My bike's done just under 48 k's and is just over 2 years old, even though it's an 08 model I bought it as a run out in late 09. I resisted changing the coolant at 36 k's as per the maintenance schedule as I feel coolant should be good for at least 2 years.
In anticipation of the coolant change and of some the problems I'd been reading about thermostat failure, I thought I'd do some preventative maintenance and replace the thermostat while I had the radiator out for a good clean, inspection etc.
To my surprise, after removing the radiator I couldn't find any indication of any coolant leaks or weeps. It was as tight as a drum! The old coolant was clean and the coolant reservoir showed no evidence of paint flakes or other particles collecting in the bottom of the same. On other forums this problem seemed widely reported and was believed to be the cause of many thermostat problems.
As I'm a big believer in, "if it aint broke don't fix it!".......I decided not to go ahead with the thermostat change. If the thermostat fails..........well, at least they fail open and I've got a spare to carry for the bigger interstate trips if it does. Maybe Honda has addressed some of the earlier issues with the cooling system, as even the hose clamps looked to be of decent quality. I thought I'd post my findings for general info.
Tony
