WORLD SUPERBIKE
WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 6/JUNE 8, 2014
SEPANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT/SEPANG, MALAYSIA
P102
COOLING FANS
As races go, Sepang is one of the
hotter ones. This side of the Suzuka
8-Hour, Sepang is as steamy as it gets
for any team to deal with, which means
that on occasions engine coolant tem-
perature can get to the critical stage.
Advances in cooling efficiency mean
that few if any people have to approach
a race like Sepang with any special so-
lution, like doubled up radiators or spe-
cially made bigger versions, despite
the 220-230 horsepower being put out
by some of the top machines.
There is also the issue of adding
weight in tech, so adding any extra
water or radiator assemblies changes
that balance for teams who are usually
trying to shed weight and complexity.
And cost.
A lot of teams still use the old-
fashioned tape-on-the-radiator at the
cooler races, to boost heat when the
ambient temperature is too cold. At
Sepang, or other hot races, they sim-
ply take any tape off and run a radiator
with no thermostat to interfere with
water flow.
The KRT team does, however, use a
stock thermostat and eschews taping
up the edges of the radiators in cooler
conditions, letting the radiator do the
work all the time. From Donington to
Sepang the coolant temperature differ-
ence was around 15 degrees C, with
Sepang peaking at 85°C.
"We did not reach critical here, but
the engine coolant water does get
warmer," said Tom Sykes' crew chief,
Marcel Duinker. "Always when you go
from your ideal temperature you lose
engine performance, but for everyone
that is the same. When the tempera-
tures goes up the air is thinner and we
just adapt to the circumstances."
There are other changes generally
required for really hot track tempera-
tures.
"As far as the chassis is concerned, we
work from the grip we have and that is al-
