I changed the coolant on the NT this weekend. Taking off the left side fairing wasn't that bad except for the meter panel. There were 2 tabs that just would not release. Finally got it off but I would have bet good money that it had been mechanically fastened with a bolt. I filled down those two tabs a bit in hopes that it'll be a bit easier to get it off next time.
First item of note is that the service manual for the NT would have you believe that there are 2 drain bolts for the coolant on the bike. WRONG!
The first one referenced is a bolt on the right side of the block just above the clutch adjustment bracket.
The second drain location is the bottom most bolt of the water pump (left side near shifter).
The first location IS NOT a drain bolt. IGNORE the manual's reference to this location. There is only ONE drain bolt for the coolant and that is the bottom most bolt on the water pump. Draining the coolant from the water pump got me all but about 1 cup of fluid. (I used my Airlift to draw a vacuum and coax the remaining fluid out of the radiator and back down to the water pump drain bolt).
Also for those of you with a Uview Airlift, the radiator cap mount is a bit too close to the upper fairing frame rail to get the Uview device attached. If you remove the two radiator mounting bolts on the right side of the radiator, you can move the filler cap position enough to securely attach the Uview device. I had to use 2 clamps on the reservoir tank tube to get a good seal (that's a thick hose). With a good seal, I sucked a good vacuum and pulled in the fresh coolant in about 1 minute, topped it off, filled the reservoir and the system held steady after the bike warmed up. Zero air bubbles and no mess. I love that little tool!
First item of note is that the service manual for the NT would have you believe that there are 2 drain bolts for the coolant on the bike. WRONG!
The first one referenced is a bolt on the right side of the block just above the clutch adjustment bracket.
The second drain location is the bottom most bolt of the water pump (left side near shifter).
The first location IS NOT a drain bolt. IGNORE the manual's reference to this location. There is only ONE drain bolt for the coolant and that is the bottom most bolt on the water pump. Draining the coolant from the water pump got me all but about 1 cup of fluid. (I used my Airlift to draw a vacuum and coax the remaining fluid out of the radiator and back down to the water pump drain bolt).
Also for those of you with a Uview Airlift, the radiator cap mount is a bit too close to the upper fairing frame rail to get the Uview device attached. If you remove the two radiator mounting bolts on the right side of the radiator, you can move the filler cap position enough to securely attach the Uview device. I had to use 2 clamps on the reservoir tank tube to get a good seal (that's a thick hose). With a good seal, I sucked a good vacuum and pulled in the fresh coolant in about 1 minute, topped it off, filled the reservoir and the system held steady after the bike warmed up. Zero air bubbles and no mess. I love that little tool!
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