Coolant strength anyone?

[Phmode]

So, here's the thing! Having had the K13 for almost a year now and ridden about 45 miles on it, I obviously haven't taken any notice of the suicide light on the dash that keeps saying 'geddit serviced' 

Sitting here shivering in Phmode Towers the other night (Albanians in the loft have diverted the gas supply and stopped paying the hostage money) it slowly dawned on me that I had no idea whether my bike had the right concentration of anti-freeze in it.

Come to think of it, having bought it from a small independent, I didn't know if it had any anti-freeze in it 

It could easily be that the engine had frozen solid in the minus lots temps of the previous evening. Oh well, too late to worry now! Pour another scotch dear!

I kinda knew the header tank had some blue water in there so it was capable of freezing which it wouldn't if there were no water in the system 

The simple, cheap and hopefully effective solution was to buy one of these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/181981876829?lpid=122&chn=ps&adgroupid=33676502101&rlsatarget=pla-270397343203&adtype=pla&poi=&googleloc=9045594&device=t&campaignid=707291931&crdt=0&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F710-134428-41853-0%252F2%253Fmtid%253D1673%2526kwid%253D1%2526crlp%253D162500434478_563391%2526itemid%253D181981876829%2526targetid%253D270397343203%2526device%253Dt%2526mpre%253Dhttp%25253a%25252f%25252fwww.ebay.co.uk%25252fitm%25252flike%25252f181981876829%25253flpid%25253d122%252526chn%25253Dps%2526adtype%253Dpla%2526googleloc%253D9045594%2526poi%253D%2526campaignid%253D707291931%2526adgroupid%253D33676502101%2526rlsatarget%253Dpla-270397343203%2526gclid%253DCPyI382D9NACFWux7QodAZcLgg%2526srcrot%253D710-134428-41853-0%2526rvr_id%253D1139561439298

...which are available at prices ranging from 'cheapo' to 'you gotta be kidding me'! (£10 - £200)

Being a tight ass I went for one in the middle and spent a whole £13 

The one I got is temperature compensated (it says in Chinese), works for the common anti-freezes of propylene glycol and ethylene glycol (which produce the same results down to about -30C  ), washer bottle additives for the alloy box and battery acid concentration (but not much use with sealed batteries these days).

I tested the coolant strength which is actually a VERY dark blue and it came up as protected to -40C.

So, cover back on The Beast, more scotch poured and back to burning old copies of MCN to keep the chill at bay.

[Costas]

Or move to a nice sunny greek island and forget all about freezing engines etc........

[raesewell]

He's at it again Brian, ban 'im 

[Phmode]

He should be so smug! While we are worried about freezing the insides of his motor are quietly corroding away if he doesn't bother with the additive 

[Costas]

Do you really need to go through the coolant , again?

[Niall]

Or move to a nice sunny greek island and forget all about freezing engines etc........

Well, if I remember "Guns of Navaronne" that well known source of military history, there is snow a top some of those hills

And I know there's snow on top of Cyprus. Not sure about Crete though. High enough they are (watching too many Star wars films)

[Phmode]

Skiing in The Troudos mountains followed by a dip in the relatively warm Med anyone? 

[OxMan]

Sounds delightful - but skiing for me likely followed by trip to hospital - so I'll just head down to the coast and get the beers in!! 

[Phmode]

I'm with you mate, I only use anything faster than my legs if it has 'real' brakes!

[Blobby]

Syringe some coolant out into a plastic container and put it in your freezer. They're between -18 to -23c, If it's slushy after a few days you know your good to go.

If it freezes, offer it as an ice lolly.   

[Phmode]

On a rather serious note, don't try this at home kiddies unless you live alone and have an excellent memory!

When I cleared my 'write-only' freezer out the other day I found a small bowl of something slushy and 'orrible in the bottom. I had started the freezer test about 13 years ago with the coolant from my then-in-long-term-storage Honda, forgotten all about it and couldn't work out what the hell the gunk was in the plastic bowl.

Brian (who says that as anti-freeze is extremely poisonous it isn't a good idea to leave it lurking in a family freezer, unless you don't get on with each other  )

PS That was when I bought the spectroscope 

[TomL]

Some people leave bowls of anti-freeze in the garden for the cats. Stops them messing in the garden. Actually it stops them messing anywhere.

Why did you buy a spectroscope? I use a refractometer to check coolant strength.

[Phmode]

That's what comes from having interests in two different camps, astronomy (where a refractometer won't get you very far) and motoring (where a spectroscope is as much use as a chocolate tea pot)