Bike overheats when I turn it off

My 4th Gen has been overheating at the end of rides lately. The strange thing is, it seems to be related to rpms. For example, when I stop and turn off the bike, the temp spikes instantaneously. Even when Im cruising down the highway, if I put the clutch in and let it coast, as the rpms drop, the temp goes up. I checked the temp guage on the thermostat like the manual recommends and it seemed to be working. The pump seems to be working as I briefly started it with the hoses disconnected and it pumped a little water through. I'm kinda stumped. Any ideas?

 

Might want to make sure your fan is coming on and that you radiator cap is holding proper pressures.

 

Probably nothing to fret about, normal.

OR you can cool down the engine before your ride ends by crusing at a MODERATE speed (25-30 mph) for a short distance using low rpms in a high gear.......

 

The last few miles I ride are usually around 70 and then a few miles at 40 or so but I usually cruise around 100-120 so I guess maybe it could still just be running hot from that. I just would've thought that by the time I got back to the house it would have had time to cool down. I also found it very wierd that the temp would instantaneously spike (sometimes to at or above the red line) whenever I let the rpms drop.
A local mechanic mentioned that it could be running hot due to some kind of extra friction which in turn provides extra heat, but since it still tops out at over 150, I don't really think that's the case.
Could it be that at higher elevations (only 4000 ft) it's running just lean enough to not provide sufficient cooling from the unburned fuel? I know this is something you have to watch for in airplanes, but wouldn't think it's a factor in bikes.

 

So right!!

less dense air reduces heat transfer from radiator to air

 

My '96 will get a little hot in stop and go traffic, but never in the way you describe.

If you rode the bike at the posted speed limit (yeah, tough, I know) for a few hours, would it start overheating???

How many miles on your bike? Are the fins on the radiator intact? Does the fan come on at about 1/2 way up the temp gauge?

Because you say that it seems to be related to rpm's, I would suggest draining and refilling the coolant. Kind of sounds like you have some air in there, and at low rpm's the bike cannot move enough coolant to effectively cool the motor. Air doesn't work so well in this respect.

I'm not sure if these bikes use a 50/50 mix, (someone else please confirm).

 

Ok so the other day as I was approaching the house after a ride, it was running about halfway up the guage. Then as I got into the neighborhood and reduced speed (and thereby revs) it went to about 3/4 of the way. When I parked it and turned it off, it spiked up to red line. Now the wierd part is that I left the engine off (key still on) and hit the brake. The headlight dimmed a bit (as would be suspected due to the increased load on the battery from the taillight) AND THE TEMP WENT BACK DOWN TO 3/4! Let off the brake and temp spiked back up.

So now Im thinking it's just an electrical issue. Could it be the guage maybe?? The battery should be good. New fluid in cooling system. Im hoping it's not the R/R.

Any thoughts?