ST 1300 Heat Question

Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
8,114
Location
Cleveland
Bike
2010 ST1300
Has there been a discussion of when people feel the excessive heat on their ST1300's and where? Yes, I've read more than a few threads on the heat issue, hot legs, seat, and gas tank.

I rode my bike for 1 1/2 years, mostly on the slab, in late winter, spring, summer and fall. There was no heat issue. I wore AGATT - heavy ballistic nylon pants/jacket. There were a couple of 500 mile trips, and several of around 4 hours. Then came OHSTOC '15. This was my first long, hard ride on two lane, curving, hilly roads. There was a lot of shifting, riding in 4th, 3rd, even 2nd gear turns, accelerating and braking on a hot day. Boy did I feel the heat. Much of it came from the gas tank, but the side panels just below it were also hot.

My point is that I still don't experience the heat in high speed, constant gear riding whatever the temperature. But hit the curves, ride slower, work the bike, and the heat comes through.

Is this a case of insufficient air flow to carry the heat away? Does the bike need the ram air effect? My ST's temp has never budged above three bars, so the engine is not unhappy. Do Iron Butt contestants comment about the heat problem too? It seems that working the bike for 10 to 13K miles virtually non stop should generate a tad of warmth.
 
Joined
Dec 27, 2004
Messages
829
Location
Medina, Tennessee
Bike
2021 Tracer 9GT
STOC #
375
You are going to read all kinds of opinions on this. Some people line the air box area with insulation, some drill holes in the inner fairing or remove them altogether. Some wrap the pipes. I say baloney to all of this. Drill nothing, remove nothing, wrap nothing. The whole Idea is to carry heat away from the engine and the rider, and the bike does that. Honda engineers are some of the best in the world, and the bike is designed for that. Is it perfect? No. But I can tell you the heat issue is minor compared to my air/oil cooled Ducati or Harley in traffic.

As far as the heat on the ST1300 goes, the single most effective thing I have found in getting it off of me is to line the underside of the rider's seat with Mylar bubble wrap. Takes ten minutes and costs nothing if you can find it as scrap.
 

SupraSabre

48 Years of SoCal Lane Splitting/Commuting-Retired
Site Supporter
Joined
Nov 20, 2005
Messages
9,499
Location
Cedar City, Utah
Bike
12/04 ST 1300s
2024 Miles
000145
STOC #
5901
I've been riding ST1300s for the last 11.5 years and have over 300 miles on them. Have I felt the heat, yeah, but it's never been a real issue with me.

My first experience feeling it was in 115F heat for over an hour and a half, on my way to 666STOC back in July 2007. I was wearing chaps at the time and I found they were a great heat barrier.

I have found over the years as long as you are wearing protective riding gear, you probably won't experience so much heat that it makes it unbearable.

Also, the 2008 and after, I think they put more catalyst in the mufflers and made them even hotter. So they added more heat protection in the lower covers and rubber plugs near your feet.

In short, if you don't want to feel the heat, just wear the gear! ;)
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2017
Messages
72
Location
Louisburg, Kansas
Bike
2004 ST1300
I almost decided against the ST1300 based on all the heat talk...When I bought mine, a few weeks ago (a 2004).. it already had the insulation taped under the stock seat...the highest temp I have ridden in is about 85f...some heat is there but not bad....If I do anything, it might be to ceramic coat the headers...I'll just see how it goes this summer...but I never ride when its real hot....
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2016
Messages
4,759
Location
Northumberland UK
Bike
VStrom 650
I don't know about the 13 but the 11 gets warm when the fan kicks in and blows 100 degree air all over you.
Obviously on motorway/highway journeys this probably wouldn't happen but it would when riding harder at lower speed, with less airflow through radiator.
You could always ride in your undergarments.
Fat chance of getting overheated here at the moment, 50 and rain.
Upt'North.
 

Blrfl

Natural Rider Enhancement
Joined
Aug 24, 2005
Messages
5,689
Age
55
Location
Northern Virginia
Bike
Fast Blue One
STOC #
4837
My point is that I still don't experience the heat in high speed, constant gear riding whatever the temperature. But hit the curves, ride slower, work the bike, and the heat comes through.
There's the cause: the amount of work you're asking the bike to do.

Every time you open the throttle, you're throwing more fuel into the engine and asking it to make torque so you can go faster. Since gas engines aren't what anyone would call a model of efficiency (25-50% of the energy in the fuel becomes motion and the rest is thrown off as waste heat), the more work you're making the engine do, the more heat it's going to produce. Curvy or slower riding means lots of closing and opening of the throttle and less airflow around the bike to get rid of the heat. Any time you apply the brakes, energy that was being used to move the bike forward is converted to heat, and that has to be put back (inefficiently) to get the bike back up to speed.

Highway cruising is a very relaxed times for your engine. If you're cruising at 70, the engine has already expended the energy it takes to get you there. All it takes to hold that speed is to replenish whatever energy is being sapped by internal friction in the engine and drive line, the rolling resistance of your tires and wind resistance. For most cars, it isn't much; the figure I've heard something in the neighborhood of 15-30 HP. Bikes have fewer wheels and a smaller cross section, so it's probably less for us even though the aerodynamics aren't as favorable.

--Mark
 
Joined
Sep 22, 2015
Messages
1,282
Location
Wasaga Beach, Ont. Canada
Bike
'04 ST1300 Blue STar
Just curious,, about the insulation that you have taped under the oem seat. Is the insulation the aluminium covered Reflectix style stuff ?? Is it taped in place with the metalic Reflectix style tape ?? How well has the tape held over time ?? With all the heat that rises thru the platform,,, I wondered about the tapes ability to hold fast. This is important as Reflectix style insulation is conductive,,, and for that matter,,, so is the tape. thx,, Cat'

I almost decided against the ST1300 based on all the heat talk...When I bought mine, a few weeks ago (a 2004).. it already had the insulation taped under the stock seat...the highest temp I have ridden in is about 85f...some heat is there but not bad....If I do anything, it might be to ceramic coat the headers...I'll just see how it goes this summer...but I never ride when its real hot....
 
OP
OP
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
8,114
Location
Cleveland
Bike
2010 ST1300
I wondered about the tapes ability to hold fast. This is important as Reflectix style insulation is conductive,,, and for that matter,,, so is the tape. thx,, Cat'
I read what Davey & JM posted too. I do know that HVAC guys use a foil tape (not the silver mylar tape, tho that too is advertised as permanent) on heat ducts. We used this (foil) on our own ducts after the furnace man installed the system (let's not discuss who should have done this) and seen absolutely no peeling or loosening of the tape after about 12 or 13 years. Now, I don't think hot air furnace system ducts get as hot as the ST, but I don't know. Most duct tapes will dry out and give up the ghost in fewer than 5 years, though specialty (expensive) varieties will last a lot longer.

Davey's idea is fast and simple, and I'll try it one of these days - maybe sooner than later if I can find some of the stuff, though my gas tank and sides of the bike below the tank throw off a lot of heat (as I said in my first post). And my bead rider takes care of all the heat (if there is any) coming up thru the seat.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
8,114
Location
Cleveland
Bike
2010 ST1300
But I can tell you the heat issue is minor compared to my air/oil cooled Ducati or Harley in traffic.
I remember riding my SP1000 Guzzi in Daytona during Bike Week. Stop and go traffic, and i was shutting the engine off every 20'. That was hot! Air cooled bikes don't like slow going very much at all, and that heat rises right up to the rider.
 
Top Bottom