This is a static archive scraped from the now-closed superduke.net forum. If this archive has helped you at all and you fancy buying me a pint to say thanks, you can do so at buymeacoffee.com.

2008 SD990 Boiled over...

GuardianPJ

GuardianPJ

2015-05-06 11:23:00 UTC

First relatively warm day (85f) on the SD and she looses her composure dealing with stop and go traffic yesterday. Temp warning light comes on so I promptly pull over. I gave it a few minutes and checked the pressure on the coolant cap. it comes loose with minimal drama, I have a bottle on distilled drinking water on me so I top off the radiator. I get another few miles down the road and the temp light comes back on. This time the coolant cap geysers off soaking the entire bike tip to tail with coolant... Im not happy, I've put 1000 trouble free miles on the bike since getting it in late January and the temp has never gone above half way. So I call for recovery with a shop local to the area I'm in (not my normal stomping grounds). Luckily when I purchased the bike I took the dealer up on an offer of a two year extended service contract, I'm not sure why i did as I never buy those things. so today I have to call and file a claim, and wait to hear what the shop has to say.
I do not have a KTM dealer within 100 miles of my location so the bike is at a Ducati/Aprillia/Triumph/Guzzi shop.

The oil level looked high after the incident so I'm hoping water pump and not head gasket. I do check the oil level every ride to make sure its not rising.

Bike only has 6200 miles on it.

wish me luck.

Colonel_Klinck

Colonel_Klinck

2015-05-06 21:35:00 UTC

I had a similar issue with my 1098SF. I couldn't figure out why she was overheating when I had plenty of coolant, etc. Turned out to be an air bubble in the system. I flushed the system twice and refilled per the maintenance manual. No issues after that.

No. 47

No. 47

2015-05-06 23:11:00 UTC

Similar problem when I first picked my '09 from the dealer. Turned out they hadn't bled the system properly (airlock) and it was getting hot around town. Bled the cooling system as per front lift scenario, changed the thermo switch etc which improved the situ but not entirely remedied until I ditched the standard muffler. No problems since that.
Dunno if that is the case with yours but good luck for a remedy

Stratkat

Stratkat

2015-05-07 06:19:00 UTC

I'd go with airlock as well. Get the front wheel up in the air and warm her up until the thermostat opens and the airlock should work it's way out. If you want to be sure coolant hasn't got into the oil, lean the bike over and whip out the oil filter. If it looks like it did when new it's probably ok, if its distorted I'd look at water pump.

Sarasota_Steve

Sarasota_Steve

2015-05-08 12:48:00 UTC

Thanks for the tips, I called the Ducati dealership the bike is at and let them know the info.

Does anyone know the way to tell the difference between the old thermo switch and the new one... will order the newer lower temp unit if needed.