Motorcycle Repair: heating, oil pressure gauge, gixxer 750

Question
i have a 91 gsxr 750 that heats to much even when warming it up for a ride. It heats up more in about 10 minutes of riding. It will then cut off at different times. once it cuts off it will have to cool anywhere from 15 min to 30...then it will start but is still very hot. can you tell me what is causing this? thanks early.

Answer
Hi Patrick!! Gixxer 750... Best sport bike ever built!! Ok... A problem like this is difficult to resolve without being able to put my dirty little hands on it. But lets run through the facts here: the '91 GSXR 750 is air/oil cooled. It has a small oil cooler mounted forward of the engine. Let's assume that you have fresh oil in the motor at the proper level. The oil cooler system is actually a very simple and basic idea. Pump the oil thru the cooler and the engine will stay cooler. But let's not overlook the other factors that can cause overheating:

1) Improper heat range spark plug.
2) carbs are running lean (very bad for the engine).
3) Is the airpath in front of the oil cooler obstructed by something?
4) Oil pump is weak and not creating enough pressure to move the oil.
5) a build up of sludge and yuk is impeding the oil flow thru cooler.

The standard heat range plug is a NGK CR10ek. Check the condition of all the plugs. If they are whitish and blistered, then the plug is too hot for your applications. The only way to properly test the oil pressure (the oil pump) is by installing an oil pressure gauge into the oil lines, a task best suited to a repair shop, but yoh can get aftermarket gauge kits. The oil cooler (radiator) can be removed and flushed. If flushed, look for sludge and debris coming out. And one more thing... are you sure the bike is actually overheating? I ask cuz air/oil cooled engines run at hotter temps than liquid cooled ones. Don't overlook the fact that ignition coils and CDI units are prone to high temp breakdowns. I hope something I have provided here will help you find the problem... keep me posted Patrick and Good Luck!!!

Jack