This summer I had planned to change the stat and all associated hoses. This was preventative maintenance and I wanted to change the hose clamps to stop the ubiquitous slow leak. Pulled the radiator and when I saw how cramped the thermostat housing is and how difficult it was going to be to change all the hoses, I just put the rad back and buttoned everything up after tightening all the clamps. I've had not a whisper of trouble with the stat to date (37k miles on the 2010 bike).
Today was 41 deg F. Bike is stored in my garage that is heated to 40 (water pipes in house/garage wall had frozen before it was heated). Started the bike up per usual, donned my gear and once I had two bars, I rode off. Down the drive, rode about 200 yards and noticed that I still did not have 3 bars. All summer and fall (yes, much warmer temps) would get me 3 bars by the turn around. Today, nope. Made the turn to go back down the boulevard and drove about a mile to my next turn. In that distance, I got my 3 bars, then it went back to two, then up to 3, and back to two. I'd never noticed this behavior before - always got 3 bars and it held steady today once it hit 3 again by the end of that 1st mile, but to be honest, I don't monitor the temp gage very actively once it hits the third bar. (Speed on the boulevard was about 40).
Rode about 75 miles to our greasy spoon for today's lunch and not a flicker on the gage - steady 3 bars. On the way home I stopped at a friend's house and chatted for about an hour and a half. The bike went from 3 bars to zero in that time and I let it warm to two before I left (temp was now 50 deg F). As I rode away, it seemed to take a while to hit that 3rd bar, then back to 2, then 3 and it held steady w/o a flicker for the rest of the trip home. (Speed after leaving friends house was 50 to 60 - mostly 55). To be honest, I was watching the temp gage like a hawk for the entire ride today.
Does this sound like a failing stat or normal behavior in comparatively cold weather?
Today was 41 deg F. Bike is stored in my garage that is heated to 40 (water pipes in house/garage wall had frozen before it was heated). Started the bike up per usual, donned my gear and once I had two bars, I rode off. Down the drive, rode about 200 yards and noticed that I still did not have 3 bars. All summer and fall (yes, much warmer temps) would get me 3 bars by the turn around. Today, nope. Made the turn to go back down the boulevard and drove about a mile to my next turn. In that distance, I got my 3 bars, then it went back to two, then up to 3, and back to two. I'd never noticed this behavior before - always got 3 bars and it held steady today once it hit 3 again by the end of that 1st mile, but to be honest, I don't monitor the temp gage very actively once it hits the third bar. (Speed on the boulevard was about 40).
Rode about 75 miles to our greasy spoon for today's lunch and not a flicker on the gage - steady 3 bars. On the way home I stopped at a friend's house and chatted for about an hour and a half. The bike went from 3 bars to zero in that time and I let it warm to two before I left (temp was now 50 deg F). As I rode away, it seemed to take a while to hit that 3rd bar, then back to 2, then 3 and it held steady w/o a flicker for the rest of the trip home. (Speed after leaving friends house was 50 to 60 - mostly 55). To be honest, I was watching the temp gage like a hawk for the entire ride today.
Does this sound like a failing stat or normal behavior in comparatively cold weather?