Best Dirt Bike Coolant (2 Stroke, 4 Stroke, Brand-Specific) – Which Ones?
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Contents
Are you looking to replace your dirt bike coolant soon? If so, here’s a list of the best coolants and antifreeze for dirt bikes on the market today.
Preventing your engine from overheating is important. While some guys (I’ve only read about this online) have just put water in their radiators, that is not what I recommend. The best dirt bike coolant is going to be a mix. In addition to preventing your motorcycle from overheating, you’ll also want to guard against cold weather and freezing.
With that, here are the top coolants for dirt bikes. Each one of these is also an antifreeze that will prevent freezing and cracking.
Trust me, this is not something that you want to skimp out on doing. While I haven’t had any of my dirt bikes or quads freeze over the winter, I have had it happen in a boat… and I didn’t find out until the boat was in the lake. Not fun!
Best Dirt Bike Coolant
Engine Ice
Engine Ice is hands-down, the most popular coolant for dirt bikes that I’ve come across. It’s almost got a cult-like following. It’s impressive.
This stuff is good. It’s a biodegradable, phosphate-free, and non-toxic coolant. But, it’s not just good for the environment. Engine Ice dirt bike coolant has been in the business of making quality antifreeze for more than 20 years, so they also know what they’re doing as far as performance goes.
Despite not being the most expensive option, Engine Ice is a great coolant. Here are a few of the “good-to-know” items:
Features, Specs, and Highlights
- Boil over temperatures: 256° Fahrenheit
- Freeze protection: -26° Fahrenheit
- Premixed and ready to use out of the bottle
- Reduces operating temperatures more than standard coolants
- Average temperature reduction of 10-20° Fahrenheit
- Biodegradable, phosphate-free, and non-toxic
Positive Reviews
- One bottle is enough for a dirt bike
- Keeps the engine running cooler/better
- The blue color is easy to see
Negative Reviews
- A little expensive
If you’re looking to buy one of the top dirt bike coolants and antifreeze, this is probably the one. However, if you’re not too excited about spending so much on this coolant, there are some cheaper options below. And on the flip side, there is an even fancier (technically, better) option, but it is even more money.
Click here to view pricing and read reviews on Amazon.
Good Dirt Bike Coolant
Evans Coolant
Although it’s one of the most expensive dirt bike coolants, Evans Waterless Coolant is actually a good option for some. This coolant is rated the best when it comes to boil over temps and freeze protection.
Features, Specs, and Highlights
- Boil over temperatures: 375° Fahrenheit
- Freeze protection: -40° Fahrenheit
- Corrosion-free, waterless coolant
- Reduced vapor pressure
- Corrosion and electrolysis protection
Positive Reviews
- The motor runs a lot cooler
- No more boil over
- Prevented overheating
- Stays cool at stoplights
Negative Reviews
- Expensive
- Some bikes run cooler with Engine Ice
Overall, Evans Waterless Dirt Bike Coolant is a solid choice. While some prefer a more standard antifreeze and coolant, this has certainly proven itself useful for many. Personally, I haven’t used this type of dirt bike coolant, so I can’t vouge for it myself, but after looking into it, I’d say it’s a pretty safe buy.
Click here to view pricing and read reviews on Amazon.
Good Dirt Bike Antifreeze
Maxima Coolanol
Maxima Coolanol 50/50 coolant is one of the most popular, cheap dirt bike antifreeze and coolant combos on the market. Not only does it come ready to use as a pre-mixed, 50/50 blend, but it also comes in an easy-to-use container. Okay, so the shape of the container doesn’t really matter too much, but hey, it’s something.
Basically, if you’re looking for an ethylene glycol-based antifreeze, this is a great option. It is mixed with deionized water to prevent rust and corrosion on all aluminum and magnesium, liquid-cooled, dirt bikes.
The Maxima dirt bike coolant also contains anti-foam agents that help reduce water pump cavitation, as well as increase the overall cooling capacity. This 50/50 blend is what protects the bike from freezing during cold winter months.
Features, Specs, and Highlights
- Boil over temperatures: 265° Fahrenheit
- Freeze protection: -34° Fahrenheit
- Summer coolant
- Winter antifreeze
- Pre-mixed/Ready to use
- Easy pour container
Positive Reviews
- Works great for less-than-expensive brands
- Good company to buy from
Negative Reviews
- Packaging could use an update
NOTE: There are some silicates (it’s ethylene glycol based), but overall this is a low-silicate fluid that is suitable for all motorcycle and dirt bike applications.
Click here to view pricing and read reviews on Amazon.
Specific Coolant for Dirt Bikes
Honda Dirt Bike Coolant
Honda owners: If you like to stick to genuine, OEM parts and accessories, look no further. This Honda dirt bike coolant is an easy-to-use, ready-to-use, radiator coolant with antifreeze. With a freeze point of -34 and a boiling point of 265, this Honda radiator coolant is great for any Honda enduro, trail bike, or motocross bike.
Features, Specs, and Highlights
- Boil over temperatures: 265° Fahrenheit
- Freeze protection: -34° Fahrenheit
- 50/50 blend
- Ethylene Glycol and Diethylene Glycol
Click here to view pricing and read reviews on Amazon.
Yamaha Dirt Bike Coolant
Yamaha owners: Just like above, if you’re looking for OEM only, the Yamalube Yamacool antifreeze with coolant is it. Interestingly, Yamahcool is not a 50/50 blend, but rather a 60/40 blend. Yamaha defends this blend by saying that it offers superior hot and cold performance.
If you’re looking for a good option for your Yamaha, this blue antifreeze is a good option. Whether you’re needing to put it in a Yamaha TTR 50, or a Yamaha WR 250F, Yamacool is a solid choice.
Features, Specs, and Highlights
- Boil over temperatures: 272° Fahrenheit
- Freeze protection: -65° Fahrenheit
- Pre-diluted, ready to use
- Ethylene Glycol based antifreeze
Click here to view pricing and read reviews on Amazon.
Kawasaki Dirt Bike Coolant
Kawasaki owners: Are you looking for a green radiator coolant for your Kawasaki? Here’s the OEM, name-brand option, Kawasaki Aluma Cool.
As with most of these antifreeze and coolants, it really doesn’t matter which dirt bike you have, they should be just fine to use. When it comes to Kawasaki’s Aluma Cool, you can use this coolant for a Kawasaki KLX 110, KX450X, or any other Kawasaki dirt bike. Whatever your motorcycle, Aluma Cool is a solid option.
Features, Specs, and Highlights
- Boil over temperatures: 265° Fahrenheit
- Freeze protection: -34° Fahrenheit
- Pre-diluted, ready to use
- Ethylene Glycol based coolant/antifreeze
Click here to view pricing and read reviews on Amazon.
Best Coolant for 4 Stroke
Choosing an antifreeze or coolant for a 4-stroke over a 2-stroke isn’t much different. Four-strokes generally run hotter at idle, but two-stroke motors can get hotter while you’re riding them.
Either way, I recommend either an OEM option or Engine Ice as the “best” choice. But in all seriousness, I think that any of the options above will work great.
Personally, I like the price and convenience of Engine Ice. Evans dirt bike coolant is rated better on the temperature scale, and it’s a similar product, so either one would do just fine.
Best Coolant for 2 Stroke
This is basically the same as above. Whether you’re riding a 4-stroke or a 2-stroke, it’s vital to keep the engine operating at an optimal temperature.
Since 2 strokes tend to get even hotter than 4 strokes, it may not be a bad idea to run Evans coolant in your dirt bike. Evans is rated better for keeping your engine cooler, but both work well. In fact, some guys have said that their bike runs better on one, but not the other… and vice versa.
How to Change Coolant in a Dirt Bike?
Changing your dirt bike coolant isn’t too difficult. If you’ve never done it before, here are the steps to do so:
- Let the engine cool down
If you are changing your coolant after just riding your dirt bike, you’re going to need to let it cool down first. Simply let the bike sit until the engine is cool to the touch. (be careful testing!) - Drain the coolant
Place a bucket or oil pan under the drain bolt and then remove the bolt. Open the radiator cap for quicker and more complete drainage. - Flush the system
After draining the coolant, it’s time to flush the entire system. (see below section on how to flush dirt bike coolant) This is an important step as it removes any lingering debris and fully removes the current mixture. - Recycle the old coolant
Don’t be a loser and pour the coolant out onto the ground. Instead, recycle responsibly. It’s easy. - Add the new coolant
Put the drain bolt back on and fill it with new coolant. - Check for leaks and air bubbles
Gently tilt the dirt bike from side to side to clear out any air bubbles. Check for leaks. If no leaks, top off. - Add the radiator cap
Now that you’ve checked for leaks and air bubbles (and topped off if necessary), it’s time to put the radiator cap back on the then recheck for leaks.
How to Flush Dirt Bike Radiator?
Depending on which mixture you go with, completely draining the cooling system can be very important. You don’t want to mix two different types of coolants together.
Here’s a short, 3-minute video on flushing out the radiator on a dirt bike and how to do so.
NOTE: regular tap water is not recommended for flushing the radiator.
To properly flush a dirt bike radiator and cooling system, all you need to do is pour distilled water or deionized water into the radiator. This is what will rinse/flush out any liquids that are currently in the cooling system.
How Much Coolant Does a Dirt Bike Hold?
The amount of antifreeze, or coolant, that will fit depends on the dirt bike. As a general rule, a 1/2 gallon of coolant should be enough. Here are what a few different dirt bikes take, to give you an idea:
- CRF450R (race bike)
After draining 1.14 US qt (1.08 L)
After disassembly 1.20 US qt (1.14 L) - CRF450X (trail bike)
After draining 1.20 US qt (1.14 L)
After disassembly 1.31 US qt (1.24 L) - CRF250R (race bike)
After draining 1.10 US qt (1.04 L)
After disassembly 1.22 US qt (1.15 L) - CRF150R (race bike)
After disassembly 0.80 US qt (0.76 L)
What Kind of Coolant Does a Dirt Bike Take?
This depends on what you want. Basically, the types listed above.
How Often to Change Dirt Bike Coolant?
According to many owners’ manuals, you should replace the radiator coolant on your dirt bike every two years.
Below is a screenshot of a 2023 Honda CRF450X owner’s manual. As you can see, the maintenance schedule calls for the “inspection” after 12 months, and the “replacement” of the radiator coolant after 24 months.
In case you’re wondering, “Replace every 2 years. Replacement requires mechanical skill.” is what “NOTE 2” refers to.
Can You Use Car Antifreeze on a Dirt Bike?
Often, yes, you can use car antifreeze in your dirtbike. However, there is one caveat: the antifreeze blend cannot contain any silicates.
It’s not uncommon for a car’s antifreeze blend to include silicates. If the coolant blend that you have on hand contains silicates, don’t use it in your bike. It’s these silicates that can damage various components.
On the other hand, if the car antifreeze that you have is silicate-free, it will work just fine. Yes, you’re going to have to check the ingredients on the label. While looking, if you notice that the blend contains propylene glycol, it’s safe to use in your dirt bike.
Where to Get Coolant for Your Dirt Bike
Buying a good coolant for your dirt bike is actually pretty simple. There are basically two easy options:
- buy local
- buy online
Okay, so in reality, these “two” options do open the door for a few sub-options. You can buy from a local dealership or dirt bike shop, or you can buy from Amazon or a dirtbike-focused website. Generally, Amazon is going to be the cheapest (and sometimes easiest), but if you’re into supporting local, you should be able to find some good dirt bike antifreeze and coolant.
