Air vs Liquid cooled ATV motor?

Question

Can someone give me a simple description of both of these including the differences? Also, which is your prefrence and why?

Answer 1

On an ATV weight doesnt mean much. Especially not for recreation purposes. That reason alone makes Water Cooling a good choice.

Simply, Air Cooled is air passing over the engines fins. Not very good if you are at a stand still.

Water Cooled is a constant flow of coolant around the engine at all times.

Answer 2

Air cooled is simpler, but less efficient. Basically, it uses the fins attached to the cylinder and head to increase the practical surface area of those two parts. It usually works well, but may be subject to overheating in extreme conditions.

Water cooled engines use a cylinder and head encased in a water jacket. The water circulates through the engine, picking up heat, and then dissipates the heat through a radiator. This system is more complex (water pump, water passages in the cylinder and head castings, extra gaskets, etc.) and heavier (includes the weight of coolant and extra parts) but can result in a more controlled engine temperature. Water cooling can be used to facilitate a higher compression ratio, leading to higher performance.

The more modern an engine design, the more likely it is to be water cooled. That doesn't necessarily mean that a water-cooled engine is always better, but it's better in most situations. If you're talking about a lawnmower engine, you don't necessarily need every last ounce of performance, and the extra complexity and weight is a liability. You'll also have extra maintenance to do (replace coolant periodically, possible gasket and bearing issues with the water pump, maybe you'll need to drain the coolant to do certain maintenance on the engine).

Overall, water cooling is better for most situations, but not all.

Answer 3

Off road with tres and mountains i'd go with a watr cooler unit!! make sure full! air is fine if its clean all the time...