The HOT seat

Ssky0078

Ssky0078

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Hi guys,

So in my never ending saga of learning about life on a motorcycle I've encoutnered a new issue.

I was riding home today and began to get a really hot seat. I mean ridiculously hot. It was as hot or hotter than my Fz6 with the undertail exhaust.

When on the side streets until I got on the freeway I kept getting to 216 on the thermostat and the radiator fan would kick on. I got on the freeway for about 8 miles of ride and the best the engine would cool down to is 180.

The only thing that I may have done that would create this problem is that when I switched out the clutch perch for the Fz8 clutch perch I stripped the screw that held the switch that is underneath the clutch perch and has the little button that is depressed when the clutch is out and goes out when the clutch is pulled in. I went to the shop and got the screw drilled out but I need to figure out a replacement tomorrow or have to order from partshark.com

The whole ride I was affraid my crotch was going to burst into flames, turning me into a literal crotch rocket. I kept thinking this because of a lot of recent talk of batteries breaking down, melting and in one case a guys bike caught fire

I got home and checked under the seat and the battery appears intact without any bubbling or leaks.

So, what is that switch for and can I have done something to really mess my bike up?

Tomorrow is maintenance day. I have on the schedule an oil change, radiator fluid change, air filter change. My Morgan Carbtune didn't show up yet but I was going to hope it came in like british time, kinda like when the royal canadian mail showed up at 1 am to deliver my Fz6 windshield.

The only other thing that seems to have started around the time the bike started heating up more is that there is a clicking noise at around 3500 rpms on up till about 6000 rpm. Don't know if it is related or something else.

Any help will be appreciated.
 
Ssky0078 said:
Hi guys,

So in my never ending saga of learning about life on a motorcycle I've encoutnered a new issue.

I was riding home today and began to get a really hot seat. I mean ridiculously hot. It was as hot or hotter than my Fz6 with the undertail exhaust.

When on the side streets until I got on the freeway I kept getting to 216 on the thermostat and the radiator fan would kick on. I got on the freeway for about 8 miles of ride and the best the engine would cool down to is 180.

The only thing that I may have done that would create this problem is that when I switched out the clutch perch for the Fz8 clutch perch I stripped the screw that held the switch that is underneath the clutch perch and has the little button that is depressed when the clutch is out and goes out when the clutch is pulled in. I went to the shop and got the screw drilled out but I need to figure out a replacement tomorrow or have to order from partshark.com

The whole ride I was affraid my crotch was going to burst into flames, turning me into a literal crotch rocket. I kept thinking this because of a lot of recent talk of batteries breaking down, melting and in one case a guys bike caught fire

I got home and checked under the seat and the battery appears intact without any bubbling or leaks.

So, what is that switch for and can I have done something to really mess my bike up?

Tomorrow is maintenance day. I have on the schedule an oil change, radiator fluid change, air filter change. My Morgan Carbtune didn't show up yet but I was going to hope it came in like british time, kinda like when the royal canadian mail showed up at 1 am to deliver my Fz6 windshield.

The only other thing that seems to have started around the time the bike started heating up more is that there is a clicking noise at around 3500 rpms on up till about 6000 rpm. Don't know if it is related or something else.

Any help will be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you might have a short somewhere. Battery might be making contact with something. I would figure you would blow a fuse or melt a relay though? I would assume that is what the clicking sound is. Check the starter relay for any damage. Either way I would double check EVERYTHING, the battery may look fine externally but melting on the inside. Don't risk an explosion though, if there is even the smallest chance. Good luck. :shame:
 
In the summer time my bike runs hot like this. It's something you have to get used to with the fz1. Your clutch would have had nothing to do with the heat issue.

How hot was it when you were riding? When you laid your bike down you might have put a small crack in the radiator and it may be leaking slowly?? have you checked your fluid levels?

Anyways in the summer time the fz1 can get incredibly uncomfortable and the fans always running in stop and go traffic.
 
Ssky0078 said:
Hi guys,

So in my never ending saga of learning about life on a motorcycle I've encoutnered a new issue.

I was riding home today and began to get a really hot seat. I mean ridiculously hot. It was as hot or hotter than my Fz6 with the undertail exhaust.

When on the side streets until I got on the freeway I kept getting to 216 on the thermostat and the radiator fan would kick on. I got on the freeway for about 8 miles of ride and the best the engine would cool down to is 180.

The only thing that I may have done that would create this problem is that when I switched out the clutch perch for the Fz8 clutch perch I stripped the screw that held the switch that is underneath the clutch perch and has the little button that is depressed when the clutch is out and goes out when the clutch is pulled in. I went to the shop and got the screw drilled out but I need to figure out a replacement tomorrow or have to order from partshark.com

The whole ride I was affraid my crotch was going to burst into flames, turning me into a literal crotch rocket. I kept thinking this because of a lot of recent talk of batteries breaking down, melting and in one case a guys bike caught fire

I got home and checked under the seat and the battery appears intact without any bubbling or leaks.

So, what is that switch for and can I have done something to really mess my bike up?

Tomorrow is maintenance day. I have on the schedule an oil change, radiator fluid change, air filter change. My Morgan Carbtune didn't show up yet but I was going to hope it came in like british time, kinda like when the royal canadian mail showed up at 1 am to deliver my Fz6 windshield.

The only other thing that seems to have started around the time the bike started heating up more is that there is a clicking noise at around 3500 rpms on up till about 6000 rpm. Don't know if it is related or something else.

Any help will be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Did you check the Coolant Reservoir to make sure your coolant level up at the proper level? You may have a pocket of air in the system. Let the bike run with the radiator cap off until it's up to temperature to let any air circulate through the system.
 
speeddemon2588 said:
Sounds like you might have a short somewhere. Battery might be making contact with something. I would figure you would blow a fuse or melt a relay though? I would assume that is what the clicking sound is. Check the starter relay for any damage. Either way I would double check EVERYTHING, the battery may look fine externally but melting on the inside. Don't risk an explosion though, if there is even the smallest chance. Good luck. :shame:
Click to expand...

I don't think there would be reason for there to be short anywhere other than the exposed wiring harness for the entire front end that I have taped up in a bundle hanging from the speedo. LOL. I don't have any blown fuses that I can tell or at least it seems all electrical is working.


ethandf06 said:
In the summer time my bike runs hot like this. It's something you have to get used to with the fz1. Your clutch would have had nothing to do with the heat issue.

How hot was it when you were riding? When you laid your bike down you might have put a small crack in the radiator and it may be leaking slowly?? have you checked your fluid levels?

Anyways in the summer time the fz1 can get incredibly uncomfortable and the fans always running in stop and go traffic.
Click to expand...

I think it got up into the 70s today, probably high 60s when I was riding. I've checked around the bike for leaks repeatedly and don't see anything. The bike went down 2 weeks ago and I've been riding everyday. The reservoir is down to the middle of the low letters and is still sitting at 119 degrees F.

I figured out that the clutch switch is basically part of the kill mechanism that won't let you start the bike if the clutch isn't pulled in and it's in neutral. I guess when the switch is disconnected the bike still runs.

I did miss a down shift 2 days ago and heard a nasty clunk but the bike seemed to run fine and shift fine since then. Could I have broke something off and it is blocking oil circulation?

YZFRiderNY said:
Did you check the Coolant Reservoir to make sure your coolant level up at the proper level? You may have a pocket of air in the system. Let the bike run with the radiator cap off until it's up to temperature to let any air circulate through the system.
Click to expand...

The coolant is down to the middle of the low letters. I turned it on and let it run for about a minute on the center stand, temp started at 110 degrees and got up to 139 within a minute. Coolant started to leak out and didnt' seen any bubbles. There was a small gas exhaust sound when I cracked the cap, maybe it let the air out.
 
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Well, the good thing is that your going to change the coolant anyway during your maintenance. Once your thermostat opens you should just have the coolant "flowing" through the radiator. You should be able to run the bike at idle without having any fluid rising up out the neck at least until up to temp. If it rises and then gurgles, it's just air pockets making their way out of the system.
 
YZFRiderNY said:
Well, the good thing is that your going to change the coolant anyway during your maintenance. Once your thermostat opens you should just have the coolant "flowing" through the radiator. You should be able to run the bike at idle without having any fluid rising up out the neck at least until up to temp. If it rises and then gurgles, it's just air pockets making their way out of the system.
Click to expand...

When you say up to temp, do you mean when the bike goes from 'Lo' to an actual number or is there a numerical temp that I need to look for. When I just did it, the coolant didn't start running out till about 130. No real gurgles jus the air escape when I popped the cap but it was still 110 when I did that. I'll check tomorrow when cold.
 
You may just have gotten to see how hot the fz1 can get. There were days this summer that I drove just because it was too hot to ride. On my way home there is no avoiding stop and go and it gets hot at stop.
 
Ssky0078 said:
When you say up to temp, do you mean when the bike goes from 'Lo' to an actual number or is there a numerical temp that I need to look for. When I just did it, the coolant didn't start running out till about 130. No real gurgles jus the air escape when I popped the cap but it was still 110 when I did that. I'll check tomorrow when cold.
Click to expand...

You may have some air in the system then. When I do my coolant flushes, I start the bike cold with the radiator cap off, and I can let it idle for a while before it ever goes up to the neck and even then it never overflowed out the top. You may have had an air pocket in there if it started to leak over in only a minute or so.
 
Dustin said:
I have never seen one person have so many problems with a (nearly) new Yamaha

Seems odd
Click to expand...

True, I've never mechanically taken care of a vehicle before. Always paid for someone else to do it. Also am some what of a perfectionist and want the type of machine that is running so well that you don't even know it's running except when you accelerate and brake.

And mix that with a little bit of redneck and jerry rigging stuff when I can and then you get the hot mess that is my new relatinship with a motorcycle.

It also doesn't help that when I wrecked it I didn't take it in to get checked out. I was more worried about going through withdrawals again from not having a motorcycle that I decided to ride it till it blew up.
 
Hot seat sound`s pretty normal to me,I really noticed it when I first purchased the FZ1 after comming from a honda 919 also a hot inside left thigh,funny now does`nt seem to bother me anymore.check that both fans are comming on, I had a blown fuse in one,In traffic on a hot day expect the fans to be running.Your temp of 216 when fans come on and 180 on open road seems about right to me,We work in C here not F. fans come on 100C and bike runs about 87C on a warm day
 
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heat is normal to fz1.

ever once encounter 32C weather with bike at 100+C in heavy city traffic wearing office suit. Aint a pleasant experience
 
Not that I can speeak for the norm of a FZ1 on heat however I ride a Yamaha and it gets pretty warm on the ass durring a ride.

I have some additional heat shielding to place some where under the seat and airbox to try to devert the heat elsewhere.

It can be annoying.:frown:
 
Alright, I'm glad it sounds normal. I was beginning to worry that I had damaged the radiator. The right side of the radiator has a corner bent in where the rad guad attaches but otherwise no apparent leaks or cracks. The fluid this morning cold was just down to the bottom of the low line. A new radiator is $275 from partshark.

The battery still looks fine and no bubbling/leaking.

I guess I just got the full experience of an Fz1 in warm weather. I'm kind of worried because I was planning on riding the bike all summer, even the 115 degree days. Maybe I'll just stuff an ice pack down my underwear to keep my nuts cool.
 
The FZ1 is the worst crotch cooker I've ever owned in 28 years of riding.

I used some cardboard with heat tape and heat reflective material under the seat and blocked the gap around the bottom of the tank in front of the seat.

Made a BIG difference .
 
super googan said:
The FZ1 is the worst crotch cooker I've ever owned in 28 years of riding.

I used some cardboard with heat tape and heat reflective material under the seat and blocked the gap around the bottom of the tank in front of the seat.

Made a BIG difference .
Click to expand...

I was at lunch when I saw this message and LOL'd in the restaurant. Crotch cooker. LOL.

That sounds like a good idea for heat shielding. It was only the mid 70s today and I was fairly comfortable but man my seat sure got hot and a little swamp ass was brewing.

I ended up only doing the oil change today as I decided to save up the money and buy a new radiator before I swap out the coolant. The radiator is only sligtly bent below the cap and makes the Rad Guard all cockeyed. With the oil change I did notice that the fan wasn't turning on as much. I think the full synthetic was appreciated by the bike.
 
So, I thought I'd update this thread. I have been getting warmer and warmer as the AZ sun starts heating up. I will say that after the coolant flush and fill that my bike does not run as hot as before. I do not have the fan turn on as much as before.

I will say this, when stuck in traffic, the fan kicks on. After inspecting the design of the bike I came to realize that when the dual fans kick on to cool the radiator it blows hot air underneath the airbox and directly toward the seat.

I have been wondering if it's worth it to come up with some heat shielding design or just suck it up and hope for smooth flowing traffic.
 
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