1998 K1200 RS Temp gauge

Hello all,
I'm new to K bikes. All I've ever had is R stuff. I'm just now getting a chance to put some miles on it and have noticed the temp needle stays between 1/2 and the beginning of the red zone. It goes back to slightly above 1/2 at highway speed but does climb pretty quickly around town. It hasn't crossed into the red yet but I am getting the antifreeze smell sometimes when I stop. I know where "normal" is on my RT but should I be worried about this? I just bought it used in February and it just turned 40K. Thanks...

K1200RS Temp.

Welcome to the forum. On my FL based 2002 K1200RS, the temp gauge normally reeds just above 1/2, it does climb around town. In heavy stop and go, it will read just short of the red zone and the electric fans kick on. It always drops back down as I get some air flowing through. These bikes don't have lots of coolant like cars, and the temp gauge can and will change rapidly. I would make sure the fans are kicking in and since you smell antifreeze, make sure the level of your coolant is correct and is not old and or in the proper mix ratio to water. Hope this helps. Ron

Be sure the coolant is full AT THE RADIATOR CAP, not just in the expansion tank.

Thank you gentlemen. I had a Ducati ST that did the same thing but I understood when I had an issue. I'll check everything and see if I need to make any repairs. I did have all the plastic off the other day and noticed the right side fan did not turn as freely as I expected it to. Thanks again.

Check coolant levels at cap (cold) and reservoir tank. Verify that the hose from radiator neck to reservoir tank is not blocked/kinked by blowing through it. Make sure the radiators do not have clogged or bent fins. Take the bike for a ride to warm it up, then park and idle on center stand until the fans come on. Make sure BOTH fans are tripping on--your right fan sounds suspicious. If all that checks out and you are not hitting the red or finding leaks, then you are likely OK. These bikes tend to run warm to begin with--my GT routinely ran about a third of the way up between the mid mark and red zone. Since adding the sidecar and it's flow-obstructing bracketry it runs halfway between mid and red, floating up toward red a bit in town--until the fans kick in. Then the bike's needle drops back down a bit while my personal temp gauge goes up...

Best,
DG

While you are checking the coolant level at the cap, and the overflow line out of that cap area, be sure to check the gasket on the cap. You should not be smelling coolant at all. If you are, then be sure to check all the connections of all hoses to be sure there is no cut or looseness, no fluid leaking out. If the radiator cap gasket is not functioning properly, it is possible for fluid to be expelled to the catch tank after stopping as it is not holding the pressure properly, and in that case, fluid can overfill the catch tank, and may not be sucked back into the system properly. Has never happened to me on the K12, but did once on the K11RS. When I have smelled coolant on the K12, it was a hose not properly clamped allowing a teeny tiny amount to be expelled under pressure. I believe it was one side or the other of the cross piece between the two rads.....
In my recollection, the K12 runs a bit hotter in general than the K11, depending on ambient temps, it may often approach the red zone before the fans kick in. Some folks install additional fans for their style of riding as theirs tended to be near the red too often for their comfort. At highway speeds all should be fine, it is, as noted, the slow and go type riding, especially in hot and humid climates that sends the needle upward. Cleaning the radiators carefully (hosing from the rear with MILD flow etc) will often help. I was surprised how much junk came out the first time I did that.... Some CAREFULLY use an appropriately fine and soft item to gently push between the fins to assist removal of debris/bug parts. The fins are delicate, do not damage them....

You should also check to see that the fan comes on when it needs to, at ~ 7/8 the way up. Mine stopped working a while back and I traced it to a corroded connection on the fan relay. This is in the electrical box under tank, by the way.