Overheating damage?

[pikachukat]

Hey,

So, I know that off-roading isn't usually Kat territory. However, I was riding my kat up about 40 miles of atv track in 96-98 degree weather. Uphill, stayed around 4000RPMs. At the top, we stopped for a moment and my kat would not fire up. Seemed really hot. So I let it cool down for about 30-40 minutes and enjoyed the scenery. After that, it started and rode normally for another 60 miles. Around 60 miles, it seemed to cough, almost like it wasn't getting gas (like temporary losses of power. Maybe did this 7-8 times within a half mile). Do you think overheating it caused any long term damage? I always thought that an air cooled engine would quit when it got too hot and then be fine to ride when it cooled down. Could I have caused any permanent damage? It's a 2002 kat600

[92xjunker]

Kat on an ATV track.......No. sounds like a fuel starvation issue or flooding issue. Smell your oil for fuel.

[arsenic]

A street motorcycle on an ATV offroad track. I bet you own skinny jeans, don't you?

[pikachukat]

A street motorcycle on an ATV offroad track. I bet you own skinny jeans, don't you?

Haha, no skinny jeans. I have 10 years of off-road experience and my brother rides a v-strom. So, my kat always makes it just fine. I put chunky dual sport tires on it, which actually help a ton. This is the first time it has gotten so hot.

[92xjunker]

I think you need a dual sport bike. You'd be better off bringing an actual tank to the track....

[pikachukat]

I think you need a dual sport bike. You'd be better off bringing an actual tank to the track....

Haha, I DEFINITELY need a dual sport or adventure. However, I don't have the money to throw down on one and I can't bear to part with my Kat. It's my buddy!

[Kreylyn]

I'd recommend you invest in a temp gauge setup on the bike. It's not hard or expensive to do, so you can keep a better eye on the situation. If it's really a temp issue with your riding style, then you can do a few different things to combat that.

First is definitely check the oil and make sure your using the right weight, and it's not contaminated with fuel.

You could consider adding aux fans that can be run on a temp basis for extra cooling when needed for slower speed runs. I'd suggest a dual battery setup for that, and switching batteries to lithium Iron if you do. 2 points of issue would be boiling the fuel out of the tank and the carbs. Eventually the engine will get so hot that the metal expands the valves out of spec and you end up with problems there (that's usually when someone says it stopped running...)

Also I'd suggest you check your fuel tuning for the bike. Running lean will cause the bike to run hotter.

Krey

[pikachukat]

I took it for a nice long ride yesterday with no issues. I don't think it's running lean. If anything, just a touch rich. The spark plugs look good, and I synced the carbs and adjusted the fuel/air mixture what seemed like perfect. However, I do usually smell a little gas when I first start it, and it seems just a little boggy coming off the line.