2002 Over heating

Ducati999s

Registered
New-be Here.... Picked up a 2002 with 345 miles.(Steal at $5000) changed all fluids and put new sneakers on her and so far no issues until today. Put the choke on and left it running for about 10 min (I forgot) when I came out overflow bottle was boiling over!! Shut it down. So I refilled the rad with new fluid and I read that you should tip bike to the left and keep filling and (Burp) the system while its running. Did that and rode it last night on highway and all looked good but when i let it idle in driveway the temps went up again. Very nervous because it only has 600 miles.... Fans do kick on but I have a ducati and the bussas just don't seem as powerful as the duck. So should I replace the thermostat? is that the next step? also do I have to replace the rad fluid when I put in the new thermostat ... Thanks...
 
Do you remember where the temp gauge was when you left it running the first time ? Was the red light near the temp indicator on ? The Gen I will overheat, I just hope you didn't damage the head gasket or head.

I would recommend filling the radiator properly and riding it near home. If it runs without issue, you're good this time. These bikes can be terrible in bumper to bumper stopped traffic, especially in the summer.

Don't start swapping parts until you try it.
 
I filled it up and had not problem riding it on the highway. My next step is letting it sit and run for a while. If it over heats again I will change out the thermostat?
 
I read that the overflow bottle hast to be full for the fan to kick on? I have to fill it I didn't have enough to fill the radiator and the overflow bottle. I will keep you posted when I fill it up... Thanks for the reply...
 
Overflow bottle should not be boiling over! could be that you have s stuck thermostat.

+1

Typically, any bike that is running with enough air flow throught the radiator will keep itself cool. (Main reason why race bikes don't need radiator fans). If the thermostat is stuck open, it will just continue to pump hot coolant through the system not giving it the opportunity to cool properly at idle... (and DadofThree is right... These bikes are notorious for overheating in traffic. Even installing a fan switch to turn the fan on when you want, only slows the process, but it is inevitable).

To find a bike with 300 miles on it, on a 2002, for $5k... Sounds too good to be true. I won't say for certain, but whoever you bought it from may have bought a low mileage cluster and swapped it out to appear newer than it actually is (masking any thought of possible issues with an almost NEW machine). :banghead: I hope for your sake it's not the case, but scumbags exist everywhere and are always looking to pull one over on ya.

Good Luck
 
First and foremost, the temperature gauge on the Gen-1 Busa will most often not go above the mid-line if all things are working fine. Check auto-fan switch, check thermostat & pressure-check the radiator for leaks. Ensure that the coolant and is a proper ratio mix. If all these are good, you might want to check if old coolant has gelled in the water body jacket, since the vehicle seems have sat for years with very little use, as per your statement. The best method to solve the issue once and for all is to do a complete overhaul of the cooling system (coolant pump included), a complete flush, and boiling water bathe the radiator in a bath. Go in for a new hose set. Bikes that have had very little use often throw up weird troubles than much used ones, out of sheer disuse.
 
I had the same issue, last year, but, I didn't do anything at all to fix it. Eventually, problems gone by itself, probably due to traffic jammed, and I'm riding this bike daily -bumper to bumper. The bike is still great!
 
Back
Top