Newbies Take On Heat Issue.

[Bullmoose]

Final it's cool!
We wrapped the headers, Lowered the seat and put foam strips under it to keep the heat from coming up and Installed Air Wings. The wife says the Air Wings made the most significate improvement of all things. They blow the heat away and provide a little cooling.
I have to say coming from an R1150rt we were concerned we may of made a bad decision on buying the ST, but we stuck with it and now know it's the better of the two bikes.
I ride a K1200lt and now find myself stealing the wifes ST rather than ride the LT, Damn that's a sweet machine.
These are a couple pictures of how I mounted the Air Wings which were a challenge but look



and work good.

 

[AgSTreak]

I have very little problem with the heat, but a number of members do. I think this will give them another option rather than selling. BTW welcome and enjoy the experience here.

 

[JohnSnyder]

This whole heat issue is fascinating. Assuming that the ST1300s are made in a standard fashion, the only reason I can see for some bikes having heat problems and some bikes not having problems are: 1) the throttle body synchronization adjustment, and 2) individual tolerance to heat. Since there are threads which acknowledge that the same rider (in the same riding gear) riding two different ST1300s can feel markedly different levels of heat between the two bikes, it really makes me think that the throttle body synchronization (I gather that this means the leanness of the fuel mixture) must play a dominant role.

 

[dduelin]

This whole heat issue is fascinating. Assuming that the ST1300s are made in a standard fashion, the only reason I can see for some bikes having heat problems and some bikes not having problems are: 1) the throttle body synchronization adjustment, and 2) individual tolerance to heat. Since there are threads which acknowledge that the same rider (in the same riding gear) riding two different ST1300s can feel markedly different levels of heat between the two bikes, it really makes me think that the throttle body synchronization (I gather that this means the leanness of the fuel mixture) must play a dominant role.

Adjustment of a starter valve during TBI synchronization does not affect the mixture of the injector in that cylinder does it? I am of the understanding that a TBI synch brings each cylinder to the same manifold pressure by adjusting the starter valve to the throttle plate opening of an individual cylinder so they all pull the same pressure as the base cylinder. Only fuel system mapping changes will lean or richen the mixture.

 

[tarfin]

IMO the biggest variable in whether or not you experience heat issues is gear. If I squid it and wear tennis shoes, I really notice the heat on the bike. When I have boots on, there isn't an issue.

 

[steve3b3]

IMO the biggest variable in whether or not you experience heat issues is gear. If I squid it and wear tennis shoes, I really notice the heat on the bike. When I have boots on, there isn't an issue.

I think there's a measure of truth in that. I usually wear First Gear overpants, but with some recent hot weather in the Northeast, rode in jeans to a dr's appointment one hot day. I was hotter in Jeans than I was in the overpants.

Steve

 

[gregj]

IMO the biggest variable in whether or not you experience heat issues is gear. If I squid it and wear tennis shoes, I really notice the heat on the bike. When I have boots on, there isn't an issue.

Not me. I always wear my Oxtar boots. I commute daily and this week we've had days over 95* with a heat index well over 100*. By the time I get home, my left foot feels like a torch is pointing to it. The gear shifter and side stand support is waaaaay too hot to touch. I think it's because the air flow goes around the exhaust and out the gap in the lower side fairing around the shifter.

Part of the reason why some may feel the heat and some dont, may be due to gear, but may be also due riding conditions. If I ride at steady highway speeds, the heat isnt too bad. But in stop-&-go commuting traffic?

I'm definitely gonna wrap my pipes, and may try adding some fairing deflectors.

 

[SilberPfeil]

I wear a one-piece Aerostich Roadcrafter and Daytona GTX Roadstar boots - some pretty heavy duty gear.

Until last month i had only ridden my '07 within about 300 miles from home and never in temps above 90 F (~32 C). In general, i don't ride the slab much. I ride to work - rain or shine. I had felt some warmth but never oppressive heat from the bike.

For my mid-July trip to the Dakotas (and north into Manitoba) i bought a mesh jacket (TourMaster Intake) in case the weather got really hot. It did.

Riding across Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska on I-80 temps were in the 95 F range. I kept the 'stitch on, but wore my 'summer' gloves. With these mesh-type gloves i could feel the heat coming up from my feet behind the knee-pad area of the fairing. This wasn't heat radiating from the bike's frame or bodywork, it was a very HOT airstream coming from my feet. Of course, my legs and frontal torso area felt the heat big time. I do think some hot air comes around the fairing and certainly heat is radiating from the tank and frame. But i feel that most of the heat was rising from my feet and was coming from the headers.

I think the shape of the fairing surface behind the headers just sucks in the hot air coming from the headers and probably causes it to rise. Maybe the higher speeds (average of about 80 mph) cause the air to be pushed/pulled all the way up above the seat.

Once off the slab, i switched to the mesh jacket and some lighter weight Hein Gericke overpants. I was much more comfortable in the lighter clothing and slower speeds. I think the lower speeds (65-70 mph) played a significant role - the rising hot stream of air was considerably diminished. To this day, i have only felt HEAT at high speeds. This is not what i would have expected.

I've got two things planned. One is to wrap the headers. The second is to install the fairing deflectors. From photos on the web, it appears that the deflectors don't extend to the black plastic area below the tipover wings and right in front of the rider's feet. I think deflectors in this area would help with the heat that i'm experiencing. I might do the TB sync too.

The heat is an issue for me - one that i'm going to work at. On the other hand, it's not bad enough to make me sell the bike. I kept my K75S, but it'll probably be for sale soon. I just don't ride it any more.