WildBill1 Posted February 24, 2015 Share #1 Posted February 24, 2015 I know I'm leaving my self and my fellow Harley owners on here hanging out a bit with such a title as, "Harley In Heat" but here are some tips that's worked for me. Right now heat or any heat is a welcome option on any bike with the temps. plunging. Just wait till next summer when its 90 plus and your co-rider has enough of your two wheel rolling oven. There are things you can do now to avoid heat short of trading your Harley: Change exhaust to more free flowing. Change headers too true duel type where as each cylinder has its own header pipe. Wrap headers with heat wrap for insulation. You can still use chrome heat shields over heat wrap. Change air box to more free-flowing one. Remove Cat. converter by all means. Calif. too bad. By all means if fuel injected which all are now, remap injectors. The last item is probably the most important item on the list. Harley's come running way too lean from the factory. By remapping and riching up the fuel mixture cools these engines a lot. One other is install a high volume oil pump too give much needed more oil supply to the valve train and rocker-boxes. Ok I'm thick-skinned enough, " Let Her Rip Potato Chip...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted February 24, 2015 Share #2 Posted February 24, 2015 Ive done all of these except wrap the pipes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted February 24, 2015 Share #3 Posted February 24, 2015 (edited) I have not swapped to true duals and from what I've read, I probably won't. Almost everything I read points to loss of torque. I also have not wrapped the pipes and probably won't do that either. I I've done the other things. Edited February 25, 2015 by Freebird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted February 24, 2015 Share #4 Posted February 24, 2015 Sorry I didn't do the true duals either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowpuc Posted February 24, 2015 Share #5 Posted February 24, 2015 Okie, dokey,, you asked for it,, buy a 1st gen Venture - get a set of side panels that either have closable vents or solid fill in's on the windows,, ya end up with a faster bike and your riding partner will be MUCH cooler (well,, you both will be cause your riding the bestes, coolest bike) and you can ride all day in even the hottest of GREAT POINTS THERE BILL!! Just tossing a couple other thoughts out here to and maybe help someone.. Having done some tuning on a couple Twin Cams I had and on helping neighbors with their new Ultra's (one has a 2012, other has a 2010) - I TOTALLY AGREE ABOUT REMAPPING THE INJECTOR'S!! Last I knew, the best tuner is still Harley's Screaming Eagle. It allows you to fatten up or lean down in 200 rpm increments which is AWESOME! I know they are expensive (500 buckish) but a good product. Also getting rid of the freaking cat! HUGE difference! Removing the lowers during the summer also helps. So does making sure that your rear cylinder cut off is set to "on" is a plus. While I am not sure what is available now for external oil coolers, I always appreciated extra coolers on my shovels back in the day - did a LOT of desert riding on them years ago and found out that getting the oil into as much cooling area outside of the motor really helped in bringing down temps. Another thought,, while I have not spent any touring time on one of the new water cooled exhaust valve big twins, I did spend a fair amount of time riding them during some HOT HD demo days and honestly, Tip and I couldnt really feel that much of a difference between them and the regular Twin Cam 103 that we rode a fair amount of miles on.. I cant help but wonder if the reason that HD finally went with some form of water cooling had more to do with trying to stay up with Regs and a lot less to do with solving rider overheating/discomfort than some dealers have been saying... On a side note here,, I run my 1st Gen Yam's with out the lower fairings (I like to stretch out). I also have run them A LOT without side body covers when riding alone BUT, if I have Tippy on with me and it hot outside, I have to run side body covers or her legs get uncomfortably hot (Harley's are not alone in dealing with this problem).. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvrT Posted February 25, 2015 Share #6 Posted February 25, 2015 Remapping is gonna help for sure. Vic's have a similar issue in that they come too lean from factory. Gut the cats, add hi-flow air filter, set of performance mufflers, Power Commander and a dyno tune makes a TON of difference not only in dealing with the heat issue but increasing power (not that they need it ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowpuc Posted February 25, 2015 Share #7 Posted February 25, 2015 Anyone heard any scuttlebutt on the new Indians? Wonder how they handle heat dispersion.. Someone here just bought one,, maybe he will chime in.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill1 Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share #8 Posted February 25, 2015 Okie, dokey,, you asked for it,, buy a 1st gen Venture - get a set of side panels that either have closable vents or solid fill in's on the windows,, ya end up with a faster bike and your riding partner will be MUCH cooler (well,, you both will be cause your riding the bestes, coolest bike) and you can ride all day in even the hottest of GREAT POINTS THERE BILL!! Just tossing a couple other thoughts out here to and maybe help someone.. Having done some tuning on a couple Twin Cams I had and on helping neighbors with their new Ultra's (one has a 2012, other has a 2010) - I TOTALLY AGREE ABOUT REMAPPING THE INJECTOR'S!! Last I knew, the best tuner is still Harley's Screaming Eagle. It allows you to fatten up or lean down in 200 rpm increments which is AWESOME! I know they are expensive (500 buckish) but a good product. Also getting rid of the freaking cat! HUGE difference! Removing the lowers during the summer also helps. So does making sure that your rear cylinder cut off is set to "on" is a plus. While I am not sure what is available now for external oil coolers, I always appreciated extra coolers on my shovels back in the day - did a LOT of desert riding on them years ago and found out that getting the oil into as much cooling area outside of the motor really helped in bringing down temps. Another thought,, while I have not spent any touring time on one of the new water cooled exhaust valve big twins, I did spend a fair amount of time riding them during some HOT HD demo days and honestly, Tip and I couldnt really feel that much of a difference between them and the regular Twin Cam 103 that we rode a fair amount of miles on.. I cant help but wonder if the reason that HD finally went with some form of water cooling had more to do with trying to stay up with Regs and a lot less to do with solving rider overheating/discomfort than some dealers have been saying... On a side note here,, I run my 1st Gen Yam's with out the lower fairings (I like to stretch out). I also have run them A LOT without side body covers when riding alone BUT, if I have Tippy on with me and it hot outside, I have to run side body covers or her legs get uncomfortably hot (Harley's are not alone in dealing with this problem).. To get an air cooled Harley engine to run as cool as a water cooled Venture is an impossible task. These tips were just to offer suggestions to cool it down a bit and save the engine. As far as the Indian running cooler the jury is still out on the Chieftian I just traded on. Let you know latter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill1 Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share #9 Posted February 25, 2015 I have no swapped to true duals and from what I've read, I probably won't. Almost everything I read points to loss of torque. I also have no wrapped the pipes and probably won't do that either. I I've done the other things. I don't have true duel on my 08 Harley either but I had the on a 03 Harley Ultra and they helped quite a lot. I'm actually running a 2010 single exhaust wrapped headers on my 08 Harley for torque purposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvrT Posted February 25, 2015 Share #10 Posted February 25, 2015 I have not swapped to true duals and from what I've read, I probably won't. Almost everything I read points to loss of torque. One certainly wouldn't want to loose any torque on a Harley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill1 Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share #11 Posted February 25, 2015 One certainly wouldn't want to loose any torque on a Harley Torque is relative too displacement in a Harley, that being said there is no replacement for displacement in a twin cam Harley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailor Posted February 26, 2015 Share #12 Posted February 26, 2015 And here I thought this site was going X rated, darn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djh3 Posted February 26, 2015 Share #13 Posted February 26, 2015 Everything for the last say 10 years or so has been "lean tuned". Some for MPG more so to meet the EPA specs. Lean it out it runs hotter and supposedly burns the fuel more and also n the way out. Add some fuel and it cools off but emissions go up. On the CAT on the HD, I saw a you tube video a fellow did on his street glide I think it was. He used his multi meter and rode it like 15 min and checked them at head pipes. Then he gutted the cat and did same ride and checked them. It was something like over 200 deg cooler I think. I know the header wrap stuff works. but do I want that ugly looking cra on my 30K bike? Even with more chrome trying to cover it? The big twin Kawasakis Voyagers fight the same kind of problem and they are water cooled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvrT Posted February 26, 2015 Share #14 Posted February 26, 2015 The big twin Kawasakis Voyagers fight the same kind of problem and they are water cooled. Water cooled or air cooled is somewhat irrelevant. Most of the heat we feel on these V-twins (HD, Kaw, Vic) is coming off the exhaust header pipes and as you pointed out, with cats removed there's appx 200 degree drop in temp and that is not engine temp, it's heat from the exhaust header pipes. I removed my cats and immediately noticed a big difference. Due to the positioning of them on the Vic, the passenger actually gets the brunt of the heat on their right foot and leg. Not so much with cats removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill1 Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share #15 Posted February 26, 2015 About seven years ago I had a 99 1500cc Victory no cat. stock exhaust a bundle of torque weighted between 600 and 700 pounds. This bike was the coolest running air cooled engine I ever owned. You could run it hard all day come home park it then lay your hand on the side of the rear cylinder without getting burned. Think I would do this with my Harley, not in this life. Reason being on the Victory it had an enormous oil cooler also they designed the engine with cylinder cooling oil channels. Indian also has incorporated this feature in their engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvrT Posted February 26, 2015 Share #16 Posted February 26, 2015 lay your hand on the side of the rear cylinder without getting burned. Very interesting ... never tried that, never even thought about it. But I will now Only time I put my hand on the cylinders now is when I'm warming the bike up prior to riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill1 Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share #17 Posted February 26, 2015 Yea, I use to get a lot of attention from the Harley crowd never seen one them try it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leland Posted February 26, 2015 Share #18 Posted February 26, 2015 ??? Home - Love Jugs Love Jugs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now