{"id":8110,"date":"2021-06-29T05:50:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T05:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-859531-2988066.cloudwaysapps.com\/?page_id=8110"},"modified":"2021-07-05T07:58:58","modified_gmt":"2021-07-05T07:58:58","slug":"air-vs-liquid-cooled","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/speedymoto.com\/motorcycles\/air-vs-liquid-cooled\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Cooled vs Liquid Cooled Motorcycle – Your Guide to the Best Options"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you having a tough time trying to decide between an air-cooled and liquid-cooled motorcycle?<\/p>\n

The decision doesn\u2019t come as easy as one might think, and it\u2019s always helpful to look through some valuable information that can help you better decide on what one to go with.<\/p>\n

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TL;DR: Air Cooled vs Liquid Cooled Motorcycle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Air Cooled Motorcycle<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n

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Liquid Cooled Motorcycle<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

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Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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    \n
  • Easy to maintain<\/li>\n
  • Not as many moving parts<\/li>\n
  • Less pollution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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    \n
  • Consistent cooling<\/li>\n
  • Good heat tolerance<\/li>\n
  • Not much pollution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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    \n
  • Noisy<\/li>\n
  • Most likely to overheat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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    \n
  • Fragile radiators<\/li>\n
  • Expensive aftermarket parts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Best For<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Best For<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Best for those who don\u2019t want to spend time maintaining their motorcycles.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Best for commuting, keeping your carbon footprint low, and driving in the heat.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

What is an Air-Cooled Motorcycle? <\/h2>\n

Lowering the heat generated by combustion is a critical factor in achieving stable engine efficiency. This occurs in two ways: by air cooling or by liquid cooling.<\/p>\n

Air-cooled engines remove heat from the motorcycle through the air that comes in contact with the engine as you\u2019re driving. <\/p>\n

You\u2019ll notice that motorcycles have fins on the sides of them. The objective of those fins is to make more surface area so that the air can pass through them. Air cooling is a straightforward method of cooling. <\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t any specialized parts of gadgets that make air cooling possible, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s still sticking around. The cooling fins on a motorcycle are designed to add aesthetic appeal to a motorcycle<\/a>, which is a selling point for some people.<\/p>\n

What is a Liquid Cooled Motorcycle? <\/h2>\n

With liquid cooling, you\u2019re using water-based liquid to keep the engine running cool. The liquid used isn\u2019t just water. The coolant will typically have alcohol in it so that oxidation, rusting, and freezing don\u2019t occur. <\/p>\n

Passages into the engine allow this liquid to freely circulate. The coolant will go through the radiator to reduce the temperature levels, and then it is circulated all over again.<\/p>\n

Liquid cooling is a little more difficult to understand than air cooling, but both cooling methods will effectively cool down a motorcycle.<\/p>\n

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Motorcycle Cooling System – How It Works?<\/h2>\n

Machinery that has internal combustion will require a method of cooling to prevent it from overheating. Because motorcycles have internal combustion, they require either air cooling or liquid cooling.  The better a motorcycle operator understands how cooling works, the higher chances they have in preventing any costly repairs.<\/p>\n

Even though the cooling system on motorcycles seems pretty straightforward, there can be detrimental consequences if the cooling system fails to function how it should. <\/p>\n

Air Cooled Motorcycle Engine<\/h3>\n

An air-cooled motorcycle engine is the easiest type of cooling method to understand. When it\u2019s a warm summer day, and you need to cool off, you might stand in front of a fan to cool your body temperature down.<\/p>\n

This is the same way a motorcycle cools off. An air-cooled motorcycle will have fins that allow the wind to pass through it more efficiently. The internal combustion chamber in a motorcycle runs extremely hot when it is in use, and it has to run hot so that the engine can get the pistons to propel up and down.<\/p>\n

If the engine gets too hot, parts of the engine can begin to deteriorate and break down. If you\u2019ve ever heard someone say that they have a seized engine, that means that the pistons inside the engine have melded against the cylinder walls. Seized engines usually occur when the temperature inside the engine has gotten too hot. <\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t much you can do when your engine seizes. It\u2019s usually cheaper to get an entirely new engine installed, which brings us back to the fins of the motorcycle once again. The motorcycle fins are positioned so the air deliberately focuses on the cylinder of the engine. <\/p>\n

Fins are usually constructed out of aluminum because it\u2019s a lightweight material and is effective at transferring heat. When you\u2019re driving your air-cooled motorcycle, the wind will move through the fins and keep the motorcycle at a cooler temperature. If your motorcycle didn\u2019t have those fins, it would overheat much quicker.<\/p>\n

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Liquid Cooled Motorcycle Engine<\/h3>\n

Liquid cooling is another way that motorcycles can cool down, but it works a little differently than air cooling. Liquid-cooled motorcycles are built a little differently than air-cooled ones. With liquid-cooled motorcycles, you\u2019ll notice that they don\u2019t have fins anywhere on them. <\/p>\n

They\u2019ll instead have a radiator built into them, typically located near the front of the motorcycle. Liquid-cooled motorcycles are a little more complicated than air-cooled ones, and they are also more effective in climates with extreme temperatures. <\/p>\n

Where air-cooled motorcycles have fins on them, liquid-cooled motorcycles will have water jackets located inside of the engine and near the cylinders. A radiator and reservoir are attached to the trails. <\/p>\n

A  liquid-cooled motorcycle<\/a> will have a water pump inside that will propel liquid from the water jackets to the radiator and then back to the engine. When the liquid circulates, it\u2019ll go through plates that will keep things even cooler because of the wind that passes through.<\/p>\n

Once the liquid cools down after going through the plates, it\u2019ll then be circulated back through the engine to ensure everything stays nice and cool.<\/p>\n

Liquid-cooled bikes have a thermostat that will sense when the engine temperature is getting too hot. If the engine gets too hot, the thermostat will sense that and then begin to regulate the amount of coolant getting to the engine. <\/p>\n

A fan near the radiator will turn on if the coolant isn\u2019t doing its job to keep the engine as cool as it should be. <\/p>\n

Liquid-cooled motorcycles are also commonly referred to as water-cooled, but it\u2019s not entirely just water passing through the motorcycle. The water is mixed with an antifreeze solution. Antifreeze is used because it\u2019s more tolerant to hot and cold temperatures.<\/p>\n

Relevant Characteristics Between Air Cooled and Liquid Cooled Motorcycle<\/h2>\n

Air-cooled and liquid-cooled motorcycles have different characteristics that make each of them unique. As to the cost difference between them, liquid-cooled motorcycles are more expensive because there are more moving parts involved in the manufacturing process.<\/p>\n

Liquid-cooled motorcycles have a higher heat tolerance because of their more complicated circulation system, and that means they\u2019ll be able to withstand a lot more heat exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Header<\/th>\n\n

Air Cooled Motorcycle<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n

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Liquid Cooled Motorcycle<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

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Cost<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Med<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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High<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Heat Tolerance<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Low<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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High<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Temperature Range<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Low<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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High – 155F \/ 68C to 220F \/ 104C<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Maintenance Requirement<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Low<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Replace coolant every 10,000 miles<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Similarities and Differences <\/h2>\n

There are a variety of similarities and differences between air-cooled and liquid-cooled motorcycles. <\/p>\n

Air Cooled and Liquid Cooled Motorcycle Differences <\/h3>\n

 Air-cooled motorcycles<\/a> don\u2019t use a liquid-based circulation system when cooling down a motorcycle. Air-cooled motorcycles don\u2019t have hoses, a thermostat, or a radiator, making it much more straightforward if you ever need to repair something.<\/p>\n

Fewer parts in a motorcycle mean that there is a lower chance of things breaking down, which also means that air-cooled motorcycles can be seen as more reliable than liquid-cooled motorcycles. The maintenance required is often much lower because you also don\u2019t have to add coolant to air-cooled motorcycles.<\/p>\n

Air-cooled motorcycles are known to be cheaper than liquid-cooled ones. This is because they are easier to manufacture in comparison, and that cost saving is passed onto the customer when it comes time to purchase the bike. <\/p>\n

Another big difference between air-cooled and liquid-cooled motorcycles is the performance of them. The acceleration of liquid-cooled motorcycles is known to be much more reactive than air-cooled ones.<\/p>\n

Air-cooled motorcycles do not provide as much power output as liquid-cooled motorcycles because the more power output, the hotter the engine will get. <\/p>\n

Air-cooled motorcycles use the wind to cool down a bike, whereas liquid-cooled motorcycles use a liquid circulation system.<\/p>\n

Because air-cooled motorcycles rely on the air to keep them cool, it results in having less control over the temperature that motorcycles get up to. <\/p>\n

The performance of liquid-cooled motorcycles is much higher than air-cooled ones. Liquid-cooled motorcycles have much greater control over the temperature levels, meaning more reliability in many different climates.<\/p>\n

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Air Cooled and Liquid Cooled Motorcycle Similarities<\/h3>\n

The main similarity between air-cooled and liquid-cooled motorcycles<\/a> is that they are both designed to keep the motorcycle cool, but they just use a different approach to fulfill that end goal. <\/p>\n

Benefits of an Air-Cooled Motorcycle Engine<\/h2>\n