Honda CB1000 Running Hot

[maltabiker]

New to the forum (Despite me being a biker from the UK!), so not sure what the usual protocol for a newbie is , so I would just like to say hello to everyone and I look forward to using the forum.

I have relocated to Malta and find myself in the position of having to run an older bike due to finances

I have been fiddling with my bike since I got it but I am still having issues with the temp needle going much higher than I would like.

I have just had a new water pump fitted but the bike is still running hot. The rad gets warm so I assume the thermostat is redirecting water to the rad when the bike is warmed up.

It is still 30 degrees here and if I let the bike idle the temp reading gets to just above three quarters and the fan kicks in. If I am riding the temp reading stays around halfway or a bit above.

If I am in slow moving traffic the temp rises up to red. Unless I can get out of traffic and get some airflow through the rad it does not seem to fall unless I get moving again. The fan is kicking in as I have checked whilst in traffic.

Now in Malta its warm and there is a fair bit of traffic. What can I do.

I have drained and flushed the coolant
Filled with wetter water and coolant
Leak fixed with new water pump
Checked fan by earthing switch and it spins
Checked fan to make sure its intact with no blades missing etc.
Idled bike to watch the fan cut in and out (can't check this as I am riding)
Bled coolant system to ensure no air locks

Anyone got any ideas, its a great bike to ride but at the moment I am nervous of cooking the engine. Anything else I should check?

Thanks for your help. I am no mechanic and had the support of friends and my old bike club in the UK. Not really met many bikers or bike clubs in Malta yet so I am on my own on this and I am more than aware how useless I am when it comes to most thing mechanical

I should add that I have been on the CB1000 forum and looked for advice there but so far. despite many offers of help, the situation is the same. So with no disrespect intended to them I thought I would widen my net of opinions.

[P.]

Sounds pretty normal to me...

My R1, average midpoint temp when riding was 75 degrees, pushing up to 85 if we were down in towns rather than in the mountains.

Stopping and starting around town its was 105 degrees+ On my car 70 is cold-ish, 90 is mid point and 110 is high. Past that is the red zone.

Current car doesn't really get passed the mid point but the bike tended to run hot, as did my Clio, but the fan kept it in check.

[maltabiker]

Paddy thanks for the response.

I checked it all out again after a ride home from work and the temp just touching the red. Got off the bike and watched - no fan kicking in.

Switched it off and let it cool. Started the bike again and let it idle to watch the fan. First couple of times the temp went just above 3/4 and the fan kicked in. Then when it rose again - no fan. Fiddling with the switch, still no fan. Earth the fan switch cable and the fan comes on.

So I have come to the uneducated conclusion that the fan switch in the rad is failing once it gets hot. So I ordered a new switch (49 Euros) and it has arrived today

Will fit it tonight and see how I get on. It appears normal in warm climates that the temp will get to 3/4 or a bit above but the fan should kick in to prevent it going into the red. Fingers crossed

[hmmmnz]

i would be tempted to chuck a manual switch in as well,
i never had the issue with my cb1000, but def did with my old vf1000,
and by the time the fan kicked in automatically it was too hot to do much good,
i chucked in a manual switch and when it popped above half id switch it on, and never had an issue again,
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[Richy CB1000]

Hello I'm assuming Fubar! Did the switch arrive and get it working correctly?

I'm in both forums, it's not all about the big one!

[maltabiker]

Switch arrived yesterday and I fitted it last night.

Let the bike idle so that I could monitor the switch. Needle got up to around 3/4 and the fan kicked in and it dropped to just above half. I let this repeat another five times, each time it was consistent, so I switched off.

I rode to work today and took the most traffic laden route I could. Needle never got above 3/4.

When I parked up I let the bike idle as I took off my helmet and gloves and the fan kicked in again.

Will go for a proper ride on Sunday in the heat of the day but it seems ok.

Temp in my garage last night was 28 degrees, it was 24 degrees on my journey to work this morning.

I think the old switch was failing once it was hot, the new one seems more consistent. There is a mark on the switch which says 31, I looked on the old switch but cannot find a number but I am guessing it is the temp that the switch activates.

I may have had the wrong switch fitted, I don't know but this is Malta. Heath Robinson type repairs abound here with no MOT for bikes and scooters some of the bodges I have seen are hilarious!

There is talk of the new government introducing VRT (MOT) for two wheeled vehicles which, despite me always dreading MOT time in the UK is no bad thing I think. At least it forces some maintenance once a year (Although VRT here is only every two years)