I noticed that when im stuck in traffic my coolant temp shoots in upwards of 200+ degrees, ive never seen it go higher then 220 though. however, once im cruising it will stay between 168-180 depending on the temperature outside..

my question is..isnt such a rapid & drastic change in coolant temperature bad for the engine??

 

mine does the same thing- these are small engines. They will heat up and cool down rather quick....

 

yeah no doubt, i know my bike is working fine..i just was wondering if such rapid temp swings would potentially cause motor problems (headgaskets popping,etc)

 

No, they are designed to do this, its 100% normal and fine. Mine does the same thing and has 16.5k miles on it.

 

I'll be at a light after a while out on the road and hear the fan come on. 226 degrees while stopped. The fan will keep it from going higher but it won't go down until I ride at a higher speed. If I'm going around town with a lot of lights the temp will stay up there.

You won't have any problems with temps in that range. If you get into the 240's you may have a problem.