Article [13] ST1300 - Poor Man's '08 Panel Install

deanrd

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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

Has anyone looked at the required mounting hardware used on an 08 model for these panels? Must be some kind of brackets already available that Hondas already using. Has anyone bothered with the little triangular plastic inserts where the rubber sheets hang? I thought those looked nice too. The panels do finish that area off nicely though. I'll be ordering some soon as well.

Dean
 
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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

Has anyone looked at the required mounting hardware used on an 08 model for these panels? Must be some kind of brackets already available that Hondas already using. Has anyone bothered with the little triangular plastic inserts where the rubber sheets hang? I thought those looked nice too. The panels do finish that area off nicely though. I'll be ordering some soon as well.

Dean
Yes, the following thread covers the as-stock-as-possible-and-not-mickey-mouse way of mounting the side panels. It was determined some time back that it would be very expensive to completely retrofit the stock assembly as you would need to also buy a finished sidepanel and paint it. But this article shows you how to fabricate new mounting points, which requires some drilling and tapping. While I don't begrudge anyone doing it the poor man's way, I just can't bring myself to use velcro to secure motorcycle parts. :)

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39433&highlight=side+panels
 
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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

Yes, the following thread covers the as-stock-as-possible-and-not-mickey-mouse way of mounting the side panels......
I take offense to this post as in no way was Mickey Mouse consulted, nor did he offer any suggestions in regard to the poor man's install.

As far as the velcro goes, 3k miles later and they're still solid. It's just another option.
 
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Capt_Gruuvy

Capt_Gruuvy

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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

Mickey Mouse knows nothing about motorcycles. Have you ever seen him ride ?

Besides that Mickey Mouse is not a technical, nor detail, type. He's very loose and hangs around a very strange crowd. He cannot even tie his own shoes and he has no opposable thumbs.

I, who happen to know a bit about mounting things, know full well this installation is practical, efficient and durable. I'm well past 6,000 miles with this project and everything is great.

So go ahead with your frame tapping, clip installing panel professionalistic nonsensities if you must .... I'll be eating Ice Cream while you get all jiggy with it.
 
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Capt_Gruuvy

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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

Appearance only. They finish the sides nicely.

The heat issue is up to the user. When it's 120 over here the bike is hot. When it's 55 over here the bike is perfect.

When it's 120 over here my Triumph is hot. When it's 55 over here my Triumph is hot.

I don't agree that there is a heat issue. It's a full fairing bike. It is what it is.
 
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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

LOL, at least I won't need to wonder how long the velcro adhesive will last while it's running through hot/cold cycles and occasional exposure to water. Eventually you will have to set that ice cream down and replace the velcro. I can guarantee this wouldn't last too long in the upper midwest. I suppose your fine in Cali though.

Like I said guys, I don't begrudge those who want to go this route. I supplied the information for Dean and I suppose the Mickey Mouse reference was a bit over the top but like I said, it's not something I would do. Not trying to diss you.
 

Blue STreak

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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

LOL, at least I won't need to wonder how long the velcro adhesive will last while it's running through hot/cold cycles and occasional exposure to water. Eventually you will have to set that ice cream down and replace the velcro.
Eventually you'll have to replace your motorcycle, too. Extreme Velcro is robust stuff. It'll last for years, I suspect. And replacing it 3 or 4 times will probably still add up to less time than installing all the bracket once.
 
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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

Eventually you'll have to replace your motorcycle, too. Extreme Velcro is robust stuff. It'll last for years, I suspect. And replacing it 3 or 4 times will probably still add up to less time than installing all the bracket once.
I don't think it was that hard to be honest. We are talking about drilling and tapping one hole for a mount at the frame and one drilling for the hole in the plastic battery holder. It probably took me 30 minutes at the most. I would say the biggest issue would be finding little brackets but I have a scrap bin for that sort of stuff.

BTW velcro guys, how do you secure the bottom part of the panels so they don't flap around?
 

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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

I hated the thought of drilling holes in the frame, too. I know Honda does it, but I assume that's planned for in the design. I'd much rather replace Velcro 6 or 8 times than find stress cracks around the hole I drilled.

Is that likely? I have no idea, but prefer not to find out the hard way.
 
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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

Trust me to first go and buy the covers, spend a lot of time and effort, look at the fishes on the net as to how the originals mount, take photos of a new bike standing on the dealers floor to see where the mounting brakets were (and were not in my case) and to take the long way round, by dissassembling the foot peg mounting arm and drilling and tapping and making up brackets etc, when i could have just used velcro...:eek:: Or Not? :D
 

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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

So do the side panels reduce heat or is it just for asthetics?
I say it's just for looks.. however, if you can feel heat coming from that area when you ride, for pre 2008 models, then maybe it's channeling some away from the passenger.
 
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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

What is the purpose of the radiator and fan if not to dissipate heat from the engine. Yes a 1300 or even an 1100 is one hot chunk of moving parts but it has a pretty well defined cooling system that should keep things bearable.

Not everyone complains about heat, could it be a faulty thermostats or time to change the prestone? Maybe poor coolant circulation, or just personal perception of what is normal for the bike.

Am I full of crap or what?
 
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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

perception of what is normal for the bike.

Am I full of crap or what?
It's an age old topic that has been picked apart since the bike came out. Personally I have ridden up to 100 degree days and not felt a thing. Then I have ridden only 85 degree days and my left calf was cooking so bad that it was red at the gas stop (I do wear high boots and cordura pants. This was even after I added the side covers. I agree that there are a number of factors however when an ankle turns red, or blisters as I had seen the pictures, we are beyond just perception and there is some serious heating going on. Thankfully it's not persistent, otherwise I wouldn't own this bike.
 

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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

I agree that individual tolerance for heat varies, as do the conditions people ride under. Someone who lives where 80 is considered hot is probably less likely to complain about the bike's heat than someone who rides in south Texas or in Arizona. Clothing also matters: you're a lot more likely to notice heat in shorts than in full riding pants.

But there have been a few reports from riders who have owned or ridden multiple ST1300s, and reported significantly different heat levels between bikes. So there does appear to be sample to sample variation.

I've wondered if faulty thermostats are part of the equation. If the thermostat is stuck wide open, the bike may run a bit cooler even in hot summer weather, and if the bike is never ridden in cold weather you might never realize there was a problem with the thermostat. I just replaced mine, and the bike warms up far quicker than it ever did, so I suspect the thermostat has been bad since I bought it (a year ago). I just didn't notice until fall, when outside temps dropped. If I lived in, say, Atlanta, I might never have noticed.

Does my bike run hotter with the new stat? Hard to say, since I made some other mods at the same time. But I seem to be getting better mileage, so I suspect the engine was under optimum temps even in warm weather.
 
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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

FYI, I get the proper 3 bars at all times so there doesn't seem to be any apparent issue with my thermostat.
 

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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

I agree that individual tolerance for heat varies, as do the conditions people ride under. Someone who lives where 80 is considered hot is probably less likely to complain about the bike's heat than someone who rides in south Texas or in Arizona. Clothing also matters: you're a lot more likely to notice heat in shorts than in full riding pants.

But there have been a few reports from riders who have owned or ridden multiple ST1300s, and reported significantly different heat levels between bikes. So there does appear to be sample to sample variation.

I've wondered if faulty thermostats are part of the equation. If the thermostat is stuck wide open, the bike may run a bit cooler even in hot summer weather, and if the bike is never ridden in cold weather you might never realize there was a problem with the thermostat. I just replaced mine, and the bike warms up far quicker than it ever did, so I suspect the thermostat has been bad since I bought it (a year ago). I just didn't notice until fall, when outside temps dropped. If I lived in, say, Atlanta, I might never have noticed.

Does my bike run hotter with the new stat? Hard to say, since I made some other mods at the same time. But I seem to be getting better mileage, so I suspect the engine was under optimum temps even in warm weather.
I really think it's the engine.... and a throttle body sync will help.

Every bike is built the same so they should be very similar so the only real difference should be the tuning.

If you look at some bikes, the discoloration in the pipes is different meaning one is running hotter, I don't know if that's an indication the TBs need to be synced or just something normal.

A stuck open t-stat in the winder means the bike can't warm up and cools faster than you want it to... A stuck open t-stat in the summer would still keep trying to cool the engine and IMO would result in the fans coming on fewer times, however I don't recall anyone saying they've gone above 3 bars on the temp guage so I don't believe that is enough of a difference to matter, but I could be wrong.

I still believe it's the engine... that's where the heat is coming from and if it's not tuned up to spec then it's running hot or cold.

There may be a very small number of people that are just too sensitive to heat but I don't personally buy that. I think those with a heat issue really have it... I also believe there are those that feel a 'little' heat and 'think' they have a heat issue which adds fuel to the fire so to speak. I don't know if those that feel a little heat have an issue or are worried they have an issue with heat.

I have ridden my '03 in 112 degree temp and my '08 in 110 degree temps and the only times I've felt heat were when stuck in traffic or with some strange side/angle wind that moves the heat out of the bike at me or after I've stopped for the day and the heat is coming up form the bike.

blah blah blah... I think it's the engine tuning.
 
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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

If you look at some bikes, the discoloration in the pipes is different meaning one is running hotter, I don't know if that's an indication the TBs need to be synced or just something normal.
It used to be that way until PAIR came along and injected air into the exhaust. I don't think you can conclude anything from pipe color under that condition.

I agree a mistuned bike would result in a hotter running machine under some circumstances. I do have my TB's sync'd and the bike runs smooth so I'm not sure what causes my left calf to get hot some days. It might simply be a matter riding with a certain direction to wind.
 
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Re: Poor Man's '08 Panel Install - pictures

Trust me to first go and buy the covers, spend a lot of time and effort, look at the fishes on the net as to how the originals mount, take photos of a new bike standing on the dealers floor to see where the mounting brakets were (and were not in my case) and to take the long way round, by dissassembling the foot peg mounting arm and drilling and tapping and making up brackets etc, when i could have just used velcro...:eek:: Or Not? :D
I missed this post when it came out, or I would have addressed it then.

First off, you don't need to spend the time to figure out how to hard mount the side covers. It was already done for you:

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39433&highlight=side+cover+mounting

Second: You don't need to disassemble the foot peg mount. I was able to get a small drill close enough to get a nice vertical hole drilled. You are not having to drill a big hole for this.
 
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