Motorcycle Repair: motor temp., coolant water, yamaha r1

Question
I just purchasd a used 2001 Yamaha R1 and have no idea what temperature the fan should turn on at. When I took it out on today(a very warm day) and rode it pretty hard for just 30 minutes.The fan did not turn on and the temp was at 215+. Once again I am not familiar with this cooling system. I am used to an air cooled Harley. Any feed back is appreciated.  

Answer
Hi Adam,

I don't know the specifc temperature range for your MC's fan switch. There are so many different thermal switches. Most operate between 175+ to 210+ degrees. It varies between MC designs.

An air free cooling system with a coolant/water ratio of 50/50 will not begin to boil the coolant until about 230 degrees. Any air trapped in the system causes overheating (lowers boiling point). An air pocket at waterpump may result in no coolant flow and engine damage.

Try posting the question here: http://pub114.ezboard.com/byamahar6messagenet

Someone with the service manual may look up the temp specs on the fan thermo-switch for you.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively