Replacing engine coolant

[sorousha94]

Hello fellas, I've got a couple of rudimentary questions about replacing coolant (first time doing this!).

I had my 15,000 mile service on my 2018 DL650 about 1000 miles (a couple of months) ago but noticed that they didn't replace the coolant. The bike also turned 2 years old at the 15,000 mile mark. The manual states replacing coolant every 15,000 miles for the Suzuki green long-life coolant, or every 30,000 miles if I have the blue super long-life coolant.

1) Anyone know which coolant my bike will have come with from the factory? If it's as easy as opening the radiator cap and looking in, let me know (apologies for not doing this already but my bike is in storage and not immediately accessible!)

2) If I do end up needing to replace the coolant, will it be necessary to flush the system with distilled water first? I probably won't change coolant because if I do in fact end up having the green Suzuki coolant, it might be best to stick with that as I'll need to replace the hoses at the 4 year/30,000 mile mark anyway.

3) My research says I should probably order an aluminium crush washer for the coolant drain plug before I start this job (if I need to do it!). Dumb question, but is there a particular size/diameter I need (other than M8 which is what I believe the drain plug bolt is)?

Cheers! 

[Rusty Nuts]

I don't know the L8, but is there a translucent coolant bottle under the tank, just in front of the seat? Maybe get the colour from there next time you see your bike?
Hoses at 4 years? Sales ploy, surely.
Distilled water? If your tap water's OK in your area, I'd use that. Certain types of coolant are incompatible with each other, I forget which, it's on this forum somewhere.
to be honest, with your mileage and bike age, I wouldn't be doing it yet, but that may just be me.

[RoadWarrior1978]

I have an L8 1000, it's got the green stuff in and so will yours, it's a type of coolant that's unique to Japanese vehicles and isn't readily available in the aftermarket here in the UK. So if your not planning on using the genuine coolant you'd be better of flushing the system with tap water and refilling the premixed pink 5 year stuff from Euro Carparts or local nearest autofactor.

As for the hoses, change em when they're knackered.

[sorousha94]

Sportsbikeshop sells ethylene glycol based "Castrol Motorcycle Coolant" which seems to be reasonably priced, but it advises that it not be used with magnesium alloy engines. Is this a problem for the DL650? The manual states that the coolant should be compatible with an aluminium radiator. I'm assuming that means that I don't need to worry about incompatibility with magnesium alloys, right? 

[sorousha94]

And as an update, apparently the Castrol motorcycle coolant isn't silicate free though, so apparently that's a thing as well. The manual says a glycol-based coolant which is compatible with an aluminium radiator but the internet also says ethylene glycol only, OAT, silicate free and also pink. I've never been so f- confused  

[kwackboy]

I appreciate your manual advises to change the coolant at 15k but it's only 2 years old , I'd leave it for another year or so.
As for changing the hoses , that's a sales pitch, they'll last pretty much the life of the bike unless they get damage of some sort.

However if you do want to go ahead with the faff it's probable a Suzuki dealership would sell the genuine coolant .
If you buy an aftermarket coolant, drain it and then flush it with boiled water then fill it with what ever you buy.

Personally I use this , it's already diluted  correctly and can be used in any bike .

[RoadWarrior1978]

And as an update, apparently the Castrol motorcycle coolant isn't silicate free though, so apparently that's a thing as well. The manual says a glycol-based coolant which is compatible with an aluminium radiator but the internet also says ethylene glycol only, OAT, silicate free and also pink. I've never been so f- confused  

I was going to try and explain it myself but here's a much more concise unit of text from a manufacturers website.

All coolants contain a mix of water, antifreeze agents (such as ethylene glycol or propylene glycol) and corrosion inhibitors, of which there are three types:

Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT) – Conventional low-silicate coolants, some of which require the addition of supplemental coolant additives (SCAs) every 25,000 miles or so.
Organic Acid Technology (OAT) – Nitrate-free coolants that provide between 600,000 miles or 12,000 engine hours of service without need for SCAs.
Nitrated Organic Acid Technology (NOAT) – Extended-life coolants containing organic acids, nitrate or molybdenum. They require SCAs every 300,000 miles or 6,000 engine hours in order to reach their 600,000-mile or 12,000-hour service intervals.
Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT) – Combining OAT and IAT inhibitors, these low-silicate, nitrated coolants require an SCA after 25,000 miles or so

If your still in doubt OAT "Pink" is silicate free or you can't go wrong with the genuine stuff from Suzuki, simple. 

[mr_diver]

While in a Suzuki & Honda dealers we never once used the genuine Suzuki or Honda oil or coolant.

I don't think Suzuki even do genuine oil or Coolant for the UK.
I know Honda does and we never stocked it and no one ever asked for it. 

We either used Castol Motorcycle Coolant (blueish geen) or Silkolene Mag Cool (Pink).

I'd do a coolant change every 4 years or so.
When was the last time you changed the coolant in your car?
If you use the pink stuff, the old stuff will need to be flushed of it'll turn a shitty brown colour if mixed with the blue. (It'll work just fine)

Oil in the workshop our bulk oil was Silkolene and that what you got.

[Megashorts]

Suzuki do coolant. I ordered it from my local dealer.

990F0-59J44-EC1

Its called "Super Coolant" rather than "Super Long Life Coolant" and is the same stuff they use in their cars. If you can find an Ecstar catalogue there is a chart which shows which is for what etc. Its blue but whether you can use it for the 4 years or not I don't know. I got 5 litres of it for £26.00 a little while ago for doing both my bikes.

[Ianmc]

I just use Halfords OAT antifreeze in the car and bike.

[sorousha94]

The Suzuki genuine coolant is a bit hard to come by, hence the excessive confusion  . But thanks so much for the responses lads, very useful!

[mr_diver]

Confusion... I worked on the Suzuki parts desk for 2 years and never knew it existed 

Just like the Honda stuff I bet it was expensive.

That halfords stuff I get for about £12 for 5 litres.

[Megashorts]

Here is a link to the Ecstar catalogue:

https://www.Suzuki.nl/nmg/up/ZsqhevqJkJ_Ecstar_Catalogue_2017.pdf

The coolant was £26 for 5L and the dealer I ordered it from had no idea it existed!

[UK_Vstrom650]

£25 seems relatively comparable to other 5 litre coolants on Halfords' website (cheapest 5L is c.£20 with most being £25).
Mr Diver, do you get discount on yours? I might see if the missus gets discount being NHS as I think Halfords discount for them?

[mr_diver]

Yeah Halfords Trade card   

Their own brand oils (made by Comma) are 5ltr rather than 4ltr. £34 ish and go down to £23 with the trade card.

These days they only stock 10w40 in the 5ltr own brand which is a bugger as my Honda and Yamaha are supposed to use 10w30... they run quite happily on 10w40 
(98-04 Varadero's were 10w40 then 05> became 10w30... they changed nothing with the engine internals... just to be fecking awkward) 

I'm missing the trade card atm, it's in my locker at work. Work is all shut up due to the lockdown, and I'll be buggered if I'm going in and having to go through all the shutdown procedure again just to service the bikes. 
I am getting bored.

[brettchallenger]

My other bike is a Goldwing.  I have just changed the coolant on that.  It had been in there for 20 years.