Engine Heat

Joined
Mar 13, 2012
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5,046
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soCal
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'97 ST1100
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687
That might help in some states, but I'm not sure if it's legal in CA.
motorcycles are exempt from smog testing in CA, so even if its technically illegal, nobody is going to know about it unless you tell them.
 
OP
OP
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Dec 5, 2015
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16
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San Diego
motorcycles are exempt from smog testing in CA, so even if its technically illegal, nobody is going to know about it unless you tell them.
Confirm that. No smog for motorcycles in CA. But the heat issue is not caused by the cats, the full-fairing captures the heat and forces it out the four slots in front of the riders legs.
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
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Fort Worth, Texas
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91 ST1100/06 ST1300
motorcycles are exempt from smog testing in CA, so even if its technically illegal, nobody is going to know about it unless you tell them.
We used to have to pass a visual smog equipment inspection annually here in Texas...now all we need is to pass the idling tail pipe emissions test.
Bike requirements haven't been updated since the 1970's. Brakes must work as must the head, tail and brake lights...plus the horn. That's it...they don't even have to check the signals.
 

Blrfl

Natural Rider Enhancement
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55
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Northern Virginia
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Fast Blue One
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4837
Diesel oil??? Really?
Diesel oil isn't really diesel oil, it's oil that happens to meet both the S API service family for gas engines and the C family for diesel engines. But let's not turn this into an oil thread just yet. :D

The temp gauge always shows 3 bars, so it's not overheating, just feels like having the heater on on the floor setting in the car.
The heat you get from this bike is a tradeoff you have to make for the engine and fairing configuration. The only other manufacturer I can think of that sells longitudinal V engines is Moto Guzzi, and I don't think I've ever seen one where the exhaust wasn't out in the open and on the front of the cylinder head.

I doubt your bike is running any differently than anyone else's; some folks have a problem with the heat and some don't. I'm insulated by socks, tall boots and the legs of my riding suit and tend not to notice it, but that's just me.

--Mark
 
Joined
May 29, 2013
Messages
49
Location
Exeter UK
Bike
Pan 1300A
Here in the U.K. you can get a silver foil with a sticky back used for putting behind central heating radiators to reflect the heat....I used this inside the fairings especialy around the knee and shin area seemed to work for me... but we don't get the temperatures very high here....
 

Highrider

Part time mechanic
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Jun 30, 2005
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68
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Barlett, Illinois
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2005 ST1300
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5560
NEWBIES . . . .there is at least 10 years of discussions on this forum and a number of ways to mitigate the heat issue. Granted, some bikes seem to be worse than others and some riders are more sensitive than others.
You have a BIG and WIDE engine that makes a lot of power. The heat needs to go somewhere.
2 items that I incorporated for the heat issue: 1. ceramic coated the headers. 2. Cut vents in the front inner fairing covers.
The only time the heat has bothered me was riding all day in 110+ degree weather. Then the heat was all over my body.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
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Dec 5, 2015
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16
Location
San Diego
In addition to my ST1300, I also have two BMWs and a Harley. So I have an objective opinion. The ST1300 puts all the engine heat on your shins and your crotch. Not bad if it's cool out, unrideable in hot weather, so I ride one of my other bikes, none of which have any heat issues. The 1300 is a really beautiful bike, but it's on the market and I'll stick to BMWs in the future. They're smoother and quieter, even though two-cylinder.
 
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
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Location
soCal
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'97 ST1100
STOC #
687
We used to have to pass a visual smog equipment inspection annually here in Texas...now all we need is to pass the idling tail pipe emissions test.
Bike requirements haven't been updated since the 1970's. Brakes must work as must the head, tail and brake lights...plus the horn. That's it...they don't even have to check the signals.
wow, a case where Texas is more strictly regulated than California, who'd have thunk it? In CA if you can mail in the DMV renewal form with the check, you're good for another year.
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2016
Messages
1
Location
Grafton, IL
I almost sold my 2005 ST1300 due to the engine heat issue. After reading every article I could find, I decided to pull the inner cowls. I did this first because it is reversible and free. I pulled the left one first, and went for a 30 minute ride on a 90 degree day. I couldn't believe the difference. The left side of the tank was cool to the touch, and the right side was warm to hot. I also noticed that the usual blast of hot air that came out of the valve cover opening on the left side was gone. I pulled the right cowl and never looked back. I rode Moab, Utah in July. It was 95 plus degrees, and I had no engine heat issues.
 
Joined
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South Western Illinois
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S10, R1250GS, KLX300
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007697
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#3924
I almost sold my 2005 ST1300 due to the engine heat issue. After reading every article I could find, I decided to pull the inner cowls. I did this first because it is reversible and free. I pulled the left one first, and went for a 30 minute ride on a 90 degree day. I couldn't believe the difference. The left side of the tank was cool to the touch, and the right side was warm to hot. I also noticed that the usual blast of hot air that came out of the valve cover opening on the left side was gone. I pulled the right cowl and never looked back. I rode Moab, Utah in July. It was 95 plus degrees, and I had no engine heat issues.
This solved the heat problem for me completely when I owned a ST1300.
 
Joined
Sep 22, 2015
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Wasaga Beach, Ont. Canada
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'04 ST1300 Blue STar
This worked great for me as well. It is likely the biggest improvement for the least effort. The large cool air dilution is very effective, and I often just wear shorts when summer riding locally. Two details to remember if you try this. One,, drilling holes or making slots in the inner cowls can never flow as much air as simply removing them. If you are concerned about loss of structural rigidity,,, then cut the corners off and re-install those. But I have been running it hard all year,, with no issues,,, so that is just a matter of preference. Also,, the ST has a significant negative pressure air pocket between the rider and front fairing,,, no matter what windscreen you have bought into. So hot air is going to be sucked up into that pocket,, via any gap between the seat and tank. My oem seat is all the way down and forward,, so there is not much flow there,, hence the chestnuts rarely roast. However,, If your seat position does allow a gap,,, some foam there will greatly reduce the heat flow. Again,, a fairly simple solution. Cat'

This solved the heat problem for me completely when I owned a ST1300.
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2016
Messages
86
Location
Beaver Falls, PA
Bike
2003 ST1300A
Is there a thread showing specifically what you're referring to? I'm a newbie to tupperware bikes so I'm concerned about pulling it apart and not knowing what I'm looking to remove.

Switching to the Delkavic exhaust seems to have helped for me. So did moving out of FL! :D
Recently completed a 680 mile 3-day ride through PA, WV, VA and MD....lots and lots of twisties in the 20-45mph range following creeks and hillsides. The heat didn't bother me unless we were on relatively straight roads below 60mph in traffic. I wear calf-height MC boots and Kuhl Ryder pants. Morning temps were 50? up to 75? afternoons.

How did the Delkavic system change the sound of the exhaust?
 
Joined
Jan 12, 2010
Messages
442
Location
Eden Prairie, MN
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2003 ST1300
I pulled the inner cowls pretty much as soon as I bought the bike and get zero engine heat or underseat heat, but the ankle/foot heat from the cats is pretty serious. Especially when running about 4k rpm, under that and it is manageable (unless stuck in traffic). No way would I be able to ride mine without tall heavy boots, thick socks, textile pants. And that heat vanished when I put two brothers pipes on but the flat dull drone that they made on the highway was worse than the heat, so I put the originals back on.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
7,064
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Arizona
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2007 Honda ST1300A
I can wear ankle socks, sneakers, board shorts, and a t-shirt, in 100 degree plus weather, and run my ST1300A without ANY heat issues.
I find it interesting that some folks try to come up with fixes that involve cutting and or removing body panels that Honda built in their design, rather than listen to their bike trying to tell them something...
Nine times out of Ten, if you service the air filter, do a TB sync, and run good oil like Delo 400, you'll find your heat issues are gone.
YMMV
 
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
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51
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Knoxville, TN
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2006 ST1300
For those of you that pull your inner cowls completely, what do you do with the temp sensor?
 

mlheck

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Ft. Wayne, IN
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'18 BMW K1600GTL
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I find it interesting that some folks try to come up with fixes that involve cutting and or removing body panels that Honda built in their design, rather than listen to their bike trying to tell them something...
Nine times out of Ten, if you service the air filter, do a TB sync, and run good oil like Delo 400, you'll find your heat issues are gone.
YMMV
And I find interesting how guys that have cool running bikes tell the rest of us that we are crazy. It has been well established on this forum that some bikes run cooler, while others run hot. I have a '05 that runs hot. I had a ST1100 before it and it was much cooler. I've done all of the things that you claim should fix the problem plus a few others. It still runs hot. I've put 70k miles on it like this. I've just learned that it is hot and go from there.
 

STumped

Because I usually am . . . .
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Fort Worth, Texas
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For those of you that pull your inner cowls completely, what do you do with the temp sensor?
There is a mounting point that is the female end of where the plastic pop rivets hold the inner cowl in place. I simply zip tied the sensor to that point.

Also, for added stability, I strung together several zip ties and zip tied the lower cowls to each other across the front, behind the forks. It adds back the rigidity that is lost when the inner cowls are removed. If I ever have to remove the lower cowls, I simply cut one of the zip ties and remove it from the chain. Then I add a new zip tie to the string when reassembling and tighten it back down.
 
Joined
Sep 22, 2015
Messages
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Location
Wasaga Beach, Ont. Canada
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'04 ST1300 Blue STar
I left my inner cowls off,,, after doing my first tupperware removal. As per several threads on the topic,,, I used 2 or 3 black zip ties to pull the left and righ side fairings together,,, and one zip tie to mount the temp sensor to the RH fairing. It all worked fine, and Blue STar is a pretty cool running bike. Cat'
 
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