Overheated Ktm 500 exc

[daniel holderMember]

Hi guys I got my L’s today and seeing as I just got a new to me 2012 500 exc last weekend I just couldn’t resist going out for a spin. The bike went great all day except I noticed that the thermo switch is broken and was not turning the fan on. This is a comman fault on the 2012 bikes I’m told and to be honest I was expecting this when I brought the bike.
Whilst in some very slow tight snotty single track after a bit of stop and start the bike started to steam a bit so I shut her down and gave her 20-30 mins to cool down. I then just hard wired the fan on for the rest of the ride and had no further issues.
The bike has 29 hours on it there are no bubbles in the radiator and no coolent in the oil so I think the head gasket is fine. Do you guys reckon the one minor overheat would cause any damage?
I’m planing to dump the coolent and replace it with engine ice while I replace the thermo switch. Also thinking about a handlebar switch for the fan. What do you reckon guys?

[Adam RodgersMember]

Dan,

With the kato’s the radiator overflow drips onto the header pipe giving off steam, usually making it look worse than it is.

If the radiator is slightly over full this will happen when the engine gets up to temperature, venting out the excess coolant and finding it’s happy level.

A fan is a necessary item for singles (especially in Ourimbah).

Adam.

[GregMember]

Would be surprised if it is damaged it champ the amount of KTMs you see overheated with out damage you would have to be unlucky. The 530 I was riding for a while had ice in it and a KTM fan kit and never overheated again. I also always turned it off when stopped even for 30 seconds. Fan came on by itself did a good job. Should be standard equipment for them it having to spend more hard earned is wrong IMO after the buying the bike for a fan

TB

[Matt BakerMember]

Nah man, getting a bit hot won’t worry it.

I have had my Berg steaming and boiling plenty of times, I don’t have a fan and don’t think it needs one, just have to ride a bit faster

[CrisMember]

Mine does the same thing. I had to buy my fan as the 08’s didn’t come with 1. Like LC said ride faster all good.

[daniel holderMember]

adam wrote:

Dan,

With the kato’s the radiator overflow drips onto the header pipe giving off steam, usually making it look worse than it is.

If the radiator is slightly over full this will happen when the engine gets up to temperature, venting out the excess coolant and finding it’s happy level.

A fan is a necessary item for singles (especially in Ourimbah).

Adam.

Thanks mate that’s hopefully what happened engine ice and a thermo switch is in order.

[murph the surfMember]

Shouldn’t be an issue, Dan
I had my 500 a little warm a few rides back when my thermo sensor failed.
I have over 6000kms on her and have been through a few sensors. :angry:
It wasn’t til after that ride that I thought of using one of the spare fuses to bypass the switch
This would of meant the fan running all the time but that would of been no biggie
New thermo switch almost $80 from memory.
Cheers
Murph

P.S. I get the 85 degree switch rather than the original higher temp one.

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