what kind of coolant should I put in my ninja 250

[Spencerrides]

Or the the best coolant. Can someone leave me a link so i can buy it?

[RacinNinja]

Engine Ice available at Cycle Gear or any motorcycle shop and some automotive stores. It will require a radiator flush, though, if you are currently using standard anti freeze

OR

Prestone Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant Silicate Free, available at any auto parts store or WalMart. No flush required.

Those are the two I use.

Pretty much anything that is Silicate Free will be fine in your bike.

[Spencerrides]

Okay thanks alot!

[InvisiBill]

Anything silicate-free and aluminum-safe is fine. You may want phosphate-free also. For the small amount of coolant used in a bike, I prefer pre-mixed coolant. It avoids needing to get distilled water and the hassle of mixing them. It works out to being a few bucks more over several years, but it's a lot simpler.

FYI, when I picked some up a couple months ago, neither the Prestone or Peak jugs mentioned being silicate/phosphate-free on them. I was expecting to be able to see it somewhere that was somewhat readily available, like the bottle or the product page on their website (checked from my phone while in the store).


Here's more info I copied from my post on the 500 board then...

Peak's Long Life (yellow) and Lifetime (amber) formulas are listed as being phosphate/silicate-free.
Long Life Pre-Mixed is a blue jug with a yellow cap.
Long Life Concentrated is a blue jug with a red cap.
Lifetime Pre-Mixed is a gold jug with a red cap.
Lifetime Concentrated is a gold jug with a blue cap.




Prestone's FAQ makes me wonder a bit...

Q: Does Prestone® Antifreeze/Coolant contain phosphates?
A: Some European automobile manufacturers request that a phosphate-free antifreeze be used in their vehicles. This issue is related to the extremely high mineral content of the water in Europe. If you were to mix an antifreeze that contained phosphates with the type of water they have in Europe, it may produce deposits that can settle in the cooling system and promote corrosion. However, in North America we do not have this type of water problem. Typical North American coolants have contained phosphates (which is part of the corrosion inhibitor package) for many years. Therefore, the question of phosphates is a non-issue here in North America. Prestone® Antifreeze/Coolant is completely safe for use in both foreign and domestic vehicles.

That makes it sound like they don't feel being phosphate-free is a big deal, and leads me to believe their coolants aren't.

Their long-life coolants are labelled pretty plainly. Based on their product page, it looks like you have to go to their Prime line to get regular green coolant now.
Pre-Mixed is a yellow jug with a blue cap.
Concentrated is a yellow jug with a black cap.

[Spencerrides]

is this the correct item? I asked because it swys its for cars and light duty trucks


https://www.walmart.com/ip/16879961?...&wl13=&veh=sem

[Ghostt]

I use Engin Ice now, but I've used the Peak 50/50 pre-mix, both work just fine for me, I have noticed that it does run a little bit with Engine Ice, but the cost may or may not offset the difference for some.

[Ghostt]

Originally Posted by Spencerrides

is this the correct item? I asked because it swys its for cars and light duty trucks


https://www.walmart.com/ip/16879961?...&wl13=&veh=sem

Yes that will do the job.

[InvisiBill]

Originally Posted by Spencerrides

is this the correct item? I asked because it swys its for cars and light duty trucks


https://www.walmart.com/ip/16879961?...&wl13=&veh=sem

Yes, there's nothing special about the coolant used in our bikes - it's standard auto stuff.

That link is showing as $67.52 + $31.57 shipping through a third party seller for me though. Not sure if that's a case of jugs or just weird 3rd party pricing, but it should be ~$10 anywhere that sells auto parts, not $100. The basic link https://www.walmart.com/ip/16879961 comes up as I'd expect.

[Ghostt]

Originally Posted by InvisiBill

Yes, there's nothing special about the coolant used in our bikes - it's standard auto stuff.

That link is showing as $67.52 + $31.57 shipping through a third party seller for me though. Not sure if that's a case of jugs or just weird 3rd party pricing, but it should be ~$10 anywhere that sells auto parts, not $100. The basic link https://www.walmart.com/ip/16879961 comes up as I'd expect.

Funny it worked fine for me, gotta love Wal-Mart.

[DEFY]

Originally Posted by Ghostt

Funny it worked fine for me, gotta love Wal-Mart.

Never, DO NOT order from their online store. I ordered from there once and so did my brother and gf. My item and my brother's got lost and my gf's item got stock out on the floor to be sold at the local Walmart. First 3 times ordered, last times ordered.

[Spencerrides]

Can I just poor the prestone coolant in the coolant tank or is there something special I have to do?

[Spencerrides]

And is it okay if two coolants mix like I have a different kind in my radiator and I have prestone in my coolant tank.

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by Spencerrides

And is it okay if two coolants mix like I have a different kind in my radiator and I have prestone in my coolant tank.

Sometimes, no. It should all come from the same bottle. Mixing certain types of different coolants can be bad and cause issues.

Generally if they are the same color it's OK but best practice is for it all to come from the same bottle.

NEVER mix orange and green coolants.

[Spencerrides]

Okay so blue and green coolant don't mix.
Or is blue and green okay

So is there a article,link, or video on how I can change the coolant?

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by Spencerrides

Okay so blue and green coolant don't mix.
Or is blue and green okay

So is there a article,link, or video on how I can change the coolant?

Same color ONLY. Don't mix different colored coolants.

[Triple Jim]

On the other hand, my gallon jug of Advance Auto antifreeze says on the label "Universal formula, add to any color antifreeze."

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by Triple Jim

On the other hand, my gallon jug of Advance Auto antifreeze says on the label "Universal formula, add to any color antifreeze."

Yeah, not sure how much I would trust that?

Blue is typically engine ice. Engine Ice shouldn't be mixed with regular antifreeze. Yamaha uses blue coolant but I'm not sure what it is.

[Triple Jim]

From what I can tell, Engine Ice is monopropylene glycol with a small amount of a couple additives that are probably corrosion inhibitors. It's chemically similar to ethylene glycol, and mixes well. Ethylene glycol is a little better a transferring heat then propylene glycol, but it's also more toxic, in case you plan to drink it. Independent sources confirm this, but I've seen company literature saying not to mix them. I suspect that's a self-serving warning.

As far as Spencer's questions, not mixing different colors is certainly a safe plan. Personally, I hate marketing tactics that are designed primarily to get more money from me, so I'll mix anything I want in my motorcycle(s), and if I have any odd reactions I'll report them here.

[Triple Jim]

Here's what looks like a fairly straight article about antifreeze: http://www.baldwinfilter.com/literat...9;s/05-2R1.pdf

It looks like old fashioned ethylene glycol antifreeze is green, and other colors are now used almost randomly for the other types of antifreeze. It also looks like there is little harm in mixing different types, but to stay with particular properties you might want, obviously you should stick with antifreeze that gives you those properties.

There are apparently some problems with GM's Dex-Cool antifreeze, resulting from its tendency to soften some plastics, and possibly damage gaskets. There's some sort of class action suit in progress related to this.

[CJP]

Originally Posted by InvisiBill

Anything silicate-free and aluminum-safe is fine. You may want phosphate-free also. For the small amount of coolant used in a bike, I prefer pre-mixed coolant. It avoids needing to get distilled water and the hassle of mixing them. It works out to being a few bucks more over several years, but it's a lot simpler.

FYI, when I picked some up a couple months ago, neither the Prestone or Peak jugs mentioned being silicate/phosphate-free on them. I was expecting to be able to see it somewhere that was somewhat readily available, like the bottle or the product page on their website (checked from my phone while in the store).


Here's more info I copied from my post on the 500 board then...

Peak's Long Life (yellow) and Lifetime (amber) formulas are listed as being phosphate/silicate-free.
Long Life Pre-Mixed is a blue jug with a yellow cap.
Long Life Concentrated is a blue jug with a red cap.
Lifetime Pre-Mixed is a gold jug with a red cap.
Lifetime Concentrated is a gold jug with a blue cap.




Prestone's FAQ makes me wonder a bit...


That makes it sound like they don't feel being phosphate-free is a big deal, and leads me to believe their coolants aren't.

Their long-life coolants are labelled pretty plainly. Based on their product page, it looks like you have to go to their Prime line to get regular green coolant now.
Pre-Mixed is a yellow jug with a blue cap.
Concentrated is a yellow jug with a black cap.

[Burphel]

... And just to make it more confusing, if you plan on doing any track days, file all of the above in the back of your brain and use Redline Water Wetter. Glycol of any flavor is a no-no on racetracks. On the other hand, Water Wetter will freeze, so you'll need to switch to green goo during the winter.

[DannoXYZ]

Also add some water-pump lubricant to your water+wetter mix

[Ram Jet]

Originally Posted by Spencerrides

Or the the best coolant. Can someone leave me a link so i can buy it?

Use anything but Prestone Dex-Cool. Lot's of potential problems - Google it. Use anything but and buy a known brand name. Other suggestions to follow I'm sure. I'm draining the Dex-Cool I installed last spring, flushing my system and discarding the remainder of my Dex-Cool.

I would like recommendations also.

Bill

[DannoXYZ]

Avoid anything containing 2EHA & sebacate (DexCool & clones). They come in low-cost coolants (OEM cost) and are used as plasticizer, probably originally intended to prevent leaks in GM engines. But in actual use, it damages nylon-6,6 and silicone seals along with turning into jello when exposed to air or other coolants.

Here's good background article on coolant evolution: http://www.machinerylubrication.com/...t-fundamentals

I have many European and Japanese vehicles and prefer not to buy specific coolant for each one. I've settled on Zerex G-05 HOAT phosphate-free/low-silicate coolant to use in all of them. Meets the phosphate-free requirements of European autos and low-silicate needs of Japanese ones, lasts 5-yrs/150k-miles.

My wife's Corolla went 300K-miles before we sold it. Original water-pump was just starting to weep, so it lasted much, much longer than most. I suspect from careful coolant selection.

On my race-bike and autos, I use MoCool.

[Ram Jet]

Originally Posted by DannoXYZ

Avoid anything containing 2EHA & sebacate (DexCool & clones). They come in low-cost coolants (OEM cost) and are used as plasticizer, probably originally intended to prevent leaks in GM engines. But in actual use, it damages nylon-6,6 and silicone seals along with turning into jello when exposed to air or other coolants.

Here's good background article on coolant evolution: http://www.machinerylubrication.com/...t-fundamentals

I have many European and Japanese vehicles and prefer not to buy specific coolant for each one. I've settled on Zerex G-05 HOAT phosphate-free/low-silicate coolant to use in all of them. Meets the phosphate-free requirements of European autos and low-silicate needs of Japanese ones, lasts 5-yrs/150k-miles.

My wife's Corolla went 300K-miles before we sold it. Original water-pump was just starting to weep, so it lasted much, much longer than most. I suspect from careful coolant selection.

On my race-bike and autos, I use MoCool.

Works for me - Zerex G-05. Thanks from a lazy-ass biker. I poured what was left of my Dex-Cool in the cracks in my driveway to keep those pesky weeds from growing. Shhhhh.

Bill