
Is this running too cold?
- Stew
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2017 10:40 am
- Location: Smokey Point, WA - USA
- Motorcycle: 2000 GL1500 SE
2005 Honda CRF230F
Previous bikes:
2003 Honda Ruckus
1993 Honda Elite 50 SR
1986 Honda CR125R
1979 Yamaha GT80
Is this running too cold?
Granted it's a bit nippy out at 35°F and it wasn't that long of a ride, it may have moved up a needle's width more if I rode longer. How does this compare to others riding around in cold weather? In the summer it does move up a little more. Not looking forward to replacing the thermostat if that's really what it needs

Winging it every chance I get 
19,119 miles when I got it from dad Oct 15, 2017 --- 28,659 miles and counting as of Sep 11, 2020!

19,119 miles when I got it from dad Oct 15, 2017 --- 28,659 miles and counting as of Sep 11, 2020!
- GlimWas
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2013 3:31 am
- Location: Netherlands
- Motorcycle: 1994 GL1500 SE Canada Edition, Carbon Candy Blue
2014 NC750X DCT - Contact:
Re: Is this running too cold?
These temperature gauges lead a life of there own, every one gives a different reading... Mine doesn't go up this far in the middle of summer at 30 dgr celsius after 150 km......
I wouldn't take it too serious, as long as the fans work when hot all is OK.
I wouldn't take it too serious, as long as the fans work when hot all is OK.
Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle
GL1100 '80
GL1200 '87
GL1500 '94
GL1100 '80
GL1200 '87
GL1500 '94
- newday777
- Posts: 2086
- Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:21 pm
- Location: Milford NH summer/fall & Oceanside, CA winters(N San Diego) with lots of miles riden between
- Motorcycle: 2008 Cabernet Red. Level 4
1983 GL1100A Wineberry 36,000 miles
1975 CB750 K5 Planet Blue 7,800 miles
1976 CB750 K6 Anterris Red 25,000 miles
Past rides
1999A Restored from PO neglect & sold at 19,000 miles
1999SE Totaled by cager at 105,000 miles
Re: Is this running too cold?
You are fine at that temp and guage position.
Ride(not sitting idling) at least an hour to fully heat it up and burn out the moisture in the mufflers or you'll be needing to replace your exhaust in short order because of rusting from the inside out. Treat it right.
Too many start their bikes and just let them sit and idle or short rides that do not burn out the moisture. That is the cause of rotted mufflers and crossover boxes on these bikes.
Ride(not sitting idling) at least an hour to fully heat it up and burn out the moisture in the mufflers or you'll be needing to replace your exhaust in short order because of rusting from the inside out. Treat it right.
Too many start their bikes and just let them sit and idle or short rides that do not burn out the moisture. That is the cause of rotted mufflers and crossover boxes on these bikes.
- MikeB
- Posts: 3168
- Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:54 pm
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Motorcycle: 1998 - GL1500 Aspencade
184K Miles
2017 - GL1800 Audio Comfort
14K Miles - Contact:
Re: Is this running too cold?
Looks the same as mine Stew. Nothing to worry about.Stew wrote: ↑Tue Feb 26, 2019 9:48 pmGranted it's a bit nippy out at 35°F and it wasn't that long of a ride, it may have moved up a needle's width more if I rode longer. How does this compare to others riding around in cold weather? In the summer it does move up a little more. Not looking forward to replacing the thermostat if that's really what it needs![]()
MikeB
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
- Stew
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2017 10:40 am
- Location: Smokey Point, WA - USA
- Motorcycle: 2000 GL1500 SE
2005 Honda CRF230F
Previous bikes:
2003 Honda Ruckus
1993 Honda Elite 50 SR
1986 Honda CR125R
1979 Yamaha GT80
Re: Is this running too cold?
Thanks guys, I feel better now. The fans do come on normally when the needle reaches about the halfway mark so I guess all is good, and I do typically go on rides longer than just a few miles but the weather has been so bad around here lately that when we finally got a couple of days that were decent I HAD to take it out whenever I could!
Winging it every chance I get 
19,119 miles when I got it from dad Oct 15, 2017 --- 28,659 miles and counting as of Sep 11, 2020!

19,119 miles when I got it from dad Oct 15, 2017 --- 28,659 miles and counting as of Sep 11, 2020!
- CrystalPistol
- Posts: 1419
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 9:07 pm
- Location: Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
- Motorcycle: 1997 GL1500SE/'98 Lehman Trike
Re: Is this running too cold?
That only tells you that it's on the cold end of the normal operating range … not that it's really still cold. Cold would be indicated maybe if the needle never came up off cold peg, but your's is up off the cold peg in the picture.
Make Courtesy your "Code of the Road" …
… & Have a Safe Trip!
… & Have a Safe Trip!

- Mh434
- Posts: 1512
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:24 pm
- Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Motorcycle: 1997 gl1500 SE
Previous:
1981 GL1100I
1989 Kawasaki Concours
Re: Is this running too cold?
Yep - I'd say you're golden. In cold weather, my gauge doesn't go any higher than that unless I let it sit & idle for a while. My preference is a temp gauge that never normally reaches the 1/2 way mark. That way, if it gets up to 1/2 way, you're aware you may have an impending problem, but you still have a ways to go before things are critical. I had a car where the gauge normally ran at over 2/3 of the way up (everything was perfect, cooling-wise). Once it wasn't, though, there were mere seconds to react once the gauge began to rise as it had such a tiny distance to travel.
In your case, I'd be a happy camper.
In your case, I'd be a happy camper.