[bwringer]

Sounds like the cooling system is functioning normally -- on a Vee, it's perfectly normal to see three bars on the gauge and hear the fan come on in city traffic. And yes, the hose will feel rigid once the system is up to temp -- it operates under pressure, like all liquid cooling systems.

Soooo... what exactly makes you think there's a problem?

 

[cwadej]

It seems to be heating up much faster than usual, especially given that it's so cool out.
And like I said, i readily admit i'm being a bit of a hypochondriac on this since I only have a week before I leave.

I'll quit worrying and just enjoy the ride.

 

[bwringer]

Sort of a long shot, but... you might check to make sure the fan shroud hasn't warped to the point where it's contacting the fan.

You mentioned the fan coming on... the only time I could really hear the fan while riding my Vee in traffic was when the shroud was rubbing on the fan and it made a buzzing noise. I corrected that (a small metal bracket and a couple of screws in the shroud) and now it's honestly hard to tell when the fan comes on in traffic.

Just a thought -- I don't think it's your thermostat.

The usual signs of a bad thermostat are overheating because it's stuck closed or never achieving operating temp (two bars) because it's stuck open. It's pretty unusual for a V-Strom thermostat to fail, so the odds are against you getting two bad ones in a row.