Transmission Heat

[Peteg]

It's beginning to get warm in Texas. I've done a pretty good job shielding my hot 6x6 headers. Now that header heat is not a big deal my right leg is getting pretty hot as I like to ride with it pretty close to the transmission. The only thing I can find to potentially address the issue are Kuryakyn 7710 Transmission covers. They are pretty pricey at $200 so before I order them I decided to ask a few questions.

1. Is there a cheaper option?

2. Do people with transmission covers  feel like they do a good job reducing right leg heat. For me it really only becomes an issue over 90 degrees, but I ride in high heat a lot.

[98valk]

wear these jeans and u will not feel the heat and stay cool. been using them since '00, many 95-100F days with northeast high humidity, sheep skin covered seat and never have a problem.

https://www.canyonchasers.net/2013/06/carhartt-double-front-dungarees/

[Jess from VA]

Both my bikes have the transmission covers on them.  I'm not sure they block all that much heat.  It's not like they're airtight. 

[sandy]

If you go to covers, you can install insulation under them.

[Peteg]

If you go to covers, you can install insulation under them.

I was thinking the same thing. It looks like the covers are louvered and I assume the main oil cooling comes through the transmission case? but if I'm careful and take some before and after temperature readings I can't imagine there would be any oil cooling issue. I'm also with Jessie, based on my experience a piece of sheet metal does little to stop heat. It's only good as a cosmetic cover for the insulation.

[98valk]

If you go to covers, you can install insulation under them.

I was thinking the same thing. It looks like the covers are louvered and I assume the main oil cooling comes through the transmission case? but if I'm careful and take some before and after temperature readings I can't imagine there would be any oil cooling issue. I'm also with Jessie, based on my experience a piece of sheet metal does little to stop heat. It's only good as a cosmetic cover for the insulation.

I presume u know the heat is coming off the engine and from the radiator and blowing back to u. much less oil is in the transmission section than the engine so main engine cooling is from the engine and heads being aluminum which dissipates the heat faster than cast iron. the bottom of the engine has cooling fins, keep them clean. the heat from exhaust pipes is 300-500F which rises up to u.  To have lower wear, better HP and MPG, the engine oil has to be at least 210-220F, best coolant temp for same reasons is 180-200F.

riding gear is the way to keep the heat off the body

[Peteg]

Yes I doubt adding a little insulation on the right side of the tranny will make any significant difference to oil temperature. Certainly insignificant with respect to allowable contact temperatures per the ISO design.   

I presume u know the heat is coming off the engine and from the radiator and blowing back to u. much less oil is in the transmission section than the engine so main engine cooling is from the engine and heads being aluminum which dissipates the heat faster than cast iron. the bottom of the engine has cooling fins, keep them clean. the heat from exhaust pipes is 300-500F which rises up to u.  To have lower wear, better HP and MPG, the engine oil has to be at least 210-220F, best coolant temp for same reasons is 180-200F.

riding gear is the way to keep the heat off the body
[/quote]

[h13man]

I added firewall insulation to my new altenator cover as they are very expensive nowadays. That was 12 yrs. ago and heat no peel of the chrome.

[Timbo1]

Comparative to my Ultra Classic the Valk is mild when it comes to felt heat.  Try riding around with head temps in the 400's and engine temp in the 300's between your legs, lol.   Stop and go traffic is the worst.

I haven't found the covers to help with heat at all.  They do improve the look of the transmission area IMO but that's about all.

I think the best thing you can do is put on Air wings and keep it rolling.


But I know your full of ingenuity so I'll give you an idea.  For the HD air cooled engines there are several mfg's that sell cooling fans to help keep the heat down in stop & go or parade riding.  You could probably fabricate something similar for your Valk.

Lookup Love Jugs, Jim's Force Flow fans, https://baddassfanz.com/

[Peteg]

Thanks Timbo! Full of ingenuity is a nice way to describe me. My wife just says I’m crazy. I don’t think I have the fortitude to ride a big air cooled bike when Texas puts out a heat advisory.
 I’m with you on the wings. It really helps to throw lots of air into the mix. I had to combine them with knocking down the header heat which is worse than when you had the bike. I wrapped the 6x6 baffles with muffler packing. I’m sure there’s more back pressure especially at high speed / load. The pipes are bluing where they exit the heads.  The muffler packing allows me to ride all day with good ear plugs without degrading my hearing, but the headers were cooking my feet. Now that I have the headers insulated, the wings provide really good cooling. The issue for me with wings is I need distance between me and the heat source to allow the wings to dilute the heat before it cooks me. With my feet about ½” away from those blue headers the wings couldn’t do too much. I think my issue with the right side tranny and final drive is similar to the headers only much less uncomfortable. Again at high load the block heats up probably well over 200 degrees which the wings just blow away, but then the tranny case starts soaking up heat following the block and I have this hot mass about ½” from my leg.  I wear quick dry pants so the heat becomes uncomfortable.  I’m so close to the heat source the wings can’t dilute the heat away. I’m sure I’ll work it out with a little insulation. I have 3 water cooled bikes. The Valk is my favorite ride but before I added wings and header heat shielding it was by far the hottest. Now it’s about the same as my VTX which is also hotter on the right side as that’s where the mufflers are. My Triumph is the coolest, it’s probably at least as cool as the Valk and VTX’s left sides on both sides. My goal is to get the Valk as comfortable on a heat advisory day as the Triumph.  The Valk is also the bike I would ride down the highway on a trip, so living in Texas the cooler the better.
Don’t get heat stoke riding that Ultra Classic!

[98valk]

Thanks Timbo! Full of ingenuity is a nice way to describe me. My wife just says I’m crazy. I don’t think I have the fortitude to ride a big air cooled bike when Texas puts out a heat advisory.
 I’m with you on the wings. It really helps to throw lots of air into the mix. I had to combine them with knocking down the header heat which is worse than when you had the bike. I wrapped the 6x6 baffles with muffler packing. I’m sure there’s more back pressure especially at high speed / load. The pipes are bluing where they exit the heads.  The muffler packing allows me to ride all day with good ear plugs without degrading my hearing, but the headers were cooking my feet. Now that I have the headers insulated, the wings provide really good cooling. The issue for me with wings is I need distance between me and the heat source to allow the wings to dilute the heat before it cooks me. With my feet about ½” away from those blue headers the wings couldn’t do too much. I think my issue with the right side tranny and final drive is similar to the headers only much less uncomfortable. Again at high load the block heats up probably well over 200 degrees which the wings just blow away, but then the tranny case starts soaking up heat following the block and I have this hot mass about ½” from my leg.  I wear quick dry pants so the heat becomes uncomfortable.  I’m so close to the heat source the wings can’t dilute the heat away. I’m sure I’ll work it out with a little insulation. I have 3 water cooled bikes. The Valk is my favorite ride but before I added wings and header heat shielding it was by far the hottest. Now it’s about the same as my VTX which is also hotter on the right side as that’s where the mufflers are. My Triumph is the coolest, it’s probably at least as cool as the Valk and VTX’s left sides on both sides. My goal is to get the Valk as comfortable on a heat advisory day as the Triumph.  The Valk is also the bike I would ride down the highway on a trip, so living in Texas the cooler the better.
Don’t get heat stoke riding that Ultra Classic!

"I wear quick dry pants so the heat becomes uncomfortable."

wrong pants wrong material.  most likely high % of polyester which holds heat body.  Cotton esp when wet removes heat from the body. the thick canvas pants insulate the legs from the heat.

[CoreyP]

Here is SC the radiator fan blowing on me at stops is the worse heat offender. I have the trans covers and I doubt they do much of anything heat wise. I 'm usually fine until I end up at a long light or two,  I can hear the fan kick on, here comes the heat.

BTW where I am in Bluffton, SC we've been pushing 92 degrees and 70-80% humidity for weeks now. The heat showed up early this year and is unrelenting.

I've found my Alaskan sheep skin seat cover to be nice during hot and cold weather. https://www.alaskaleather.com

Idea is the seat cover makes an air gap.

[Peteg]

Corey thanks for the input. My bike doesn't have the radiator air dam so if my fan comes on while sitting it pushes straight back. Fortunately mine almost never comes on just sitting at a light. It pretty much only kicks on if I've been running in the 60 - 75 high power range, then stop at a light. My VTX on the other hand does about 10 mpg better than the Valk, but it's idle is pretty inefficient compared to the Valk. The VTX fan kicks on as soon as I stop.

I'm with you on the cool seat cushion that allows air circulation. We have 3 bikes and 6 air hawks. I have a really short inseam, so I cut foam out of my seats and use the air cushion to provide comfort with minimal seat height. Hot vinyl makes a really nasty seat.

I have a cooler for each bike and put ice cubes in a frog tog and wrap it with the cubes at the back of my neck. It last about 30 minutes. Picked that up from other VRCC members!

[Jess from VA]

If I get stuck at long lights in high heat/full sun, I switch the bike off until I get green.

My bikes always fire up instantly.