coolant

honda 50/50 mix is what i run i dont think its that big of a deal but i may be wrong, im wrong a lot. But I dont believe 50/50 mix will hurt ne thing

you can use 50/50, or use less antifreeze/more water if you like, 40/60 etc. I usually add a bit of water wetter, but to be honest i'm not sure if this does anything. Using a more watered down mix will noticeably help cooling and can make your engine run cooler, the caveat is that if it ever does approach overheating, the weaker mix will boil more easily. Most people don't get in this situation anyway, unless doing a bunch of tight 1st gear riding in hot weather, etc.

Make sure the antifreeze is safe for aluminum...I think most is these days... Grab a gallon of distilled water also. Distilled water doesn't have any minerals in it that can build up in the radiator and motor.

Yea don't use tap water that would be really bad I normally just use the premixed honda stuff that way I know it's good to go no messing around. I put engine ice in my new 144.

yea there was two different types ethygycol (don't quote me on these spellings) and like glycol something. I just remembered it was E type bad G type good someone said it was the enviromental friendly type someone knows what I'm talking about I don't bother any more. I just got tired of the whole mix it with water that I just got either premix honda stuff or the maxima stuff. it's like $3 for a gallon of antifreeze a $1 for bottled water the premixed stuff is like $6-8 that convience that I can just poor it in an go priceless. :)

Engine Ice is a premixed, pour-and-go type stuff. It is basically a mix of propylene glycol and deionized water. It runs about 17$ for a half gallon.

You can buy propylene glycol at some auto parts stores (autozone does NOT carry it anymore, that I can find).
Sierra was one brand of PG...there are others.
Propylene glycol is non-toxic, as opposed to the usual ethylene glycol anti-freeze you see on most shelves, which is highly toxic and will kill a dog fast.(Peak, Prestone, etc...)

Distilled water is about a $1 a gallon at any grocery or drugstore. Walgreens Pharmacy is now carrying deionized water for about the same money as distilled. Deionized is even more pure than distilled..however, distilled water is AOK to use.

my bikes have engine ice in them.

Propylene glycol is non-toxic (it is actually a food additive in many fat-free foods) but the additives in coolant are mostly toxic. Sierra was made of PG but the additives in it would still kill you. Engine Ice claims to be non-toxic but at $17 for a half gallon I won't be using it any time soon.

The problem with many coolants at the store is that they contain silicates, which are hard on water pump seals. Honda specifically recommends silicate-free coolant in their engines. Yes, lots of folks use them and don't have problems, but I'd rather not chance it. Having a water pump seal crap the bed when you're ten miles from home makes for a long afternoon of pushing.

Honda sells silicate-free coolant at their dealers. However, the motorcycle stuff is expensive. So rather than buying that, go to a Honda car dealer and buy it there. You get the same silicate-free premixed coolant as you get at the cycle shop, but in gallon jugs and for less money to boot. It is dyed blue, rather than red, but it is the same stuff.

I've never seen any silicate-free coolant at a department or auto parts store. The only brands I know of are the Honda brand (but if the other manufacturers have similar requirements I'm sure they carry similar products) and International also carries a similar product for heavy trucks.

I used to run engine ice with no problems, now I run Dex-cool premix, no problems. Engine Ice was pricey and had to go to bike shop. Dex-Cool cheap and at wally world. If you mix your own go with distilled water. :nod: