2014 F8GSA newbie questions...clutch rattle, cooling fan, etc

[GSCruzer]

Hello GSers!

I just got a 2014 F8GSA with 12K miles (20K kms) and been out on a few get-to-know-you rides. So far so good and I'm enjoying the chassis balance, upright ergos, and torquey motor...but I seek some clarity on a couple of issues:

1) When the engine is hot (eg riding for 30 minutes or more), I hear a clutch rattle and feel it a bit in the bars too. Pull the clutch in, rattle goes away. Let the clutch out, rattle comes back. Engine revs do not affect the rattle sound/feel, only the clutch lever movement. What's weird is when I turn the engine off and start it up right away, rattle is gone...but it does come back again. What could this be?

2) Cooling fan activation -- it comes on a two bars and stays on, even when the engine temp goes down to one bar. So essentially, the fan is *always on* even when riding on flowing back roads at 30 to 60 mph on an 18 degree celsius day. Is this normal?

I've already done some quick searches on the above, but the results I keep getting are around timing chain rattle and overheating. Looking forward to some good guidance from the GS hive.

 

[SteveT]

1) - They all do that Sir (at least my ones have/do.)

2) - Sounds to me as if there isn't enough coolant in the system (had similar symptoms after doing a full fluid change on a bike).
To ensure that there is enough coolant in the bike, when cold and with some coolant in the header tank, find and remove the bleed bolt on the water pump body (upper RH side of engine). When fluid starts to flow from the hole, re-fit the bolt and top up the header tank if the level has dropped. That should be the correct fluid level in the coolant system.

SteveT

 

[steve hughes]

Agree with Steve T ^^^^^^^^^^ my cooling fan comes on after four bars ( about 3/4 up strip) in summer eg 23/25 deg C , then goes off after 5 mins or so. Re clutch sound, have you done an oil change? Has the previous owner used the correct grade and amount.

You could do worse than a quick service , brake fluid / coolant/ oil to establish a solid base for the riding season.

 

[SuperTed]

Agree with what the two Steve’s ^^^^^^ have said?

 

[seahorse]

Fan does come on often particularly in traffic I found but worth checking coolant level. It's a bastard to get the air out if trapped in the system especially following coolant change.

 

[RadioFlyer]

Vacuum filling the engine with coolant is the way to go. Real easy and no air locks.

 

[The Other PaulG]

I love this place. Question asked in Oz, responses from Scotland, Wales, England and Canada.

WorldGSer...

 

[GSCruzer]

Well I fixed the cooling problem. All I needed to do was burp the cooling system. Massaged the hoses and heaps of bubbles came out of the radiator (cap off), three times on three separate days. I felt like a dad to a newborn again, but this time around I'm burping a big German baby

, one that'll take me to the ends of the earth. The fans don't go on at two bars anymore, not even at three bars, and there's a bit less heat radiating around my legs. All's well that ends well.

Strangely, no bubbles came out of the bleed screw above the water pump, go figure. I didn't loosen the other two screws, one at the bottom of the heat exchanger, the other in the engine block above the starter, because I didn't have the o-rings / copper washers on hand in just in case they didn't seal again. I'm going to do a full coolant refresh over the winter and will go to those then.

I'll live with the clutch rattle and see if an oil change improves it down the track.

Thanks for all the input guys!