Coolant

[FFRDave]

I drained some coolant from my 2005 GG ec 250 and noticed that its a colarless opaque fluid rather than the green anti-freez I am used to. This is the first time I have drained coolant since the bike was new about 4 months ago.

Will the Green coolant work OK without doing any damage to my engine or the gaskets ?

Is there anything special about the clear fluid that was in it when new ?

[Dave]

I can't comment on what was in yours, but the green stuff works fine in mine.

[Eric K]

Since you don't know what it is, make sure you thoroughly flush the system. I have heard tales of woe (massive corrosion) resulting from mixing small amounts of incompatible coolants.

[FFRDave]

I called the dealership where I bought the GG ec 250, and they said that it was the anti-freez that came from the factory with the machine. They suggested that I flush it out and use whatever I want.

Now the question is.... What coolant do I want to use?

What coolant are you guys using?

Is Liquid Ice any good?

[GMP]

Flush it out good. Then use a coolant that DOES NOT contain silicate abrasives. Motorcycle specific coolants are fine as is TOYOTA brand automotive coolant. Engine Ice is fine, but not sure how much better than regular coolant. Prestone contains silicates unless they changed it recently. Mix 60/40 distilled water/coolant (unles pre mixed) for best heat transfer. Six capfulls of Red Line Water Wetter also helps heat transfer, but on the 2-stroke GG heat is not a problem. Run a KTM 1.4 bar cap. Last, you can scrap the expansion tank around the steering head for more room and reliability. The system should now be totally trouble free, even it the worst conditions.

[FFRDave]

I have a water softener that has an Ion exchanger.

I think what I will do is fill the waterjacket with just water, and then get the bike all warmed up, and after it cools, I will drain it. Then repete this process a couple times.

I would expect this "soft" water to have better heat transfer characteristics than "hard" water.

What EXACTLY does "Water Wetter" do? Does it take the minerals out of the water (effectively) "softening it?