Bikes Running

Quick couple of questions got my bike runnin yesterday. Well took it for a little ride and it overheated and now its leakin a little oil on the head with a weird screw for supposedly checkin oil pressure. And it seems one of the head bolts or something may be leakin but im goin to check to see if its tight. Im thinkin the overheating may be because of thermostat i mean the bike is 23 years old. Any ideas would be great.

 

What Model Bike?

Look at your Plugs to make sure it isn't running Lean and therefore HOT!

Fill in your Signature Section with Thumbs about this Bike:

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Year Model Miles Stock or Mods

Post a picture of the Oil Leak!

 

Sorry Rick its a 1985 yamaha maxim x xj700 and its water cooled thats what i mean by runnin hot.

 

Liquid Cooled Bikes aren't supposed to run hot; that's for sure.
Unlike an Air Cooled Bike you have several things to troubleshoot.

Coolant level
Water Pump
Hoses and thermostat.

Radiator and fan (if so equipped)

All that, plus any engine condition that would cause the water jacket to become subjected to extreme heat.

Is it boiling over?

 

Not sure what you mean by boiling over Rick but the coolant does go in to the overflow. The fan works because it does kick on and off. I flushed the radiator when i had it apart and all the hoses i pulled off were cleared of obstructions. I hopin maybe its just the thermostat. Oh and coolant level is fine as well.

 

With no experience on H2O cooled BIKES but over 44 years of automotive experience, I vote lazy/failing thermostat if everything else Rick mentioned is copascetic...just due to the way thermostats are made, they get "tired" over time and a 26-year old one is probably waaayy beyond "tired" somewhere into 'senile!'

 

Aside from the obvious ... Tired thermostat ... you also have to consider the Water Pump and Impeller.

Just a couple of handfuls of parts most of us with just regular Air Cooled Bikes don't have on our list of things to worry about wearing out.

I don't even think that there's a Liquid Cooled X-Bike around here for me to get a peek at.

 

Well thats cool ill replace the thermostat and then if that doesnt work looks like ill be checkin out the water pump and impeller.

 

Water pump and impeller usually more a victim of miles than age? Or does the impeller crumble like a 70's GM car? I'm just curious now...