ST1300 heat Air Ram

[maddog13]

I like that you tried. Experimentation has the potential to drive us forward. Accepting the status quo -- even a nice status quo like the ST1300 -- stands us still.

Didn't seem to make much difference. I just like to play around with things. I'm going to change the thermostat over the winter and flush everything. I tried to shine a flashlight through the radiator in the garage and I think the fins are blocked in the middle where the front tire flings mud up on it. So maybe it is not that the air can't get out of the fairing but that is can't get in.

 

[Catmandu2]

So I will throw up some photos from my phone that are food for thought,, then edit in some comments from my laptop, as soon as I can. Cheers, CAt'

 

[Catmandu2]

then edit in some comments

This thread seems like the place to throw up some comments and photo's of some work I did this past fall. It's unfortunate that the photo viewer crops the pictures across the bottom of the frame. So just look to the thumbnails,, to see the lower air scoops which were added to increase cooler air flow through the lower engine bay,,, as they are kind of central to this effort. So I tested out a few mod's during the fall,,, up until I put the bike away last week or so. All were intended to improve that air flow,,, and keep it away from the riders shins. I should point out that I don't have a big heat problem on either bike,,, and part of the reason for that is that I wear protective knee/shin pads, as I have mentioned several times. But the scoops certainly increased the airflow through the bike. And,, the simple prototype deflector kept that increased airflow off the riders legs. So I could type on endlessly about it,,, or,,, I can just try to answer any questions posed. My first rule was,,, to not endanger the bike. cheers,,, CAt'

oh,,, btw,,, the top cutout of the crash bar cover (outlined in green tape) did not help much at all.

 

[SMSW]

Maybe just dictate/record all your work. (Just as if you are on the phone). Then someone could write it up. (The pita part of it). Just a thought.

Larry has done exactly that in other threads - i.e. he has listed what he did in a 'tune up' of the whole bike. If you go to Members (atop this pg, in blue band)>Most Messages>Igofar>posts you will get a listing of his posts. Start reading. When you find one of his lists, you can copy the text (on a Mac, highlight the text, hit command=C, then open Word or another word processor like TextEdit and hit Command-V to paste what you copied. Voila, your copy to print.

 

[SMSW]

I tried to shine a flashlight through the radiator in the garage and I think the fins are blocked in the middle where the front tire flings mud up on it.

Pick up a Stuff-Stopper or Fenda-Extenda - both are ABS extensions for the front fender and do a great job of keeping a lot of road dirt off the radiator and lower cowls. One of those two is slightly longer than the other and does a better job(?)* of it, but I forget which one that is.

*This assumes more is better. I've never run a comparison and since the difference in length is not that much, it is possible the difference is negligible.

 

[Magicman]

I've been considering more engine heat escape routes also since my 08 gets hotter than I would like on my shins as I ride. No amount of tuning seems to help. It works like a new one and gets excellent fuel mileage.
Maybe just leave the crash bar covers off and see what happens? I've mounted some highway pegs recently and didn't bother to try and cut/modify the covers to fit over them yet. I wondered if riding without them would lower the heat blast on my shins? Since the days are cooler now, I never got a chance to test that theory this year on leaving them off on hot sunny days for heat relief. This time of year though, I welcome the heat!

Would you please share with me the specific highway pegs you put on and where you got them. Thanks. I also have an 08.
Magicman