winter engine running temp

[cozmo1589]

Hi cozmo,
but the transalps are old style engines .

Thermostats have been around for donkeys years, I believe that the arc used one on its water cooling system. Its only things like race bikes that don't run thermostats (because thermostats restrict flow)

Yeah i suppose so. Still i have been driving and riding for near on 28 years now and never before have i ever had to start to blank off parts of a car or bikes radiator to change the way an engine was designed to run in the first place and I have owned probably nigh on 40 plus vehicles in all that time from very old to brand new. Still, always learning and interested in peoples experiences.

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[cozmo1589]

Hi cozmo,
but the transalps are old style engines ..been arond for years in various honda designx and they are renowned for runnong very cool..

Ok fair enough, isn't an engine running cool though, better than running at a much higher temperature?

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[Mike54]

I agree with cozmo. There's no reason to do this on a bike at all. In a car you want to have the heater warm, so a rad blanket isn't a bad idea, but in this country the temps dont really get cold enough to warrant using one since the thermostat may not be opening anyway. A rad blanket may help to increase engine temps and therefore the output of the heater but on a bike its a waste of time.

[Wandering Star]

The difference between old car and a modern bike engines is in the material used. Most car engines of forty years ago would have been iron blocks and cylinder heads where bikes have aluminium ones. In the winter they would normally run too cold. Most cars would need to have part of the radiator blocked off. Aluminium as a material is much more thermal efficient than cast iron. An old iron block and head would stand overheating as long as it was allowed to cool down slowly. You might have had to replace the head gasket. Aluminium will not be so forgiving. Be very careful about blocking off a bike radiator. You will probably not get a second chance.