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Ok thanks I just use a small funnel and my dip stick i just push the upper cowl to the side.
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1299 Coolant Level Window Seems to be Useless
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Ok thanks I just use a small funnel and my dip stick i just push the upper cowl to the side.
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Flexi Pen Light
Been working with this for a little while. Even took it back to the dealer for a look and they couldn't see the level, either! Removing the right side fairing is a real pain in the butt. I suppose after doing it a few times, it gets better, but Ducati has provided a window that you can't see through. I have a black light in a pen that works great with everything I've tried it on except this tank! I also have a flexi-light, but haven't broken the code with it yet. Hopefully, someone will. Don't want to find out about warranty coverage for a cooked engine and a window that doesn't work.
Been working with this for a little while. Even took it back to the dealer for a look and they couldn't see the level, either! Removing the right side fairing is a real pain in the butt. I suppose after doing it a few times, it gets better, but Ducati has provided a window that you can't see through. I have a black light in a pen that works great with everything I've tried it on except this tank! I also have a flexi-light, but haven't broken the code with it yet. Hopefully, someone will. Don't want to find out about warranty coverage for a cooked engine and a window that doesn't work.
Addendum
There are quite a few folks who have or are dealing with this issue. I didn't count authors from this forum or those from the Ducati.org forum, but there are a few. To try and help anyone who wants to know their 1299's coolant level, here you go! After reading nearly every message I could find on the topic, I am finally able to see the coolant through the radiator's coolant tank window! You don't need to remove the side panels or track down a black light flashlight. There is no trick to it, just a certain amount of brightness from your flashlight. All I did was buy a Quantum QFL-588 fairly small flashlight. It's about 1" in diameter and 5 - 6" long (it spreads the beam when compressed and provides a focused beam when extended). It has something that I didn't consider earlier - a pretty powerful light - 588 lumens. When the flashlight, my 1299S, and I met, all I did was center the front wheel, shine the focused beam on the reservoir gauge (touching), and watch the gauge while wiggling the left clip-on and presto - the fluid level jumped off of the gauge! I'm really happy as it was the first time I could say "by George, this is it!" It works great! The days of being uncertain about my radiator coolant level are over! I hope this helps you all, too - good luck and have fun!
There are quite a few folks who have or are dealing with this issue. I didn't count authors from this forum or those from the Ducati.org forum, but there are a few. To try and help anyone who wants to know their 1299's coolant level, here you go! After reading nearly every message I could find on the topic, I am finally able to see the coolant through the radiator's coolant tank window! You don't need to remove the side panels or track down a black light flashlight. There is no trick to it, just a certain amount of brightness from your flashlight. All I did was buy a Quantum QFL-588 fairly small flashlight. It's about 1" in diameter and 5 - 6" long (it spreads the beam when compressed and provides a focused beam when extended). It has something that I didn't consider earlier - a pretty powerful light - 588 lumens. When the flashlight, my 1299S, and I met, all I did was center the front wheel, shine the focused beam on the reservoir gauge (touching), and watch the gauge while wiggling the left clip-on and presto - the fluid level jumped off of the gauge! I'm really happy as it was the first time I could say "by George, this is it!" It works great! The days of being uncertain about my radiator coolant level are over! I hope this helps you all, too - good luck and have fun!
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I was going to install some fittings and tube to make an external sight glass, but ended up replacing the Rad to Res hose with a Temp rated clear silicon one.
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2014
- Messages
- 78
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- Salt Lake City
filling radiator on panigale
My method FWIW:
Take off the side fairing.
use a Dremel tool with a round burr.
grind a 1/4" hole in the nose fairing lip right over the filler cap,
keeping enough away from the edge of the lip so it doesn't crack.
filler cap can be removed with a little bit of bending of the fairing, but not bad.
now you can run a 1/4" x 12'' long poly tube scrounged from somewhere down into the tank without difficulty as it is a pretty straight shot.
get a 50-60cc syringe, Toomey, Amazon, and suck up some coolant and squirt it into the tank. or use a small funnel connected to the tube
fill until it runs out the overflow, commonly about 100-150cc above perfect level.
when you run the bike the first time, the coolant expands, goes out the overflow tube, and when it cools, it is at the perfect level. the next time you run the bike, the coolant expands but only to the point of about to run out again.
When I ran the 1199s on the street, I checked it every 500 miles or so, and it never seemed to loose much. Now it is a track bike only and I check it after each track day.
My method FWIW:
Take off the side fairing.
use a Dremel tool with a round burr.
grind a 1/4" hole in the nose fairing lip right over the filler cap,
keeping enough away from the edge of the lip so it doesn't crack.
filler cap can be removed with a little bit of bending of the fairing, but not bad.
now you can run a 1/4" x 12'' long poly tube scrounged from somewhere down into the tank without difficulty as it is a pretty straight shot.
get a 50-60cc syringe, Toomey, Amazon, and suck up some coolant and squirt it into the tank. or use a small funnel connected to the tube
fill until it runs out the overflow, commonly about 100-150cc above perfect level.
when you run the bike the first time, the coolant expands, goes out the overflow tube, and when it cools, it is at the perfect level. the next time you run the bike, the coolant expands but only to the point of about to run out again.
When I ran the 1199s on the street, I checked it every 500 miles or so, and it never seemed to loose much. Now it is a track bike only and I check it after each track day.
Why couldn't you replace the black rubber hose that goes from the radiator fill to the bottom of the expansion tank with a clear one? Bernoulli's principle should come into effect and the level of coolant you see in the clear tube should match what's in the expansion tank. Do what someone else did and measure the min and max lines and transfer that to the outboard side of the expansion tank with a grease pen, or mark the tubing with a sharpie so you then have the level on the outboard side.
Can anyone verify if this would work, or has anyone tried it? I'm thinking of doing it but not sure when I'll get to it at this point.
Can anyone verify if this would work, or has anyone tried it? I'm thinking of doing it but not sure when I'll get to it at this point.
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2018
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- 241
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- USA
People still trying to figure out how to see the coolant level?
1. Turn the lights off in your garage or park somewhere dark.
2. Shine a bright flashlight pen at the very top of the coolant reservoir window.
3. That’s it.
No need to use a blacklight or to remove fairings.
1. Turn the lights off in your garage or park somewhere dark.
2. Shine a bright flashlight pen at the very top of the coolant reservoir window.
3. That’s it.
No need to use a blacklight or to remove fairings.
Stuck in city traffic i have seen as high as 104c..
I'll keep it in mind, thanks for that.
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- Jan 12, 2013
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- USA
yeah when it goes up that high, it's Engine is HOT. Superbike stuck in a traffic in a hot weather.... It doesnt matter of Milage.
When you're stuck like that TURN OFF the engine. You keep doing that, you'll destroy your motor.
My instincts was to definitely turn it off. However, I was stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel so nowhere to go 
... I was also thinking "is this normal?" I thought maybe my cooling fan wasn't working or that the coolant was low. From what I've been reading it just seems that 1299s run hot in general. I also have an 848 evo, but this 1299 heat is on another level, lol.
... I was also thinking "is this normal?" I thought maybe my cooling fan wasn't working or that the coolant was low. From what I've been reading it just seems that 1299s run hot in general. I also have an 848 evo, but this 1299 heat is on another level, lol.I get that you would like to take the bike into Manhattan and show it off etc... but you really need to head up to upstate NY instead. The bike needs to be moving and hitting twisty roads. It needs airflow and is meant for speed.
Or at least wait for a 70 degree day....
I miss NYC!
Or at least wait for a 70 degree day....
I miss NYC!
oOOSH.
From what i've gathered from the fellas on the forum, thats too hot brother,
I've seen mine go as high as 219 an that was bad enough for me to start asking around here how to fix it.
Thats the first i've read about it flashing "high". That's no good, How hot was it outside?
Avoid that kind of heat soak if you can. It seems they're not made for it when standard cooling is concerned.
Rode the bike from Manhattan to my house out of necessity, not showing off. I literally purchased the bike Friday. And I'm always up in Hudson Valley almost exclusively. NJ roads in my area suck.
The temperature was about 87/88 according Accuweather, but the bike read the ambient temp as 95 degrees. I just know that in the moment I remembered why I only ride at the crack of dawn in Hudson Valley
I checked the coolant on Sunday and it was a little low so I added some. I then took her out for a long highway ride with a few stops and all was good. I then let it idle to make sure the fan kicked in - all good. I'm going to flush the radiator and change the oil asap.
The temperature was about 87/88 according Accuweather, but the bike read the ambient temp as 95 degrees. I just know that in the moment I remembered why I only ride at the crack of dawn in Hudson Valley
I checked the coolant on Sunday and it was a little low so I added some. I then took her out for a long highway ride with a few stops and all was good. I then let it idle to make sure the fan kicked in - all good. I'm going to flush the radiator and change the oil asap.
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2019
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- 10
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- New Orleans, LA USA
Ok glad to know I'm not the only one puzzled by the nearly opaque overflow tank sight glass. Our local track does not allow normal antifreeze or even Engine Ice. We Have to use either distilled water or Water Wetter which is light pink. Just can't be readily seen through that window. Simple method is to just use Pascals Law (not Bernoulli's principal as others have mentioned) to see where the level is. Requires removing the upper fairing (6 screws - not that difficult and needed to add or replace fluid regardless), a Sharpie marker and that's it. Pull the small hose that runs to the bottom of the overflow tank off the main radiator neck (have to release the simple squeeze clamp with a pliers of course to pull it free) and just raise and lower the tube until you see the fluid at the top of the tube. That's the level in the tank. Transfer the lines from the other side (sight-glass max / min marks) to the outside - I hastily did it w a black then yellow paint marker. Filling the overflow tank is made silly difficult but removing the front fairing is not really needed - will eventually make small hole approx 3/8" hole above it to feed small tube into the tank attached to funnel or large "Toomey" syringe to add fluid in future. I used a makeshift filler with a small "T" piece I had on hand capping one limb. Very simple and checking future level is now piece of cake. See the pics.
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- Dec 10, 2020
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- 15
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- australia
like to use black light to light the collant level window under the bike?
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