Only had my bike a few weeks now and with teperatures dropping just wondered do modern bike have antifreeze in them? It gets very cold in my garage i dont want to find a burst pipe on my bike.

Only ever had 1 watercooled bike that was a CX500 many many years ago, cant remember if i ever put any anti-freeze in that.

Scott.

04 Sherco incase you were wondering.

I was advsed several years ago to fill the radiator 1/2 water and 1/2 anti-freeze.

Not had any problems yet.

Hope this helps.

Mike.

Yes. 50/50 will do.

Remember the antifreeze also acts as a coolant in the summer and it helps to the prevent corrosion caused by the water. So you should use it all year around.

Most of the coolant you buy for bikes now is coolant

as opposed to anti freeze this is ready mixed all you have

to do is pour it in .You have to be carefull with some

of the anti freeze's as they are not to freindly to

the magnesium alloy's used in a lot of motorcycles!

You really need to change it once a year anyway.

Good point, the stuff is more than just antifreeze, it is truly 'coolant'. Has more properties than just water.

Compared to pure water, the AF mixture should raise the boiling point, lube the water pump, protect system from internal corrosion. Those additives wear out, thus the need to change occasionally. Ethylene glycol (green) every year or two in automotive applications. The other formulations can go longer. To me, its not worth stretching out the life for the cost of 1 liter of coolant. And the fluid is usually drained anyway every year or so to get access to clutch, gearbox, engine, etc.

Keeping the radiator cap correct, so the system operates at proper pressure, prevents cavitation at the water pump on the back side of the impellor.

(for the techies, cavitation is when the pressure drops and temperature rises, such that it drops below the fluids vapor pressure at that temperature. Small bubbles of vapor form, then milliseconds later they move to a spot with higher pressure and collapse. The resulting collapse creates a mini shock/pressure wave that stresses the surface of the material. Eventually it fails from fatigue and slowly erodes. Looks like a mouse has nibbled away on the surface, somewhat like detonation marks on a piston except more sandpaper appearance. This can also happen on the water side surface of the cylinder liner if the combustion causes vibration of the liner, although this is more likely in diesel engine liners. It can also eat up a hydraulic pump in hours.)

Many good premixed coolants available, or mix soft water and 'antifreeze'; concentrate.

Seems simple but we take for granted how much chemistry and engineering makes performance and modern life comfortable.

biased viewpoint, I design hydraulic systems for big diesel powered equipment.

kcj

Well said KCJ, I wish I could have put it like that.