Using water?

Hi guys

I have just had my water pump rebuilt, as a precoursion.. I could see that some new parts were available, and my 2005 version didnt have those parts...

Before changing the water pump shaft, bearings, etc. i noticed the water level in the "coolant expansion box" had fallen, and a black line was noticable from were the coolant were before, and then the new coolant level..



Now after the water pump rebuild, after the first long drive, the level had fallen to lower than the minimum, from being in the middle
I refilled, thinking it could be water in the system causing it to look like the system had leaked some coolant.


Next drive I noticed the coolant level before the drive, and after. It was the same over those 250km.
Now, three days later, it looks like it has dropped again? wtf?


Purple line is just to illustrate where the coolant was after the last drive

Whats happening? I dont think it's using water while the engine is running. I can't understand it :-/

Did you lift the front of the bike off the floor as the manual states? to "burp" it? If not its sucked in your fluid into the system to replace the air gap that was in there I believe. If thats the case its no problem.

No I didnt lift the front end up, didn't know that.

Then it will be ok that I go and refill for a bit.. untill the air is out of the system

Yeah if you look in the owners manual you need to lift the front 30 or 40 cm up cant remember which, you still had some air in so the fluid got sucked in.

I never lifted the front to change the coolant not because I did not know it needed to be lifted but because I had no one to assist me, like you my fluid got sucked in and it never really goes over 4 bars on the water temp so happy I have no air in the system.

my bike also never gets beyong 4 or 5 bars, but the fan kicks in after some minutes of idling, at stop lights.

Ok for you Stratkat, To try and ease your mind I've gone out in the shop and started the SD, temp guage has a total of 12 bars, after reaching normal operating temperature which imo is 6-7 bars, the cooling fan kicks on at 8-9 bars, I would say that you should have no worries at all as long as your not up to 10 bars, now in the racing world you may run at 10 bars cos of the rigors at hand, and I do understand your concern is based on "while not in motion". I am a temperature nut case and have been known to carry and sport a digital infrared gun in my tank bag along with my tyre gauge, then for the sake of faith and how that all works I carry no tool kit, but have just this past week hired a cell phone for the fist time in nearly 20 years, I claim to hear voices from it?

to the author AndersH, A slight variation in the reservoir level is normal, I personally run mine at the minimum when the engine is cold, when you fill the cooling system after any opening of it, always fill to min. level when cold. ride and top off accordingly. and for those of you in the know about the LC8, joe knows the coolant technically does not go to the tip of the V but only 1/3rd of the way up as far as the cooling jacket goes.