Calming the Hotness (k-bike heat doc)

[mjydrafter]

I'm sure some of you have seen this document floating around, I found it yesterday while researching k-bike fans.  It has a lot of good info, from the inexpensive, all the way on up to insulating the whole intake system :eek:

It includes the johnny blanket, and some others.  Hopefully others will be able to put it to good use.  It is 37 pages, so it's fairly complete. :yow

I'm kind of a research moron, so I can't give credit to the author of the original .pdf

If anyone knows who the author is let me know and I will give him or her credit where it's due for such a nice document.

I went back and found the author, I believe it's robmack from the k100 forum.

[johnny]

greetings...

very nice pdf...

what i do is remove all the foam stuff that traps the heat... then i use double reflective mylar that goes from the yoke to the bung...

it reflects some heat but it allows the hot air to move and exit at my rear wheel...

i think the key is to remove everything that blocks air flow like the foam and then prevent that air from exiting around the tank and seat...

j o

[Kyle10]

Re: page two, part #6 ('diaphragm')

Where the blazes does one get one of these? Or at least a pattern from which to cut one, ala DIY?

[Grim]

Good read. I know my next project when I get some time. I have some ceramic insulation used for chimney liners. Bet that would work great.

[mjydrafter]

Re: page two, part #6 ('diaphragm')

Where the blazes does one get one of these? Or at least a pattern from which to cut one, ala DIY?

It's shown on all the parts fiches, but never listed with a part number or price.

I wonder if Duck has ever seen one in one his parts bikes?

[wmax351]

I've considered a fuel/air heat exchanger. My main issue, as my bike is a standard, is the fuel actually starting to boil in the tank. On a hot day, I've seen it really heat up, especially when running the bike hard. A fuel cooler would keep it at ambient air temperature or so.

[Grim]

I had planned on doing the Johnny blanket next week when I am on vacation. Wish I had done it last weekend after getting caught in traffic yesterday.

I tore my riding pants Friday and decided to go get them replaced yesterday and took the K. Wore a pair of REI convertible pants (and yest I had the legs on them). Got caught in rush hour traffic and I actually have 1st degree burns on the insides of my thighs from the heat pouring out the gap between the side covers and tank when the fan came on.

Got home and dug out a couple strips of the bubble insulation I had left over from another project. Wasn't enough to do the full blanket up to the head tube but I was able to do from the fairing back to the tail. WOW! what a major improvement even with that much. The bike was much more comfortable today on the ride home.

Why did BMW not do something like this? As long as this configuration was out Surely one of the engineers has rode one of these bikes sometime when it was above 70f. 

[Jumpin Jimmy B]

Heat management.

 For all you hotlanta area riders, and other heated area's.

PUT IN A MANUAL FAN SWITCH!!!!

 When you hit stop and go traffic and you KNOW the fan will come on soon, turn on the fan with the manual override switch.
Let it run until you are free and clear. Your bike will stay cooler overall.
 I do this on my 93 RS and the temp gauge will stay at the 1/2 mark up to 90 degrees or so. Ticks up to 5/8 above that temp, but still not too hot.
I have been doing this for a couple of years now, the fan seems fine. Sounds the same and works the same. I think it keeps the engine heat more manageable.
 
 

[Lawrence]

I'm not able to understand this mod.  If you turn the fan on manually and the coolant temp. drops, wouldn't that mean the thermostat is faulty?  Doesn't the thermostat control the temperature of the system?

[Grim]

Heat management.

 For all you hotlanta area riders, and other heated area's.

PUT IN A MANUAL FAN SWITCH!!!!

 When you hit stop and go traffic and you KNOW the fan will come on soon, turn on the fan with the manual override switch.
Let it run until you are free and clear. Your bike will stay cooler overall.
 I do this on my 93 RS and the temp gauge will stay at the 1/2 mark up to 90 degrees or so. Ticks up to 5/8 above that temp, but still not too hot.
I have been doing this for a couple of years now, the fan seems fine. Sounds the same and works the same. I think it keeps the engine heat more manageable.

Thats a good idea!
 Where are you adding the switch in at? Seems to me the desirable way would be to trigger the fan relay. Is there any issues with back feeding the ECM if I tag the trigger wire from the ECM?

[Grim]

I'm not able to understand this mod.  If you turn the fan on manually and the coolant temp. drops, wouldn't that mean the thermostat is faulty?  Doesn't the thermostat control the temperature of the system?

 Without airflow from moving (stuck in traffic) you reach a point where the lack of airflow is the problem not how open the thermostat is. The heat is trapped around the radiator. Thats the purpose of the electric fan. It gets the air moving. If you know you will be sitting that long why not make a preemptive strike.

Now if you forget and leave the fan on and manage to cool it enough the thermostat may start to close to slow the flow of coolant to the radiator to keep the temp up...same as it does driving down the road in cold temps. Not going to hurt anything.

[Jumpin Jimmy B]

Manual fan switch. Yeah, the thermostat still works, it's just that I think the bike gets too warm before the fan kicks in. Once she gets that hot she wants to stay that hot until enough air flow brings the temps down. Well the fan WILL bring it down, but then it has to go somewhere. Even with the Johnny blanket it blows back and like all HOT air it will RISE!! So when stuck in traffic that's not pleasant. I just HATE to see my temp gauge get that close to the red.

I did the below.

Prepare for summer now!!!

Buy the dual ABS switch from Drake. Down is normal ABS switch reset operation, up makes the fan come on and stay on until you stitch it off.

Sounds tricky, but if I'm explaining it correctly it simply grounds out the relay & turns the fan on. Super easy install.
I only worry about it when the ambient air temp is 75- 80 degrees or hotter.
Then if I get stuck in traffic I just turn the fan on & the temp gauge does not go above 1/2 to 5/8 on the gauge.

Clear traffic, turn off the fan & all operated normally.

[mjydrafter]

It also appears there are 2 ways to add the manual switch.

The easier way, which just grounds the fan (turns it on) and should turn on the coolant light on the dash.  This one seems pretty cool, as you would have the light to remind you the switch is on.

The other way is similar, maybe a bit harder, and seems to be the same, but without the light.  Perhaps someone that's done it can shed some light on which way is better.

I haven't felt the need for a switch, but it's been pretty cool here so far.  I could tell the other morning that the Johnny blanket does help, as I wasn't getting any warmth like usual from the bike.

[Grim]

It also appears there are 2 ways to add the manual switch.

The easier way, which just grounds the fan (turns it on) and should turn on the coolant light on the dash.  This one seems pretty cool, as you would have the light to remind you the switch is on.

The other way is similar, maybe a bit harder, and seems to be the same, but without the light.  Perhaps someone that's done it can shed some light on which way is better.

I haven't felt the need for a switch, but it's been pretty cool here so far.  I could tell the other morning that the Johnny blanket does help, as I wasn't getting any warmth like usual from the bike.

My concern with triggering the light is if that also freaks the ECM out.

[mjydrafter]

It also appears there are 2 ways to add the manual switch.

The easier way, which just grounds the fan (turns it on) and should turn on the coolant light on the dash.  This one seems pretty cool, as you would have the light to remind you the switch is on.

The other way is similar, maybe a bit harder, and seems to be the same, but without the light.  Perhaps someone that's done it can shed some light on which way is better.

I haven't felt the need for a switch, but it's been pretty cool here so far.  I could tell the other morning that the Johnny blanket does help, as I wasn't getting any warmth like usual from the bike.

My concern with triggering the light is if that also freaks the ECM out.

I don't think our ECM's are that smart... :yes, but what do I know.  We would need someone with way more brains than me on this one. 

Johnny? Wmax? Duck? Help!

I suggest trying the johnny blanket, and see if the switch is actually needed.

[johnny]

you are funny motobricker mjydrafter...

i dont know ch1t... i just ride them till they wont move...

inge k knows more abouts motobricks than anybody... he just doesnt have the time to hang out here...

don eilenberger + paul glaves + anton largiader + brian curry are amoungst the the top 10 motobrick brains who still roll out on mother earth...

j o

[mystic red]

I don't think our ECM's are that smart...

I concur....

[Scott_]

I have put a fan switch on both my 1100's.
The ECM "grounds" the fan relay coil to activate the fan. Using a manual switch to ground this same wire has no effect on the ECM, and still activates the fan.

The ECM is a lot like the newer car ECM's in that they do more "ground" switching than " + " power switching. Saver circuitry for protection of the ECM, and potentially easier trouble shooting for finding problems.(but not always)

[wmax351]

The Coolant temperature sensor has 2 wires: 1 for the ECU, and one for the Coolant sensor relay. The two wires lead to identical (inverted) thermistors, that then lead to ground. If you ground the coolant sensor relay wire, it will possibly trigger the dash light, in addition to the fan. The ECU one, if grounded, will prevent starting, but not necessarily running.

[Scott_]

Just to add some clarification and hopefully not confusion, the relay control wire that I connected to my switch was the ECM "output" direct to the fan relay coil, not the ECM input....

[wmax351]

Just to add some clarification and hopefully not confusion, the relay control wire that I connected to my switch was the ECM "output" direct to the fan relay coil, not the ECM input....

Yeah, that't the one you want.