by BikeBandit

When you love your motorcycle as much as we do, you want to make sure that you are taking the best care of your ride possible. This means learning how to evaluate and change your motorcycle’s fluids. Understanding how to do this is just as vital as ensuring that you do the same on your car. All of us want our motorcycles to last for years, and the best way to do that is to become experts on the maintenance.

Most of us know that there is a very strict difference between motorcycle oil and car oil. That is, car oil tends to have high amounts of friction modifiers inside of it to help maximize gas mileage in automobiles. These friction modifiers are bad for motorcycle engines and can lead to clutch slippage given that the friction modifiers inevitably get into the transmission. This means that under no circumstances should you use car oil in a motorcycle engine unless you want to risk ruining your transmission. (And we have no idea why you’d want to do that.)

Coolant is a slightly different story. There are definitely motorcycle-specific coolants on the market, but depending on the type of car coolant that you are using it is also perfectly viable to use car coolant in your motorcycle coolant overflow tank. Whether the use of car coolant in motorcycles is kosher or not is an oft-debated subject of motorcycle maintenance. 

So is Car Coolant the Best Motorcycle Coolant? 

Strictly speaking, not necessarily. While it is true that there are fewer differences between car coolant and motorcycle coolant, most experts do recommend buying a coolant that is specific for your bike regardless.

If you are going to use a car-specific coolant in your motorcycle, you need to pay attention to two issues. First of all, you need to make sure that the coolant includes ethylene glycol antifreeze. There are some motorcycle enthusiasts that swear up and down using a 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water works magic inside of their motorcycles. However, if you decide to go a self-mix route, make sure that you use distilled water and not tap water. The solids inside of tap water could corrode the inside of your engine. Plus, the quality of tap water varies depending on your location. Distilled water is always the best choice if you are using it inside of your engine with motorcycle engine coolant.

Additionally, you need to make sure that the car coolant you choose to use does not contain silicates, as these can be bad for your seals. There is definitely silicate-free car coolant on the market, but you have to look specifically for these, given that the majority of car coolants use silicates as they inhibit aluminum corrosion. 

Shouldn’t Water Be the Best Coolant for Motorcycles? 

While water is probably the best cooling substance in the entire world, it is not at all recommended to use just water in your coolant tank, even if you are using distilled water. There are some motorcycle enthusiasts that swear up and down plain distilled water is best for cooling, and on a scientific level where simple cooling is concerned they are correct. 

However, the water can eventually eat away at the interior of your engine. This is why specific coolant exist in the first place. Basically, if you want to ensure that your bike serves you loyally for a long time, don’t cheap out where the coolant is concerned. If you want your bike to perform its best, make sure that you commit to purchasing all of the fluids your bike needs to run its best.

So, What is the Best Coolant for Motorcycles?

The absolute best coolant for motorcycles is, of course, a coolant that is specifically made for motorcycles. Considering how infrequently you need to top up the coolant in your motorcycle, it’s generally advised to spend the extra couple bucks needed to get something that is specifically formulated for your machine, and you don’t have to worry about silicates or other issues related to car coolant.

There are many contenders for the best coolant for motorcycle, but we do have a few suggestions. For example, if you are at home on the racetrack we definitely recommend you take a look at Maxima Cool-Aid. This is a premix coolant that is specifically formulated to help keep your engine temperatures low no matter how hard you’re writing it on the track. Keep in mind that this particular coolant is not meant to be used as a winterizer and thus does not offer protection against freezing. Additionally, it is specifically made for racing on paved surfaces. But even if you are not a racer and you anticipate simply driving a long way through hot climates, the Maxima Cool-Aid is a great choice. 

If you are looking for something that provides more cold weather protection, then Engine Ice may be a great option for you. This product protects your engine to temperatures up to -25 degrees Fahrenheit. This is also a premix blend, so you do not need to do anything other than pour it directly into your machine. Many also recommend this brand if you attend track days as in the event of a wreck it is easier to clean up then a coolant that is based on propylene glycol.

Again, if you like to hit the track and where you race bans propylene glycol due to how slick it is, a favorite choice is Motul MoCOOL. This product can help your engine run a whopping 30 degrees Fahrenheit cooler. Again, if you like to hit the track or simply ride in hot weather frequently, this pre-mixed coolant helps your engine stay cool and take the heat.

In sum, there are fewer differences between motorcycle coolant and car coolant as compared to the differences between motorcycle oil and car oil. There are plenty of motorcycle enthusiasts who swear by using certain varieties of car coolant for their bikes. However, we generally recommend sticking with coolant blends that were specifically designed for motorcycles. Motorcycles and automobiles definitely have many things in common, but it is always best to stick with the recommended formulations for each type.

Fortunately, there are many varieties of motorcycle coolant online to choose from.