[Ramazith]

Having no owners manual or repair manual, I must resort to taking stuff apart and finding out on my own. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Well, there's y'all, and y'all are a big help, I must say. Here's a little give back.

To check the coolant on a 2005 Suzuki C50 Boulevard you must:

1. Take off the tool kit compartment cover on the left side of the bike. Use your key.

2. Take off the cover on the left side of the engine. It's the largest cover near the rear wheel. This requires an Allen wrench. It's held on by 3 Allen bolts. There are 4, but the 4th one is just for, well, I don't know what for. It is held on to the cover with a nut and seems to serve no purpose other than to aggravate me when I couldn't get it off from the outside.

3. The coolant reservoir will be that jug with green liquid inside. It has 2 marks. One is Low and one is Full "F".

4. The bike must be standing level with the floor. This is why you got married. Have your wife hold the bike level. If you're already a woman, you can still have your wife do this. Hey, I'm not here to judge your life style; just to take pictures of it. With the engine cool and not running, the level should be at the "F" mark. If it's not, take out the black rubber plug and top off with coolant- or water if you only need a little. Your existing coolant to water ratio may also determine if you use water or coolant. Actually, you can hold the bike level on your own. It's just more fun to get someone else out into the hot garage.

If you see coolant on the inside of the cover or outside of the jug, you got problems. Problems I can't fix, but someone here maybe can.

This may work for other Suzuki motorcycles and even other makes of motorcycle. There's only so many places on a bike they can hide stuff. On some models, the coolant may be a different color. Oily is not a good color, no matter what bike. See reference to someone else helping you.

Heres a pic. I'm guessing that is the coolant pump behind the reservoir.

 

[HarveyCreek]

Thanks for the picture it helps seeing whats behind the cover. Though if you are just checking the fluid level couldn't you just look through the slot on the side of the cover with a flashlight to illuminate the tank? As for getting someone to help to hold the bike vertical, its great to have someone to help. My wife as learned all sorts of swear words. I try to do a lot of my own maintenance and got a pretty decent bike stand/jack from Sears, for not very much money. I figured I've paid for mine already by the do it yourself oil changes.

 

[TFee3]

I bought a Sears jack for $69.95, and it works great. I don't let my wife get close to my bike. She hates it, and if she gets her hands on it, I might be wearing it where the sun doesn't shine!

 

[rtrev64]

So, let me ask a stupid question. Can any coolant work for this bike, i just took off the cover and pretty much is at the same level as the pic provided Ramazith standing vertically.

 

[rtrev64]

So, let me ask a stupid question. Can any coolant work for this bike, i just took off the cover and pretty much is at the same level as the pic provided Ramazith standing vertically.

well not just any coolnat.. I have 50/50 i use for my truck.. just wondering..

Thank you in advance.

 

[WintrSol]

Suzuki recommends a dose of Stops Leaks when replacing the coolant, which should be done every 5 years or so. When replacing the coolant, you should not only put something under the side stand to hold the bike near vertical, you should have the front wheel up on a block, to eliminate any trapped air. After filling through the radiator cap, close the cap and fill the return bottle, then run the bike until the radiator heats to the bottom. While it does this, you should see some bubbles and a rise in the return bottle, as the coolant expands in the engine. Let it cool, and top off the return bottle, as needed. Oh, and if you don't use pre-mix, always use distilled or deionized water, not tap water, unless your tap water is very soft.

Choice of coolant is up to you, but it used to be ethylene glycol, and almost all you can get now is the same as Dexcool, because it isn't as poisonous. If you are not sure which your current is, you should thoroughly flush the system by filling with plan, deionized water, run until hot, then drain and fill. The old stuff is not compatible with Dexcool, and will cause problems if not cleaned out well enough.

 

[rtrev64]

Thank you Wintrsol.