that will DEFINITELY damage your injectors upon startup in the spring.

And USE STABILIZER!!! Nothing worse than varnished gas in the tank gumming up the injectors. You have to run the bike for a bit to work the fuel stabilizer through the system and into the fuel injectors/fuel system; varnished injectors is BAD!

get some stands and suspend the bike off the ground as well. If the tires are on cold ground for too long they can lose pressure, and develop hard flat spots.

plug the exhaust with an oily rag to prevent mice from making a home in your pipe
if you can, plug the airbox snorkels too for the same reason (not so bad in a garage, but a must if you are storing it outside

Clean your chain and give it a heavy coating of chain lube/chain wax.

Clean and wax the whole bike, but don't take the waxy buildup off, just rub it in and don't buff it. It will keep a protective layer on teh paintwork until you are ready to bring it out in the spring.

cover the bike with a soft sheet to keep a barrier between teh bike and the outside temperature. (in teh garage, changes in temperature can cause moisture to build up on the surface of the bike... and moisture causes rust.

over the sheet, put on your bike cover to further protect your "baby"

pull the battery and put it in a cool dry place (a workbench in the house or something) and put it on a trickle charger a couple times during the winter to keep the charge up. If the battery goes flat over the winter it will kill the longevity of the battery.


The number one thing you can do is LEAVE THE BIKE ALONE! Starting it every couple of weeks is a bad idea. Gasoline contains acids that eat away at the engine over time. When the bike sits these acids creep past the piston rings and into the engine oil where they make quite an acidic cocktail that just gets pushed through your engine when you start it up during the winter months. Leave the bike alone, in the spring change the oil and filter before ever starting the bike, and then this will be no problem. If you want to be really ****, just pick up a syphon tube and pull the STABILIZED gas out of the bikes tank and put it into the car or something if you are really worried about the old stabilized gas; then just refill it and go.


I teach the Canada Safety Council motorcycle course in Ontario, and this is what we teach. It is the best way to winterize a bike, trust me and give it a shot.