markfreebie
New member
I ride a 2003 K1200GT that now has about 118,000 miles on it. I've owned it for the last 100,000 miles.
The bike has been nearly bulletproof, but I think I have found it's Achilles heel. The fans.
At about 65,000 miles that bike was overheating in heavy Toronto traffic and when I got home to Wisconsin my dealer replaced the two fans, a pricey repair job.
I just got back from a two-week ride in Colorado I noticed the bike's temp light was on when we were blitzing up mountain passes zipping past cars, but once we crested and started downhill it would cool off quickly. The fuse was fine.
I'm figure it's time to replace the fans again because I cannot hear them run.
My questions are:
1 -- After removing all the bodywork, how difficult it is to replace the fans? I can pick up some used ones for about $50, taken from a bike with 30K miles. New each fan is $308 for a total of $616. Ouch. If it's basic and I take it slow, I can usually fix stuff. Sometime I find the most difficult part is removing the bodywork.
2 -- When we are on the desolate high plains of Wyoming (8,000 feet) I couldn't get my bike above 122 mph (according to the GPS). At home at 700 feet above sea level I've done 141. I thought the less resistance of the thinner air would offset the horsepower loss. I guess I'm incorrect, right?
Thanks in advance
Mark Hoffman
Fond du Lac, Wis.
The bike has been nearly bulletproof, but I think I have found it's Achilles heel. The fans.
At about 65,000 miles that bike was overheating in heavy Toronto traffic and when I got home to Wisconsin my dealer replaced the two fans, a pricey repair job.
I just got back from a two-week ride in Colorado I noticed the bike's temp light was on when we were blitzing up mountain passes zipping past cars, but once we crested and started downhill it would cool off quickly. The fuse was fine.
I'm figure it's time to replace the fans again because I cannot hear them run.
My questions are:
1 -- After removing all the bodywork, how difficult it is to replace the fans? I can pick up some used ones for about $50, taken from a bike with 30K miles. New each fan is $308 for a total of $616. Ouch. If it's basic and I take it slow, I can usually fix stuff. Sometime I find the most difficult part is removing the bodywork.
2 -- When we are on the desolate high plains of Wyoming (8,000 feet) I couldn't get my bike above 122 mph (according to the GPS). At home at 700 feet above sea level I've done 141. I thought the less resistance of the thinner air would offset the horsepower loss. I guess I'm incorrect, right?
Thanks in advance
Mark Hoffman
Fond du Lac, Wis.
Because we're talking about fans...
Well, I am an airhead! 
