1250 GS coolant fluctuating readout.

[jaca2865]

Can anyone help my son please.

He has a 2023 1250 GSA where the coolant temp on the LCD seems to count up and down rhythmically. He can be sitting at a steady speed on cruise on a level road and it counts from 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 90, 88, 86, 84, 82, 80, 78… always between 78 and 92 and always in 2s.

Is this normal?

When the bike is slow/ stationary, it does climb higher until the fan clicks on and then cools down again but the rhythmic counting on the move seems odd.

Thanks guys.

Jim

 

[Spooky]

As I’m at my dealer waiting on a service I asked the question for you. They say it’s normal as at cruising speeds the cooling is 60% air flow over the engine so the thermostat will often partially cycle to maintain the ideal temp zone. The dash display readout is registering the cycling .

 

[jaca2865]

Thanks Spooky. That is spooky!!

Much obliged and I’ll let him know.

Jim

 

[Hann]

Whilst out on my 1250 today i remembered this thread so i monitored the temp readout while at a steady 70.
I didn`t think the temp would move around much (never noticed before) but it did to a small degree but not as much as your sons.
Mine went up`n`down from 77 to 83 fairly consistently.

 

[jaca2865]

Cheers Hann

I’ll let him know. It seems they do do that.

Jim

 

[leadfarmer]

It’s normal, all water cooled engines do it, it’s how they work

The thermostat opens at a certain temperature, in this case it looks like 92c, and the coolant flows through the radiator and is cooled

Once the coolant is down to 78c the thermostat closes again cutting out the radiator and the coolant heats up again until it reaches 92c again and so on and so forth….

 

[landmarkjohn]

My BMW car the same, coolant temperature climbs up then down within a range. Nothing to worry about.

Only worry about when you see steam

 

[jaca2865]

I think the steam was coming from my lads ears trying to fathom it out

 

[Hann]

It`sprobably a case of too much information.
In a vehicle with an analogue temp gauge the small variances in temperature fluctuation are not easily seen, but when we see the direct readout of a digital indicator with much more accuracy we have a tendancy to over think it..

But saying that, while i was looking at my temp readout yesterday i also noticed the oil level indicator lit up and reading `OK` whilst on the move. It`s only supposed to do that whilst stationary, idling and after being ridden for xx miles.
Bloody electronics!