Heat questions for AZ Voyager riders

[DD's DM Voyager]

For any Arizona Voyager riders, where does your temperature indicator sit on days like today (23 Jul) with the weather over 100°? I'm in Tucson and mine was hanging around the last white line until traffic backed up, then it went up to within a needle width of the red "H". Thankfully the light changed and I was able to get up to about 35 MPH and the temp came back to the last white line. This also happened about a month ago on a 100+° day except the needle hit the red "H" so I pulled over and shut it down like the owner's manual said. I'm the second owner of this 2011 bike with 35,000 miles and fluid are at proper levels. I'm running with the lowers open to the first detent. I don't know what else to do?

I just bought it in January and if I have to park it on days above 100° then I'll be selling it as soon as it's paid down enough to not owe. This heat issue is making me regret getting rid of my VTX1800C to get the Voyager. I had the VTX for ten years and never had any issues regardless of outside temperatures.

Maybe the Kawasaki engineers should have done some R&D here in AZ during the summer.

[Ken Vega]

I am in FL, it gets pretty hot here too. Never had the bike hit near H on the temp guage in dead stop traffic. 1 option may be to wire in a cooling fan overide switch. There is a post here by RacnRay that explains how to do it. It will keep your temps at the midway mark even in heavy traffic. You can flick the switch off on highway.

[smokier]

Greetings,
I had copied the text from that post. Sorry, probably should have just copied the post article... Anyway, here is RacnRay's post/

Ok OK OK...fan switch wiring info
Some of you know (and have been patiently waiting for this info) and some may not know, so here it is. Last year I hooked up a switch to turn the fan on before the ECU turns it on.

The Vulcans lose power due to the ECU retarding the ignition timing when the coolant temp gets up there, and on the Voyager/Vaquero this retard starts when the needle gets halfway between the middle and the next line. It is quite aggravating to take off from a stop and have the skoot stumbling with that loss of power. Pooey

So here is the info...remove the seat and the black plastic battery cover. On the left side of the skoot kinda buried a few inches below the left frame rail is a relay box with 5 plastic gang connectors, 2 large in a row and 3 smaller ones in a row.

The small gang plug at the rear of the relay box has a blue wire with a white stripe. This is the power wire to the fan when the fan relay is triggered by the ECU. This is the wire we will feed power to the fan from the switch.

To simplify things I connected a fused link directly to the positive post of the battery with a 10 amp fuse. This wire you will run to wherever you want to place your switch. My switch is located on the left side of my tank bib, it is a simple on/off switch. You will run a second wire from the switch to that blue/white wire previously mentioned. I originally used a scotch-lock type connector but that eventually failed, so I cut the wire and positively connected the wires together,

This hook up will allow the fan to be turned on at any time, ignition switch in ANY position. I have also installed 2 bright red LED's in my tank bib to remind me the fan is on as sometimes I forget to turn it off when I get on the hiway after I have been in slow speed traffic.

When I am in slow speed/stop-n-go traffic I turn the fan on BEFORE the needle gets to the halfway mark which keeps the needle from climbing into that area where the ignition retard/loss of power occurs.

Another option is to connect the switch to a power source that is hot when the ignition switch is in the ON position, thus allowing the fan to be switched on only when the ignition switch is in the on position.

It is so nice to never have the skoot operating in that "loss of power" mode. Living in S. Fla or any area where traffic can be heavy and the ambient temps up there will have these 1700's in that loss of power mode and that is just aggravating.

Ride safe,
Smokier

[HwyRider]

There is a product called Engine Ice that may make it run a little cooler. Haven't used the product but read about it.

[HwyRider]

Do you know if the anti freeze has been changed? It may be full but it should have been changed already.

[recumbentbob]

Engine ice is good I used it in my 08 nomad. After flushing & filling with engine ice the fan came on a lot less

[DD's DM Voyager]

I'll do the RacnRay fan plan for sure, thanks for posting it. The previous owner kept pretty good records in the back of the owner's manual, but I don't remember anything about coolant so it's probably original. I'll change it out and give the engine ice a try.

Thanks for the info.
DD

[recumbentbob]

I would recommend flushing the system with a 50 50 mix of white vinegar and water b4 putting the engine ice coolant in. That way you have cleaned everything out.

[CBO Vaquero]

I did the fan switch mod on my Vaquero recently and I can tell you it does work! When ever I come into a large town or stuck in slow traffic I just flick it on and let it run, temp never goes over half way and it was 94 degrees today while riding.

[gv550]

The bike will run a bit cooler if you keep the louvers closed, but that means no air flow for your legs. The bike is not actually overheating unless the idiot light comes on, that gauge actually causes more mental stress than if it weren't there.

[CBO Vaquero]

Has anybody ever tried to figure out if the temp gauge is even close to being accurate?? The Can-Am spyder I had was way off and the fuel gauge on the Vaquero is way off, I'm getting a low fuel light and it's only taking 2.8-3 gallons to fill up.

[al8apex]

The gauges are not very accurate..if you see a temp light, then it's time to pull over. Also Kawasaki sells a retro fit for the 09 to 2011 voyagers to re direct the heat..

[AZ Voyager]

My Voyager ran up to the last white mark where the fan kicks on and then cooled down, usually ran above half way, after removing the CAT's and putting on the Freedom true duals it cooled down even more, but mine was a 12 and had the KAMS which makes a big difference too.

[Hillhouse]

Things that worked for my Voyager to minimize cooking me & passenger

1. Flush radiator system with H2O and vinegar 5-8 times
2. Refilled with Engine Ice
3. added No Fry Thigh heat deflectors
4. Run with Lowers CLOSED
5. Added external fan control switch
6. added extention to rear fan tube to exhaust the air lower down.
7. run Premium fuel not Regular (also got better mileage w/Premium)

Items 5 & 7 where tested on 25 state 8k ride earlier this year

all the above each helped a little and together make the difference

[RACNRAY]

Took the skoot out to run an errand and to check out my new intake system I've been workin on. Up I-95 to I-595 west to Weston and back to Hallandale. Man o man it felt hot, the temp gauge was just above half-way on the hi-way and the heat comin off the pavement was tremendous. I go online and check the temps for that route I took, 90-91 dg but with a heat index of 110-111dg!!!

HOLY FRYING PAN BATMAN...me thinks I'm gonna sit in my office for awhile!!!

RACNRAY