Greetings again,
I love questions like yours, gets the brain working.
So, am I correct in thinking that; you are not loosing coolant and the coolant is clean? If so then I will bet Joel's next cow horn pie against a sprout that the head gasket is fine. Might be worth testing the radiator pressure cap though because if that is weak or leaking then pressure will not be raising the boiling point high enough. One pound loss equates to about 3 or 4 degrees in temperature. Have your measured or felt the temperature across the radiator incase there is a slight blockage or dead spot?
From what I have read these engines are virtually bullet proof but they do run very hot if the bike is stationary with the engine running or used at low road speed and highish throttle. There seems to be four modifications that folk make in the US and Australia where the ambient temperature is much higher and drier than here.
The first is to flush the coolant system of the original water/antifreeze mixture and replace it with a waterless coolant such as Evans PowerSports;
http://www.evanscoolants.co.uk I have not used this product myself but I know others who recommend it for motocross use. My Norton; Serow and Alp are air cooled
Simple water and glycol anti freeze mixture is on the way out for most liquid cooled engines.
The second is to fit an electric fan which will draw cooling air through the radiator such as;
http://www.trailtech.net/electrical/dig ... t/732-fn11http://gallery.trailtech.net/media/inst ... LV-173.pdfThe third is to fit a different radiator protective grill and/or support bracket which are less restrictive to air flow than the standard fitment.
The forth is to fit a larger capacity radiator plus any or all of the previous modifications.
Now to the air box and water in the oil. I would check the condition; routing and security of the breather pipe and make sure that it is clear. Water in the air box could be due to washing the bike with a power hose, especially if the snorkel has been removed. Think about the inverted shaped 'U' bends used on ships, let air in but keep water out. If the air is naturally wet, i.e. raining, then water can condense and collect in the box. This normally dries out just with air passing over it whilst the engine is running but it could accumulate on cold wet days.
Does your air box have a drain pipe as well as a breather? If not then think about making one by gluing the plastic clear filler pipe off a gearbox oil type filler with a screw cap at the bottom through the base of the box.
How often do you check the condition of the oil, in other words how long did it take to go from clear oil to the emulsified mess you drained off? Check the condition after every run from now on
Well more things for you to think on and maybe try
TTFN
Hugh.
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