Description
We raised the bar - CenterFlow, the clear #1!
A match made in heaven - you gotta have a thermostat so your engine can heat up and run like it was designed to, and what better place to run all that warm coolant than C3 Heated Handlebars, right under your grips to keep your hands nice and toasty!
Two products that make a very noticeable improvement to your snowbiking experience and that you definitely want anyways, why not bundle them here and save up to $40?
Please review all details, FAQs, and guides at the tabs above and when you're ready, choose the options above and get ready to ride - both your engine and your hands will thank you!
The bundle includes everything you need, like bypass lines and return connections.
Please note that the "default image" on this webpage shows a thermostat housing that's used on 2014-22 YZ450F, which of course may not be what you end up ordering. That is to say, don't be concerned if the thermostat you receive doesn't look like that one.
Thermostat details
A thermostat is, along with air intake, among the most vital upgrades to make to any snowbike.
Freezing ambient temperatures plus snow exposure keep the engine from properly warming up, which can cause your EFI to stay in warm-up mode, overfuelling the engine, which means making it run like crap, burning way too much gas, and accelerating engine wear or even risking damage.
A thermostat will help the bike heat up to and maintain the hot 90C/195F temperatures it was designed for. And the C3 thermostat is the one for you!
•Premium materials and innovative design you'd expect from C3
•Pipe thread ports in all models designed specifically to accept accessories like the C3 Heated Handlebars (recommended - bundle!) and Trailtech TTO Temp Gauge
•Reliable and consistent operation
•Bleed hole plus bypass line (included) ensures slow circulation until thermostat opens - then the cooling system is unobstructed and can make full use of radiators if needed, like on warm spring days
•Unmatched customization, versatility, and fit+finish
•Industry exclusive "del-ring" redundant backup seals
A full "factory-custom" model is available for many popular bikes:
•Docks right to your engine and is barely bigger than the fitting it replaces
•Closest to cylinder, accurate temperature reading
•Easiest and most polished installation possible - no cutting or messing around with hoses
Check the tabs above for more
Bars details
We raised the bar - CenterFlow, the clear #1!
•Industry-exclusive INTEGRATED CONTROL - adjust the heat output with the custom flow-control valve mounted directly and conveniently at your cockpit!! You'll wonder how you ever lived without it
•No-weld design, CNC precision machined internals. Industry-exclusive purpose-engineered manufacturing methods right from factory - not just modified off-the-shelf
•Modifications are now done in the center area between the bar mounts, where the stress is essentially zero instead of the maximum
•Guaranteed as strong or stronger than stock bars - top-grade 7000-series alloy with profiled wall thickness
•Carefully thought-out custom bend - neutral and natural, not a weird banana-bar!
•Superior customization, fit+finish, AND value
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Nothing puts a damper on a ride day braaping though the snow quite like frozen hands... Never again!
C3's CenterFlow heated handlebars run warm engine coolant through your handlebars to keep your hands nice and toasty. Ditch the bulky mitts and reclaim perfect throttle and lever control. Superior design and better value compared to competitors.
The bend of these handlebars was specifically designed to have you feel right at home no matter which bars you were using before (we measured every OEM bar and made ours right in the middle) - the riding posture is neutral, natural, and reactive for quick posture adjustments with changing conditions and aggressive riding. For the numbers people, that's like 9 degrees of upsweep and 14 degrees of backsweep. Definitely very "normal", we get nothing but good feedback.
Warm-up is quick, and the heat output is never finicky like electric grips and much more powerful (tunable by the provided valve).
These are ready to roll with built-in tapped ends for the C3 FORCEFIELD Handguards. We also gave you a touch of standoff between the grips and basher bars to eliminate the hassle and safety concern of gloves getting pinched by the throttle. WILL fit most OEM mounts! But - bars are 1 1/8" "fat bar" diameter - may need risers to replace stock bar mounts on certain Honda and Kawasaki bikes. Certain one-piece bridged bar clamps (some KTM XCFs) are also incompatible without risers. See FAQ tab.
Install is quick and easy thanks to push-to-connect fittings, NEW durable BRAIDED nylon lines, and perfect compatibility with the C3 Thermostat.
> Yes, you'll need a thermostat to use these: the best thermostat on the market - with dedicated Heated Bars bypass ports and custom return lines - is available HERE, or go to THIS PAGE to buy both and save!
C3 thermostat kits have all the connection hardware you'll need, but there's an option for a "backwards compatible" kit too: we'll add to the handlebars kit the valves and NPT fittings, which some other brands of thermostat may accept easily (for instance "Thermo-Bob") - but you should be prepared to maybe do a little custom plumbing.
Thermostat FAQ
What thermostat should I get for a ______?
At the top there's a brand selector, with every model listed where we have a purpose-designed direct-fit kit. If your bike is listed, you can choose it there and select your options.
If your model is not listed, please choose "my model is not listed" and check the "Generic Guide" tab here for guidance on the other options.
What opening temp should I get?
With a 90C / 195F 'stat, the bike will typically run 80C - 90C (180F - 195F) all day which is totally ideal, just like summer months. It's great for performance and reliability; there's no reason not to. Thus I always recommend 90C / 195F.
We're not big 2-stroke guys, but often those folks prefer a little cooler, like 80C / 175F.
Another situation where you might consider a 80C 'stat is on a highly modded big-bore bike that you know produces tons of extra heat.
Does the thermostat fit a Trail Tech temp gauge?
Yes! Every model was designed around the Trail Tech probe. Highly recommended accessory.
Can I leave it on in the summer?
Honestly, there should be no reason not to. We personally ride our bikes with 90C thermostats for enduro riding year-round, along with dozens of other customers.
That said, everybody's bike and riding situation is different, so to be safe, we do recommend that you restore your cooling system back to factory for dirt riding.
If that's not in the cards, another option is to disassemble the thermostat housing and replace the thermostat element with an o-ring. The proper size o-ring is a #214 (1"ID x 1-1/4"OD 0.139" Cross Section) which is widely available at hardware stores and, in conjunction with our exclusive "del-ring" redundant seal, will give you the trustworthy connection you're looking for. We have some in stock here if you can't find any locally, just reach out!
ONLY ATTEMPT disassembling the thermostat if you are confident in your competency performing detailed mechanical tasks, including working with our tight-tolerance spiral snap-ring. ONLY INSTALL the reassembled thermostat if you are sure that the spiral snap-ring is 100% properly seated.
My 2010-2013 YZ450F has the same engine as a 2014, can I use that kit?
Strictly speaking, no, the thermostat is not compatible. That is because the engine mount is juust in the way. That said, we have had plenty of customers who chose to make it work with some modifications to the engine mount bracket.
We can't "wholeheartedly" recommend it, but you may wish to go this route! If you're not comfortable with that, the Generic Straight with 22mm housing and 17mm return is your best bet.
Can I bundle with CenterFlow heated bars?
Yes! Check here.
I am looking for the Thermostat Product Update
Find it here.
Can I get a spare __ degree thermostat to try?
Yes, find it here.
I am looking for a Thermo Bob
Thermo-bob or Thermobob is a brand name who sells thermostats. Some people call all thermostats "thermobobs". The C3 Thermostat can replace a Thermo Bob
Bars FAQ
I heard it's bad to dead-head the bike's water pump?
Where did you hear that??? ;)
4 things:
- A C3 thermostat + bars setup can never be deadheaded. Our thermostats are built to our custom specifications with a small bleed hole, so there is a built-in bypass system at all times.
- Even if you could, "dead-heading the pump" is not a swear word or even a bad thing at all. Ask anyone who's worked in industry - it's a very common and very widely used method to throttle centrifugal pump flow and control complex systems.
- The reason that you may have heard as a warning against deadheading pumps is if the same liquid is churned around in the same space for an extended period of time (typically hours and hours straight), the friction will eventually build up enough heat to straight-up vaporize the fluid ("cavitation"), and those pockets of gas are indeed bad for the impeller and bearings. There are some applications where this is a legitimate concern, but clearly that's not the case in a motorcycle engine scenario where any liquid friction heat is negligible (to say the least) compared to the internal combustion occurring in the cylinder inches away! And it is ESPECIALLY not a concern in a system where the thermostat itself inherently acts as a safety control valve, sending up to 100% of coolant flow through the radiators if the coolant temp gets even remotely close to boil point. So all good! At least when you're talking centrifugal pumps like on bikes ("positive displacement" type pumps, that's a different story)
- If for some reason you are still concerned, with the valve conveniently located directly ON THE HANDLEBARS with all your other controls, you will have no problem maintaining a perfect level of warmth on the fly without ever closing it entirely, if that is what you choose!
- If for some reason you are still scared or apprehensive, we will add the fittings for you to elegantly plumb in another bypass circuit to your next order for free.
What about "hot spots"?
See above about A) the optimized "bleed hole" ensuring the proper slow circulation (never stagnant), and B) the cylinder of course heats up all coolant uniformly - definitely don't worry about "hot spots" in C3 systems.
Do the bars fit my bike?
Will these fit mDo the bars fit my bike?y bike?
•CenterFlow connections have been carefully optimized to fit the widest variety of applications possible
•WILL fit stock risers on most popular bikes
•WILL fit with all handguard styles, to our knowledge
•WILL fit with one-piece TOP clamps
•will NOT fit 7/8" mounts
•will NOT fit bar clamps that are one-piece solid "bridged" on the underside
Do I need to bleed the air out of the bars?
No, it will happen on its own. The pump pushes fluid through the path of least resistance - this forces fluid INTO the bars with some PSI of positive pressure, displacing any empty space. Remember, there's internal passages for even heat distribution so the fluid has to reach the top end of the bars to make it to the other side. Then the air will eventually rise to the tops of the radiators.
So, to answer the question, just run the bike up to temp with the valve to the bars open, then top up the coolant level in the radiators. As always, be sure to follow your owner's manual, this includes keeping an eye on the coolant level after each ride too.
Instructions how to install / plumb / route the lines?
Check the tabs above, for example
Installation
CATH1594 Install
(KTM 250/300/350 etc)
The housing used in CATH1594 thermostat kits uniquely replaces a certain KTM OEM component, which means the install method is probably different from what you're used to! Please read the procedure below.
Videos
Generic Guide
Ball Valve Info
(New & Improved!)
