Fan on a race bike

Konaunit1 · January 26th, 2014, 09:38 PM

Building a 2010 for the upcoming race season. Are you guys running fans in your bikes? Just wondering I don't have one on my R6. Thanks!

ahamay · January 26th, 2014, 09:52 PM

I left my fan on the bike only because a buddy who took his off over heated his bike on the starting grid. It was a hot day and someone had a mishap on the sighting lap before the race. Before he realized how long he was gonna sit there the temps got to high and he missed his race.
Interested to see what others are doing but I think the temps get to high in socal to not have the fan.

csmith12 · January 26th, 2014, 09:55 PM

Many delete the fan on dedicated track machines.

Konaunit1 · January 27th, 2014, 05:53 AM

Thanks! It's pretty rare that the temps get warm enough up here in WA to overheat to quick haha? I might take it off. Not sure that it is enough weight to really get hung up on though.
Thanks!

DCMoney · January 27th, 2014, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konaunit1

Thanks! It's pretty rare that the temps get warm enough up here in WA to overheat to quick haha? I might take it off. Not sure that it is enough weight to really get hung up on though.
Thanks!

The fan and bracket weight more than you think.

Mine came off both bikes.

iZapp · January 27th, 2014, 10:57 AM

hell i dont even have a fan on my daily driver ('00 Tundra)!
it was damaged when i bought it 5 years ago and i've never replaced it. only been an issue a handful of times since, stuck in traffic/hot day.
but on a racebike, just keep an eye on the temp and if gridded longer than normal, just shut the thing off. problem solved. if you're overheating WHILE moving - you're GOING TOO SLOW!

sprinter · January 28th, 2014, 01:44 PM

I always take the fans off on my race bikes, never had a problem.

Konaunit1 · January 29th, 2014, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCMoney

The fan and bracket weight more than you think.

Mine came off both bikes.

I will be pulling it off later. Thanks for the info.

Konaunit1 · January 29th, 2014, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iZapp

hell i dont even have a fan on my daily driver ('00 Tundra)!
it was damaged when i bought it 5 years ago and i've never replaced it. only been an issue a handful of times since, stuck in traffic/hot day.
but on a racebike, just keep an eye on the temp and if gridded longer than normal, just shut the thing off. problem solved. if you're overheating WHILE moving - you're GOING TOO SLOW!

If i am going that slow on the race track somebody just needs to kick me off the track haha.

mgentz · January 29th, 2014, 05:58 PM

The issue comes in more on the cool down lap or when waiting for the flag to drop. However this should not be a big deal. Even removing it on the street would hardly be an issue depending on where you live.

alex.s · January 29th, 2014, 06:07 PM

we run regularly above 100f temps here and most remove the fan. its not needed if you aren't going to be sitting still (i should hope you're not sitting still while racing)

simook · January 30th, 2014, 12:34 PM

Convinced me to remove my fan also. But could someone enlighten me on the benefit of removing the thermostat and housing?

alex.s · January 30th, 2014, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simook

Convinced me to remove my fan also. But could someone enlighten me on the benefit of removing the thermostat and housing?

if you have trouble overheating because of massive modifications leading to way too much heat being produced overloading the cooling system, removing the thermostat will allow a bit more flow of coolant through the system. it's a bad idea on a regularly functioning engine because the cooling system is adequate enough and having the cooling system always-on by removing the thermostat means that the engine may drop below ideal operating temperature... ideally you have a thermostat with a bipass to maintain coolant flow while still being able to cut out the radiators cooling effect.

not having a smooth transition of cooling effects means that the head and cylinders get heated/cooled back and forth many times which as we know can weaken metal and causes size changes and warping if its not a consistent heating and cooling... in extreme cases you can cause fractures. the thermostat is a clay pellet valve that expands and contracts slowly so you really shouldn't get this type of issue with a working thermostat, but if you have no thermostat and go from 100mph down to 15mph and back to 100mph, the cooling going into the coolant varys drastically and since you have no thermostat to control it with, its more likely to vary temp through a wider range..

basically, unless you have a turbo and are running 19-1 compression, leave the thermostat in. or upgrade to a thermobob (bipass thermostat)

even in the cases i described, the correct solution would be probably a bigger radiator, not removing the thermostat

simook · January 30th, 2014, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.s

if you have trouble overheating because of massive modifications leading to way too much heat being produced overloading the cooling system, removing the thermostat will allow a bit more flow of coolant through the system. it's a bad idea on a regularly functioning engine because the cooling system is adequate enough and having the cooling system always-on by removing the thermostat means that the engine may drop below ideal operating temperature... ideally you have a thermostat with a bipass to maintain coolant flow while still being able to cut out the radiators cooling effect.

not having a smooth transition of cooling effects means that the head and cylinders get heated/cooled back and forth many times which as we know can weaken metal and causes size changes and warping if its not a consistent heating and cooling... in extreme cases you can cause fractures. the thermostat is a clay pellet valve that expands and contracts slowly so you really shouldn't get this type of issue with a working thermostat, but if you have no thermostat and go from 100mph down to 15mph and back to 100mph, the cooling going into the coolant varys drastically and since you have no thermostat to control it with, its more likely to vary temp through a wider range..

basically, unless you have a turbo and are running 19-1 compression, leave the thermostat in. or upgrade to a thermobob (bipass thermostat)

even in the cases i described, the correct solution would be probably a bigger radiator, not removing the thermostat

So for a race only bike...?

alex.s · January 30th, 2014, 01:14 PM

for no bike do you remove thermostat.

simook · January 30th, 2014, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.s

for no bike do you remove thermostat.

Makes perfect sense to me, I'm just trying to figure out why it seems so many people remove the thermostat.

alex.s · January 30th, 2014, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simook

Makes perfect sense to me, I'm just trying to figure out why it seems so many people remove the thermostat.

because they think they know what they are doing

mgentz · January 30th, 2014, 05:54 PM

Leave it in.

Ben M · January 30th, 2014, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgentz

Leave it in.

...That's what she said

January 26th, 2014, 09:38 PM	#1
Konaunit1 ninjette.org member Name: Richie Location: Oak harbor, WA Join Date: May 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2005 FZ1. 08 DR650, 10 ninjette 250, 03 R6 (race bike) Posts: 25	Fan on a race bike Building a 2010 for the upcoming race season. Are you guys running fans in your bikes? Just wondering I don't have one on my R6. Thanks!

January 26th, 2014, 09:55 PM	#3
csmith12 The Corner Whisperer Name: Chris (aka Reactor) Location: Northern KY Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much. MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13	Many delete the fan on dedicated track machines. __________________________________________________ Goal: Shake A Million Hands \| Look through the corners \| Track Day Prep \| Closest track? \| The Mid-Ohio School

January 29th, 2014, 06:07 PM	#11
alex.s wat Name: wat Location: tustin/long beach Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 5 MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14	we run regularly above 100f temps here and most remove the fan. its not needed if you aren't going to be sitting still (i should hope you're not sitting still while racing) __________________________________________________

January 30th, 2014, 01:14 PM	#15
alex.s wat Name: wat Location: tustin/long beach Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 5 MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14	for no bike do you remove thermostat. __________________________________________________

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January 26th, 2014, 09:52 PM	#2
ahamay ninjette.org member Name: Non-ya Location: Socal Join Date: Mar 2013 Motorcycle(s): Tree Hundred Posts: 72	I left my fan on the bike only because a buddy who took his off over heated his bike on the starting grid. It was a hot day and someone had a mishap on the sighting lap before the race. Before he realized how long he was gonna sit there the temps got to high and he missed his race. Interested to see what others are doing but I think the temps get to high in socal to not have the fan.

January 27th, 2014, 05:53 AM	#4
Konaunit1 ninjette.org member Name: Richie Location: Oak harbor, WA Join Date: May 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2005 FZ1. 08 DR650, 10 ninjette 250, 03 R6 (race bike) Posts: 25	Thanks! It's pretty rare that the temps get warm enough up here in WA to overheat to quick haha? I might take it off. Not sure that it is enough weight to really get hung up on though. Thanks!

January 27th, 2014, 10:57 AM	#6
iZapp former ninja 250'er Name: Geo Location: NE Ohio Join Date: Jan 2013 Motorcycle(s): Aprilia 1000R, CRF450, CBR600RR tracktoy, Ninja 250 -- GONE!!!!! Posts: 153	hell i dont even have a fan on my daily driver ('00 Tundra)! it was damaged when i bought it 5 years ago and i've never replaced it. only been an issue a handful of times since, stuck in traffic/hot day. but on a racebike, just keep an eye on the temp and if gridded longer than normal, just shut the thing off. problem solved. if you're overheating WHILE moving - you're GOING TOO SLOW!

January 28th, 2014, 01:44 PM	#7
sprinter ninjette.org member Name: JJ Location: USA Join Date: Jul 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2018 Ninja 400 Race Bike (in progress...) Posts: 126	I always take the fans off on my race bikes, never had a problem.

January 29th, 2014, 05:58 PM	#10
mgentz Board Member Name: ... Location: WI Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): 250R (street), 250R (dirt) Posts: A lot.	The issue comes in more on the cool down lap or when waiting for the flag to drop. However this should not be a big deal. Even removing it on the street would hardly be an issue depending on where you live.

January 30th, 2014, 12:34 PM	#12
simook ninjette.org member Name: Kyle Location: Portland, Oregon Join Date: Sep 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250R Posts: 106	Convinced me to remove my fan also. But could someone enlighten me on the benefit of removing the thermostat and housing?

January 30th, 2014, 05:54 PM	#18
mgentz Board Member Name: ... Location: WI Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): 250R (street), 250R (dirt) Posts: A lot.	Leave it in.