Overheating issue

[Aolson345]

Has anyone noticed their needle a little above halfway?
Just recently I've noticed my temp gauge a little over halfway after I drive and I idle for a while.
Once I start driving again it goes down under halfway and stays their till I come to a stop and idle.
Im at 215k I've changed radiator and can't and fans at 120k due to a crash. I just recently changed thermostat and engine coolant sensor still have issue. I'm thinking water pump but if that is fails is should overheat while driving and my gauge should I up all the way correct?

Just not sure if it's normal or something Im missing I should take a look at? Or if in fact it is the pump
Thanks guys.

[VStar650CL]

It's definitely a flow thing from the symptoms you describe, but since it normalizes on the highway, airflow is more likely than coolant flow. The dumbest cause for that is debris in the radiator cooling fins. Or, since your fans are almost 100K old, they could very well be getting weak. The quickest test to make sure it's airflow is to feel the radiator outlet hose while an assistant holds the engine above idle (say 2K RPM) and you hit the radiator with a garden hose. The temperature of the outlet hose should drop immediately and sharply. If so your coolant flow is fine and the problem is airflow. If not, then you may have a thermostat that's losing wax and not opening fully, a partially-clogged radiator, a partially-collapsed lower hose, or yes, a corroded water pump.