norton overheat problems

[litoskin]

Hi to evryone.Sorry for my poor english.I'm writing from Italy. Yesterday i decide to make a small travel around the mountains near where i live with my lovely F1.Yesterday the outside temperature was very hot (about 37 °C).After half an hour of travel at medium speed (60 mph )i have seen the temperature indicator on the dashboard was allways on the beginning of red and i tried to proceed ar higher speed with the lower rpm as possible (this normally help the engine to cool better and the temperature generally decrease) but the temperature continue to raise so i stop the motorbike and i checked the coolant level but it was ok. (i'm using evans cooling liqiuid since 3 years without having problems so i think this is not the problem).After staring the engine again the engine has got problem to mantain the minimum rpm without stopping and the i felt a bad noise coming from the engine at the beginning was not very hight but after 1 minuts it was VERY big so i decide to stop the engine and park the bike. the noise was similar to a convetional 2 stroke engine with problem to the crank like something thet make too much friction when it rotates....After 1 hour of waiting the engine coolant temperature was quite complete cold so i decide to start again the engine.The noise disappeard so i decide to come back home i travelled at the same speed 60-70 mph for 30 minutes but the problem never happened again. before coming back home i take the bike at high rpm (9000)and i push the bike untill 130 mph without any strange rumors coming from the engine.From the exaust no strange smoke has ever appeared also during the problem and the coolant level has not come down .The bike has 15000 miles i don't know if the engine has got the molibdenum conversion. i had the bike since 2007 and i drive it for 3500 miles without having any troubles . the bike has been serviced 500 miles ago with change of oils and spark plug.Anyone knows this kind of problem? does it happen also at some of you in the past? what could be happened? i'm worrid it could came again...Here where i live no one has ever seen a wankel engine from inside and i really don't know anyone who is able to aid me.Thank you very much ,your help is very important for me....CiaoMarco

[Wayne]

H have the following recomondatonsonce a year remove the radator cap as the rubber seal can be come bonded shut (hapend on my f1, affter molling would not reseal took norton three months to suss, but this is no excuse for not undertakng removing the rad cap).check thermostat for partial openingcheck rad externaly for blockage of the grillssquees rad hoses to help expell airafter draining and flling the coolant system host the front end of the bike high in the air to remove traped air (this recomendation came from brian c and this procedure followd on the f1 based race bikes. I am sure they also hoisted the front of the f1 road bikes as i was shown how to they raisd them at shenston.My engine developed a strange noise which initaly sounded like bearings were shot, it transpired to be only the cushdrive rubbers had an 1/8 of play. When striped it fell apart and the rubbers were us, after rebuilding and thouroughly cleaning the clutch and the primary tensioner fitting, new rubbers the bike sounds as sweet as a nut and the clutch action is vastly improved. The engine has coverd 8,500 miles however i belive its more to do with age than milage?Regards Waynei

[ZFD]

The F1 was prone to overheating in city traffic as well as the Alps. I rode the bike we were trying to get emissions approvals with for several months in the Munich area and the Alps. I remember one night being blown off uphill by a Norton Classic- the Classic ran far cooler, the F1 was still boiling under the all-enveloping fairing from the fast run leading to that hill so had virtually no power with carbs, petrol tank, engine and plenum chamber heating eachother up.I also remember one time in Munich stop-and-go traffic where the F1 felt like a kangoroo. Low revs were impossible- it just died, being far too hot, and high revs were eratic. Combined with the digital cutch it made for interesting riding!In the Alps, the F1 seemed to be in the red on the temperature gauge all the time, even on an average, not-too-hot summer day. Now why do you think we came up with the F1 Sports with gaps between fairing and frame? A far better bike in the mountains and city traffic. No comparison in fact.

[Dell Boy]

I sold my F.1. on due to its capacity to evaporate the fuel in the carbs whilst you waited at traffic lights. Lights change, pull the throttle back, big take off only to die in the middle of the junction.Very embarrassing!!!Hit the starter button & it would fire up rapidly & get on its way o.k. but it was a pain. Couple of years ago in the Alps on the 500 Dominator the crowns on both pistons collapsed.It was 37 degrees then & I was climbing a very steep pass in rarified air causing the bike to run excessively lean & hot plus I had put some crap Benzine [but cheap] petrol in it.After the rebuild I used 100 octane on the run home & the Dommie liked that.Went very well on it enableing me to cover 610 miles in 16 hours including Calais/Dover ferry crossing & mostly using back roads.Maybe higher octane fuel would ease the problems caused by altitude & heat. Perhaps add an octane booster.Derek.

[Dell Boy]

P.S.I used to run my F.1. with about 90% anti freeze to aid cooling & the gauge always showed below the halfway mark.Derek