2006 WR450F overheating

[n8stein]

purchased this bike new and have really loved it. took some time getting used to with everything working so good. my bike before was a 1985 xr350 but riding this new bike was like playing a video game. the clutch was easy and just a tap of the brakes and this bike stops.

i ride the wr on some really tight trails. shift to second every once in while but not long before back to first. i usually ride with my buddy and have heard the overflow tank gurgle from time to time after stopping.

i have just started taking my 10 year old out to hit the trails and is he really slow to say the least. just after one little trail i could feel the heat coming thought my pants and heard the bottle after i had stopped. we rode some logging roads with a little more speed and then hit another trail. about a mile in or so i had to stop and help the little one out and my bike was venting hard through the bottom hose.

this makes me nervous. i have never owned a bike that was water cooled only and don't want to damage my engine.

my ?'s are is this normal?
do i have a problem that needs attention?
do they have a aftermarket fan that attaches?
do they have a aftermarket temp gauge that goes on the handle bars?


i going to buy some of that ice coolant this week and see if that helps.

i am going to go through the 50 pages of post and try to find if this topic has been covered in the past.

please give any advice that you may have. thanks. Nate

[racerfty]

i have a yz450 and it will over heat if i let it on the stand, that big bore needs air, if you are in first and riding high rpms, try second with lower rpms, the bike has got the power to lug and with the reduced rpm will aid in not creating the heat. on my bike i installed a boysen water pump, that alone helped the over heating, the yz does not come with a over flow bottle i did install one of those, and and oil cooler. the cooler was pricey because i had to replace the left rad and install tubing. I also installed a heavy duty rad cap that pops off at a higher temp. The bike still over heats in long gncc races, but no near to what it used to do.
Also keep the rad clean, i dont know if you are the type of rider that parks the bike after a ride and does not clean it until the first fresh water stream crossing, or if you was it after each ride, but keeping the rad clean helps the most.

[n8stein]

thanks racerfty. i am pretty sure that it is overheating cause i get no air going accross the rad. following my son is just like letting the bike stay on the kick stand. i think that i will try the ICE coolant first and maybe a new waterpump next. did you see an improvment with the new water pump you installed? does it have a higher gallons per minute than the stock one? thanks. Nate

[KKXR400R]

With less air flow at slower speeds your not displacing the heat fast enough. [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] sells a fluid that many of the desert guys use and they swear by it. [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] is also another one. I would leave the water pump alone and try a different fluid. I found out 2 weeks ago about boil over but then again the KTM's are notorious for this in the tighter stuff, so I'm going to make the switch real soon. Hope this helps.

-Kevin-

[Beatty]

Same thing will happen to air cooled bikes. Only way they cool is to have air pass through the radiator or the cooling fins.

[VET393]

You might check with Yamaha, but my CRF250X has a cooling fan availible thru Honda. Mounts to right side radiator. Is a reasonable price also.