What's everyone using for coolant?

[WallaceRoger]

What do you guys like for coolant? The only info I can find is to use a coolant that's safe for aluminum, so no silicates. I'm probably due for a flush and fill as its been three years.

I was thinking this Peak "Asian vehicles" stuff ought to do the trick but curious if there's something better.
https://a.co/d/8uH3TbO

I'm not close to a Honda powersports dealer or I'd go see what they have.

[redglbx]

As long as it’s silica free it should be fine. I think that is what I have in my bike now.

I did try Evans Waterless because it was recommended by several. I was having trouble with my bike overheating and was supposed to help with that,it actually made the bike run slightly hotter but did not overheat.

I did remove the Evans mostly because it made the bike run warmer but mostly because the Evans will not mix with anything else, so if you need coolant at any time like on a trip and don’t have any Evans with you, you’re just screwed because it’s not a commonly available product. So I took it out.

No real complaints with it other than the warmer running and availability, others probably have different opinions about it but that’s my story.

[WallaceRoger]

Beauty, this is the advice I needed. I prefer to stick to stuff I can find at most part stores, personally. For the reason you mentioned!

[Fred Camper]

Evans is Propylene Glycol and it boils hotter so the heads are certainly warmer. Not a good tradeoff. The Japanese were the first to figure out water pumps failed due to silicates so they have been silicate free longer. Many brands of silicate free stuff now.

[pidjones]

If you like to use Honda branded coolant, you can buy it at a Honda auto dealer's parts counter. Same stuff, and usually costs less.

[Sidecar Bob]

The "requirement" for silicate free coolant in older bikes is a myth. There was no such thing as silicate free (silica is not the same as silicates) coolant when these bikes were made and many of them went hundreds of thousands of miles on whatever coolant was on sale at the time.
These days it doesn't really matter because they don't use silicates in coolant anymore.

What you really need to watch for is coolants that are not compatible with yellow metals (like our brass radiators). At one time this included at least one of the major brands but they have changed their formulation since.
I still read the labels to make sure but I usually end up buying whatever is cheapest.

All of the coolant I've bought in at least the last 10 years has been very pale yellow in colour and it is next to impossible to see the level of something that pale in the coolant recovery tank. I've started keeping a bottle of blue food dye in my shop and adding a few drops to coolant when I mix it to turn it green and darken it enough to see through the tank.

[CYBORG]

I've been doing the same for years. I agree. never had a problem

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

I use the blue Asian vehicle stuff that I get at Napa - on the GLs. Silicate and borate free, or so they claim.

[Sidecar Bob]

FWIW, no-one has been able to find any mention of this in any Honda manual. It does (or did), apparently, appear on the label of Honda coolant, but there is no evidence that it wasn't put there by someone in marketing (whose job is to sell people more than they need) as opposed to someone in engineering (whose job is to provide the information needed to keep things running properly).

[redglbx]

Bob, as I remember about 100yrs ago there was a technical service bulletin issued by Honda. It seems that my buddy had it and let me read it but that was before breakfast so I’m not sure I’m remembering right .

I will add that I don’t disagree with the no silica thing as when I was chasing the overheating problem I had years ago and as I took things apart I found the yellowish mud/grit had settled in the low spots and particularly in the bottom of the radiator.

The radiator shop I took it to to have it cleaned out (Chicago Radiator in s-Bend, good people) told me that is was the silica that had settled out of the coolant I used, it was thick and very gritty. I don’t use coolant with silica anymore.

[cfairweather]

I need some antifreeze and plan on buying this from Walmart. If you look on the label, it meets all the requirements and it is only $7.28 a gallon.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Tech-E ... hbdg=L1103

[Sidecar Bob]

I'm too cheap to buy pre-mixed coolant. It always seems to cost almost as much as full strength because you are paying for them to ship the half that is just water.
When I finish the old jug I pour half of the new jug into it, add a couple of drops of blue to each and fill with water. The old jug will have "50:50 + blue" written on it in marker and I'll mark the new to match and then use the stuff in the older jug first.
FWIW, the part jug in my garage right now is from Unival coolant and the full one says Prestone.

As for silicates, as I said you aren't very likely to find any coolant on the market that still has them so there's no point worrying about it.

[CYBORG]

I'm too cheap to buy pre-mixed coolant. It always seems to cost almost as much as full strength because you are paying for them to ship the half that is just water.
When I finish the old jug I pour half of the new jug into it, add a couple of drops of blue to each and fill with water. The old jug will have "50:50 + blue" written on it in marker and I'll mark the new to match and then use the stuff in the older jug first.
FWIW, the part jug in my garage right now is from Unival coolant and the full one says Prestone.

As for silicates, as I said you aren't very likely to find any coolant on the market that still has them so there's no point worrying about it.

I used to do the same. But then stared to wonder what was in the water I was using. Went back to pre-mix

[Sidecar Bob]

It's never been an issue for me.

[CYBORG]

Down here they recomend distilled water for steam irons. If you don't there is a mineral build up with the heat and cool cycles. Thought it might be the same for the heat and cool of a radiator. Did a test with a pan of water. on off cycle. After a short time there was a build up on the bottom of the pan.Another reason I would like to live in Canada