Heat level in dash pockets?

BuckSawyer said:
So being veldro'd higher up in the pocket keeps it out of some of the heat?
Click to expand...

Not really, but I don't keep it in there when I'm riding. It gets some heat if I chuck it in there after I stop, but the engine isn't pouring more into it and leaving it in there all day in hot weather hasn't been a problem. (I do park in a garage at work, which probably makes some difference.)

--Mark
 
I had a 10mm small wrench inside of the right box,and,picked it up and it is now somewhere in a mt side in Tn (did not take me long to figure that was one hot mother) do not carry anything you value in either pocket in the summer
 
In four years I've never had anything go bad in the front pockets. Warm, sure. Melted, never. I keep a digital air gauge, a garage door opener, an LED flashlight, and other stuff, never a problem. Can't comment on burritos or coffee. One of the benefits of living in New England and riding an ST? That and roads that curve (when they're not covered with snow).
 
anyone tried to line the inside with foam - the white stuff used by companies to protect their electronic goods when shipping to customers? i have some approx half an inch thick - altho it will reduce the size of the left hand pocket - it has to be of more use to me because i can't carry anything in it now.
 
I keep my GRMS radio in the left pocket, and it seems to be happy since I installed a small muffin fan in the lower side that pulls in air and cools it down. I installed a switch to turn the fan on / off when I've got the radio in there. I also cut down a key and glued on a knob to it, so that I can open the pocket door in case I need to adjust volume on the radio or change stations.

Rick
 
I've kept garage opener, cell, camera & digital tire gauge w/o problems in either pocket, but without some toweling or packaging foam to cushion vibration I've had a cellphone battery loosen. I never latch those compartments while riding; a lot of the heat disapates with the doors cracked open just a bit.
 
I use the RH pocket for my IPOD and a cell phone on short day trips when I typically leave the tank bag at home. I pad the bottom of the pocket with a couple of small terry cloth rags so there is less volume in the pocket to hold hot air - I cut a wash cloth in half for the right size. These double as visor cleaners if necessary. I wet one to wash bugs off with and leave the other to dry with. I don't snap the pocket cover closed so there is always some ventilation of air. So far I haven't had a problem with my '05 cooking these electronic devices. They don't really even get that warm to the touch.
 
Has anybody tried the expanding insulating foam spray, the type used in the building industry ?

I know it is designed to keep heat in but I should work both ways.

I know it is horribly messy, but I may be possible whilst the fairing is stripped off and when set it can be cut and shaped as required.

I was thinking of a thin (difficult I know) layer all over the outer surface of the fairing pockets.

If no one has done it I may give it a try as the summer is approaching.
I may even try rock wool if I can keep it in place and do some temperature measurements similar to what VINTAGEMXR did.

Ray
 
Those thermal images are great!

I was thinking of getting a new cell phone, so I think I will begin carrying my older phone in the storage box, and see if there are any ill effects.
 
Have had my Ipod on a shelf high up in the left pocket for a couple of years. Never had problems. Have had a digital camera in the right pocket on several occasions. Never had problems.
 
BuckSawyer said:
Those thermal images are great!

I was thinking of getting a new cell phone, so I think I will begin carrying my older phone in the storage box, and see if there are any ill effects.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that air temps inside a passenger car can exceed 170?F just sitting in the sun (here in AZ). Consumer electronics, at least the quality stuff, are pretty tough these days and have to survive just being left on the seat of a car (which can get hotter than 170?). I still think the repeated exposure to high heat + road vibration in a fairing pocket isn't the best thing for phones, iPods, or whatever. If I still had my ST I'd probably be lining the fairing pockets with some thin foam or something on the inside so whatever is in them was protected first from vibration and second from direct heat transfer from the walls of the compartment. I'd rather be a little extra cautious than have my cell phone croak when I needed it most.
 
I used that reflective aluminum foil insulation on the bottom of my seat and it totally solved the heat problem there...it
should do the same for the dash pockets....it also comes in a
tape at heating and ac supply stores....it reflects 97% of radiant energy....should work.

Be Safe.
 
I just got a long skinny nylon case that I glued/stiched velcro on the back side, and then fixed it to the inside lid of one of my luggage bags. That way, if I want to carry sensetive items, I can throw them in there.

And when I need all the room I can get in the luggage, I can just pull the nylon case out, as it's just velcro'd in.

Seems to be working out...

Thanks again for your thoughts guys!
 
Old Git Ray said:
Has anybody tried the expanding insulating foam spray, the type used in the building industry ?

I know it is designed to keep heat in but I should work both ways.

I know it is horribly messy, but I may be possible whilst the fairing is stripped off and when set it can be cut and shaped as required.

I was thinking of a thin (difficult I know) layer all over the outer surface of the fairing pockets.

If no one has done it I may give it a try as the summer is approaching.
I may even try rock wool if I can keep it in place and do some temperature measurements similar to what VINTAGEMXR did.

Ray
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing-expanding foam!
 
I think there are two problems with any electronics in the pockets: temperature and vibration. If you have one of those solid state iPods you should be OK. Unfortunately, my hard drive based iPod will most likely self destruct. I'm not sure my cell would fare any better.

Since I don't have my phone tied to any com system, I simply turn it off, thinking that that way the battery life will be preserved and having it off causes less damage than having it on. I listen to the iPod when riding but have it attached to my belt not the bike (learned that the hard way :( ).

Doug
 
I put a digital thermometer in the right pocket just after I bought the bike, and it registered 125 F. I keep my cell phone (Blackberry 8800) in it all the time without problems.
 
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