| Author | Message | ||
     Supertoon |
We did a 6 hour ride down to the Maine coast last weekend and damn near fried my right thigh both coming and going. Part of the problem is I picked up a Revit Devil jacket and the pants with the mesh panels in front(excellent gear by the way!)but they are quite thin and conduct heat very well. SO, as opposed to a Odie Blanket I am thinking of "sticking" on a pad of some type of insulating fabric to the frame as to act as a "spacer". Perhaps something dark grey to blend-in (maybe embroider Buell on it and make a fortune selling the thinks .lol) Insulflex has a bunch of different fabrics that might work. Has any body tried something like this, or would any body have a good suggestion for a material??? | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I posted this before and it has worked real well for me. I've had it in place for at least a couple of months and it really helps. Here is the posting from before. I made an underseat shield with some aluminum shiny mylar coated bubble wrap. Mylar is on both sides of the bubble stuff. The type you buy at Home Depot in roles to insulate walls and rafters before adding the fiberglass insul. I had extra so I thought it might work and it does and it hasn't melted but sure keeps most of the head off my right inner thigh. It's tucked behind the rear brake reservoir just like Odies but I made it myself with leftover material. | ||
| Jmhinkle |
I think he is talking about the actual frame, not the airflow from under the seat. I have Odie's 3 piece system and it keeps the airflow directed out the back, but nothing stops the frame from becoming an incinerator. After 15 minutes of riding or so, mine becomes too hot to touch with jean under First gear riding pants. It's only comfy in the coldest of winter. Supposedly coated headers help a lot and possibly the right side scoop. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
One think I discovered is that the engine runs cooler if you keep it spooled a little higher. I you cruise at around 3,500 RPM, the frame will be come hotter than if you keep the RPMs around 4,000-4,500. I don't know why, but it does make a difference. | ||
| Alchemy |
FB, was it you who mentioned getting better mileage in 4th gear? | ||
| Cavi |
with the XB9 primary kit you end up riding more in that range, and yes the heat is less | ||
| Bertotti |
Do you sacrifice any gas mileage by using the XB9 primary kit? | ||
| Jlnance |
Alchemy - It was me. I have a thread on here somewhere with the actual numbers. I rode from Raleigh to Greensboro (80ish miles) in 5th gear and got 51 mpg. I rode back in 45h gear and got 53. The exact numbers are in the thread. I would like to do a few more trips like that before I publicize that too much, but I feel confident saying the mileage doesn't drastically drop. It would be interesting to do that test at different speeds to determine where the crossover point is. | ||
| Supertoon |
So whats the story on the right side scoop (just kidding) Joel is right, it is not the hot air from under the seat, its the damn frame. If you move you knee out about an inch it isn't a problem. If the heat is transferring by radiation off the rear jug, maybe some insulation between the frame and the engine might help and be invisible | ||
| Unibear12r |
After last years cross country trip I had to do something as the air jetting out the sides under my seat nearly blistered my legs. I've been riding my Uly for nearly a year now with a shield made of just plain household aluminum foil! Started as just a way to test my thoughts but ended up working great. Make it big enough to double up, wrap around the shock and tuck up against the frame on either side of the fan. Directs all the cooling air down over the rear hugger like on my XB12R. I didn't think that it would last very long but after a year there was only one small half inch hole in it. I changed it out only because I got tired of my friends asking me if I'm cooking tacos!  I painted the new one flat black on the outside to be nearly invisible. Totally solved the roasted leg problem and the seat is cooler too. And this will start a flame fest. My Uly always ran the fan a LOT,LOT more than my 12R on the same roads/times/temps. About half the difference in fan run time went away with the foil leading me to believe that the cooling airflow became more efficient in the Uly afterwords. | ||
| Royintulsa |
Try 87 octane, the engine will run cooler. If it pings you have to go back to high octane. | ||
| L_je |
Embrace the heat! No Heat = No Go For every 1hp delivered to the rear wheel, 2hp are lost to waste heat. So, who wants more horsepower? Changing the subject a bit: Has anyone else noticed that the heat from the frame can cause Gore-Tex to work in the reverse direction? The vapor now comes to you! Not a big deal, just more of a curiosity. | ||
| Retired_cop |
The neat thing about Gore-Tex and all the other proprietary fabrics is that there needs to be a difference in temperature of about 5-10 degrees between the inside and outside surfaces for the vapor transfer to work. The vapor is then pulled to the cooler side, which normally is the outside. But with the heat from the frame/air flow on the right side of the bike, your leg becomes the cooler side and gets damp/wet. | ||
| Supertoon |
Interesting concept unibear, a pic would be cool | ||
| Arcticktm |
Anyone care to explain why 87 octane would make the engine run cooler (than higher octane premium)? | ||
| S_palmer |
I had the same problem last weekend, I rode about 150 miles of low speed gravel, my right thigh was seared! This wasn't warm, it was so hot I couldn't keep my leg there. What I discovered was that the hot air was not coming out of the hole by the master cylinder but from a gap between the seat and the frame right at the very front of the seat. I used some aluminum hi temp tape to fill the gap and 90% of my heat problem was gone. | ||
| Unibear12r |
Sorry Super, I've been away a while.     Shows up more with the camera than in person. | ||
| Kc69xlch |
87 octane fuel will NOT make your engine run cooler. it will however cause unwanted detonation and premature engine failure though. so i guess you mean it will be cooler because it will no longer run. | ||
| Bertotti |
How about 89 octane 10% ethanol. I was told the alcohol will make it run hotter but will it be hotter then 91 or 93 I don't know. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I run the 10% ethanol and have no problems. | ||
| Kc69xlch |
the problem with the alcohol it requires a higher volume of fuel. a fuel injected vehicle designed to run gasoline will usually be a little lean with the alcohol blend. basically i would try to find another way to reduce the amount of heat you are feeling other than changing fuel grade. i personally am not that affected by the heat my bike makes. although i am not thrilled by the fact that my fuel gets so hot. cold fuel is happy fuel. i actually like the frame heat in wintertime.  | ||
| Supertoon |
Thanks for the pics Unibear, good on you for coming up with a logical inexpensive solution! I will be trying next weekend. | ||
| Iugradmark |
So do the Special Ops shields work or is the problem the frame and places where the heat shields don't reach. | ||
| Khelton |
I wonder if the seat shape has anything to do with this...I have had no heat issues with my Corbin but am about to change over to a stock seat... | ||
| Unibear12r |
I'd guess seat shape does have some effect. Sense taking those pics I've switched to the newer and lower 07 seat and its a bit hotter, not a lot but noticeable. I've never tried any of Odie's products but they all look well made and there are quite a few Badwebbers who swear by them. My problems seem to stem more from the hot engine coolant (air) spilling or jetting out from around various undersides of the seat and not so much heat through the seat. The secret to the foil is to take some time fitting it. Use something like a long, thin screw driver to work the foil in tight places and reach up through the shock well to push the foil into a more open shape and wedge the foil in place.  When you look at the front of the seat and tail section of the R bodywork it's obvious that the shape and fit of those pieces are far better at funneling air from the fan and frame openings to the shock well and out back over the rear hugger. Almost NO air comes out the vent holes in the body sides even with the fan on high. Far better design IMHO. |
