Thinking of changing the coolant on my 2011 speed triple is this an easy job? any tips and advice welcome
Changing the coolant is one of the easier tasks requiring only basic tools but I would check the procedure in a workshop manual before you start, and be sure to use the right coolant.
Hi Alan, this is a straightforward task, however remember Triumph coolant D2053 OAT is coloured orange compared to the Triumph HD4X OAT which is coloured green. The two coolants should not be mixed as this could result in reduced cooling performance and a reduction in corrosion resistance. When replacing old HD4X OAT coolant, it is important to fully drain and then flush the cooling system before refilling with D2053 OAT coolant. Personally I would use a coolant from a known brand such as Motul, I would not use the Triumph coolant, by using a compatible coolant from Motul you can alternate between different makes in the future, including any top up that may be required, as long as the coolant is recommended for your machine then you have no worries at all. Why Triumph make this complicated goodness only knows, I suspect in part it is designed to make people nervous of doing such a simple task themselves, and who turn to a Triumph dealer to have the task performed. Do it yourself and have the satisfaction of a job well done, and it saves you a lot of money in the end.
Thanks for that I don’t know what’s in it at the minute it looks blue so I am going to change it as you said I might use a compatible coolant like Motul I think they say as long as it is oat Do I remove the lowest hose at side and the drain plug at the front of the cylinder also how would you do a flush
Hi Alan, If your owners manual calls for OAT coolant, that's the important bit. The colour is fairly irrelevant.
I looked into this for my last motorcycle, just to do a top-up, and couldn't get a clear answer! Ended up doing a (very small) top up with de-ionised water instead. One thing I did note is that coolant colours are not standardised, so not all blue coolant is the same, not all green coolant is the same, OAT coolant is often red or pink..... but not always. The important thing is the "formula" and main ingredient - as mentioned above only replace OAT (silicate free) coolant with similar OAT coolant. That may be where using a dealer supplied product could be a safe bet..... although Honda (for my last bike) couldn't supply Honda coolant but had a product which they said was "the same".... That has been my experience anyway.
Hi Alan, yes go with the Motul, and just remove the lower hose, then flush through with a hose pipe (not on full power), this will clear all old coolant through including the radiator, the coolant colour is immaterial as long as you use the correct type, this being OAT, it stands for Organic Acid Technology, and all this means is it has corrosion inhibitors specifically for alloy motorcycle engines, all straight forward and no rocket science, go ahead with it and then enjoy your riding.
There's nothing really special about alloy motorcycle engines. Many cars now have alloy engines and some a mix of alloy heads and iron blocks. I've used Halfords OAT for years, in the bikes and the car which has a CI block and alloy head. The Halfords stuff is readily available, either ready mixed or concentrate and cheap compared to bespoke "bike" coolant. I usually buy the concentrate which works out cheaper and mix with tap water. I just hope my pistons don't dissolve!
Given the small volume of the cooling system on bikes I would use de-ionised water rather than tap water. A peep inside your kettle will explain why.
What is the coolant capacity of the average motorcycle? It's 1.89L on a Triumph 1200 Twin so less than 1L of water with a 50/50 mix. It's a sealed system so will only ever hold 1L of water. Even with the hardest tap water how many litres of water must pass through a kettle to build up deposits? Many 1000's I'm guessing. The amount of impurities in 1L of tap water is so infinitesimally small as to make no odds whatsoever. JMO Topping up a LA battery, distilled water, cooling system, tap water no problem.
