Most will tell you any automotive non-silicate, non-nitrite antifreeze mixed 50:50 with dis-stilled water is fine. Problem is many modern motorcycles have lots of magnesium. Magnesium reacts very quickly when dissimilar metals are present though I'm told that late model components made of magnesium are more resistent to the "sacrificial anode" effect. Non-silicate (red colored) coolants sold as OEM Honda and Toyota and some aftermarket brands, are less of a catalyst to corrosion for aluminum, magnesium and their alloys. Then there's the Dexcool and other brands of "Extended Life" coolants...the orange stuff. In my experience stay away from this stuff and not just in motorcycles! GM has been using this since 1996 as OEM fill. Originally developed and first used in Sweden due to environmental concerns of regular green coolant. Seems there is a chemical reaction when exposed to oxygen resulting in "sludge" build up to the point of reduced flow (clogged radiator and worse case engine block) and eventual overheating problems. Internally GM has admitted to this problem and ask any GM mechanic if they replace a lot of block heaters on GM cars/trucks. Brass reacts quickly with Dexcool. I ruined a very nice built 383ci due to this stuff...bad, very bad! One question I hear is what is Silicates. Silicates are needed to protect aluminum engine parts and radiators from corrosion, and are used in virtually all antifreeze mixtures in varying forms and amounts. Why has it been given such a bad rap for motorcycle usage? Seems early Honda Goldwings were prone to waterpump failure when using coolants with silicates. Fact is that was a while ago and silicate used today is nowhere as highly concentrated as it was back then. Some state Silicates are there to "scrub" the deposits and having "abrasive" Silicates will lead to problems in Motorcycles. My research found that Silicates are there to prevent corrosion by inhibiting the chemical reaction when you have disimilar metals in direct contact or in a liquid. Coolant, as is most liquids, is an electrical conduit. Silicates will turn abrasive over time. Thus why manufactures state that if you have aluminum in your coolant system (engine and/or radiator) the coolant should be changed every 2 yrs regardless of usage. How to test coolant? Sure everyone knows how to test to see if your coolant still offers freeze protection but remember when you have dissimilar metals in an acidic liquid you have a chemical reaction. Guess what? If the coolant is acidic you now have a battery! Coolant is normally around 7.5 which is not acidic but overtime it becomes acidic and thats when the chemical reaction begins What do I use? A 50/50 mix of standard Texaco antifreeze/coolant (green) serviced at the end of each riding season (don't leave acidic coolant in your rad over the winter) and at the correct mixture ratio for temps in your area. Electrolysis is a process of chemical changes in the cooling system that allows electrical current to pass through the engine coolant. This is from dissimilar metals in contact with the coolant (much like a battery) and/or electrical current is passed through, because the engine serves as a pathway to ground between the battery negative cable and the negative terminals of various electrical components. Dirty or loose ground connections can increase voltage flow through the cooling system. Remember, electricity takes the path of least resistence and your coolant can become an the "alternative" ground for your bikes electrical system. Your coolant has additives to protect your engine. Overtime these additives are removed/lost due to exposure, heat and electrolysist. Maintaining good coolant with the proper amount of corrosion inhibitors to protect against rust, oxidation and electrolysis is critical to long life of your pride and joy. So how do you know the condition of your coolant if electrolysis is occuring. My personal opinion is if your coolant is two years old its PAST time to flush and replace. Particularily on motorcycles which contain high amounts of aluminum and other dissimilar metals your coolant has rapidly deteriorated by year two. To check for electrolysis is quite simple. First step is to bring the engine up to normal operating temps. Next, using a digital voltmeter place the negative lead to the battery negative post and the positive lead into the coolant. A voltage reading above .300 V can cause severe corrosion and damage to metal surfaces.
Look at the big brain on Alberto! Atta boy! You know sir, while most people wouldn't even think about reading your entire comment.(not much for attention spans these days I'm afraid. i.e....tiktok or whatever lol) I myself can appreciate the knowledge you have shared as well as the time you spent in doing so! So thank you sir! Thank you very much!
Bro this video is absolutely FIRE! You did an amazing job with the filming, explanations, editing, love the background music! This is the beginning man. Success will never come if you don't try. Can't wait for the MolodetsMoto collaboration lol
Beautiful instructional video. You explained very clearly what the problem is and why you need the Thermobob, then you followed with extremely clear and well explained instructions on how to do the installation. Excellent video shooting too, everything was visible and clear, there was no unnecessary fluff. Thank you!
Good video! I like to remove most everything that is in the way and/or could get damaged by tools, etc. I like easy, direct access for my big, clumsy hands and tools. Based on my research, this seems to be one of the "must do" mods for KLR which also prompts the question: "Why didn't Kawi correct/improve this all these years?"
“Lost just a little bit of blood” 😂😂😂 Pretty much every single time I do any work on it👍 It’s been 2years now, and your KLR had 13k miles on it. Did it solve the oil burn issue?
The stock thermostat is fairly low and the ThemoBob actually raises it to about 20 degrees. I think this works because it recirculates coolant all the time and makes the temperature more uniform. In the stock setup, the thermostat opens and brings in a bunch of cold coolant and shock cools the cylinder, then it shuts and the cycle repeats.
I just purchased a Thermobob 2. Thank you for this installation video, I watched before installing mine. My only comment/advice is to use a silicate free antifreeze as silicate will prematurely shorten the life of the water pump on motorcycles. Usually the 'Asian' type anti-freeze is silicate free.
Just bought a 2024 KLR, I am not a mechanic, but would not drilling a hole in the existing thermostat housing accomplish the same thing??? It would let coolant flow thru the thermostat prior to the motor heating up and the thermostat spring opening. We used to do it with hot rods back in the 60's.
very nearly, I don't have to add oil until I approach 2000 miles on the oil change and it starts burning oil. If you install this kit early enough in your KLR's life you can keep the cylinder from going out of round. Watt-man's KLR has 180,000 miles on it.
Well that's amazing and I can now see why it's not don't in the factory . You have to admit that all these specialised parts have funky name's like do Hickey, thermo Bob. Thanks so much it is an upgrade that I will definitely do . I
@@Thomas-wk5ll the Doohickey one really gets me I feel like I sound like an idiot when I’m telling someone about it. The actual name is a balancer adjustment pulley if that helps. Good luck!
Yes I did, I checked them about a month later because I was getting a clacking noise when coming off the highway, they were too tight so I had to adjust them. Sorry for the late reply I don't check comments very often.
