Found heat on the 2005

[HaulinAshe]

I'm pretty sure I found where the hot air comes out that some people talk about. It seems to be seeping around the side panels at the rear of the tank.

Anybody tried insulating those panels and/or making some type of sealer edge? Just a thought.

When I spread my legs away from the tank the hot air sensation goes away, and it's definitely not the tank getting hot (yet). I can sense some hot air around the edges with my hand. But it's not the type of examination one likes to do at about 80 mph where the symptoms show up the most!

 

[jestal]

That is basically the purpose of the heat fixes mentioned in earlier posts. If you look thru the descriptions of the heat fixes they all involve blocking air flow paths around the engine and out the gap in the side panels. It looks like Yamaha intended for the air flow thru the radiator and around the pipes to go out the "gills" in the side panels but most of the heat seems to come right thru onto your legs and knees. Just wait till the weather warms up...the tank will get warm too. Blocking all the gaps around the edge of the tank and insulating the tank as previously described helps for the reasons you mention.

I did add seals to the black panels you describe and the base of the tank..and along the bottom of the seat where it mates with the side panels. There is a fair amount of hot air that leaks out there as you describe so I made a gasket out of stick on foam weather stripping. Found some 1/4 wide black, fairly dense, foam stripping at Home Depot and ran it along the surfaces the black tank shields mate to. When I install the panels they leave a nice dent along the foam strip and the foam is not even noticeable. Same with the side panels and the seat. A strip of foam along the top surface of the side panels seals them to the seat to prevent the hot air leakage out there onto your calves.

If you want to do some exploring or development use a piece of stiff coat hanger wire with a strip of yarn on the end of it. Put the yarn in various spots by reaching with the wire like a pointer and you can see exactly what the air flow is doing.

BTW...the problem with the heat really isn't at 80...it is more of an issue in lower speed riding and stop and go riding to me. At 80 there is enough air mixing around that it really doesn't seem "too" hot. Just at lower speeds and after you run hard and then come down to slower speeds is where it is noticeable.

 

[evil_henchman]

There's a lot of heat trapped under the tank. I just removed the rubber panels under the front of the tank to allow the heat to escape and it made a world of difference. It took all of 15 minutes, and didn't cost a cent. :thumbup:

 

[zzkenoman]

Good Idea with the rubber panels, but for the weather in SoCal being in the 50's & 60's, the heat is a nice treat. When it does warm up, I do what JeffAshe does, and swing your leg out to cool down.

 

[yamaholic]

The heat problem has been talked about quite a bit. The hot seat. Hot tank. Hot legs. After I purchased my '03, back in Oct of 02, I soon realized I had to perform some extreme mods to help keep from baking up. Legs were very hot, planters roasted nuts, ass was sweating from the hot seat.

Had I bought my dream bike or a blast furnace?!?! No doubt I had to do something about it!

There are several solutions out there to address each area. Cromeit mod blocks the heat from the radiator and directs in on the engine. Keeps the rider cooler (so I hear, never tried it), but I don't like where the heat is being directed to. Don't need to heat the aluminum engine and stressed frame anymore than it already is.

No one has had a problem, but of course there hasn't been enough time gone by to really know the effect.

At the time there were several theories going around to fix the problem, and some mods that helped, but did not always cure problem areas. But there wasn't a holistic approach to fix it IMO to the point where you would never notice a hot bike except in extreme climates, which I hardly ever ride in anyway.

Soo...with those ideas, good Belgium beer, a trusty dremel cut-off wheel, and a do or die attitude, well, needless to say the heat problem was completely gone.

PLUS, I got a metric ton (100oz cut up tide container fits with room to spare) of underseat space as part of the deal.

And, it was more or less free, except I did put on the Cool-Tec Heat reflecting foil on the tank underside which I definitely recommend.

Soo.. you want the details or? :butcher:

 

[double_entendre]

<SNIP SNIP SNIP>
Soo.. you want the details or? :butcher:

Yeah! I want details and pictures of what you did. It's going to be breaking 90 degrees regularly here really soon and I'm going to have to do something. :huh:

Bob

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

 

[ock913]

Soo.. you want the details or?

Do share with us ....... please

 

[odot]

I love anime chicks. Dirty little girls.....does the slut need a spanking? "It puts the lotion on it's skin"......

 

[nusman68]

Oh no! The 'ole heat thread strikes again! Need to put all the fixes in one location..

Here in S. Texas in the summer with the heat in upper 90s and humidity to match, my bike (an 05) will definitely roast your nuts/inner thighs if you're a 'tank hugger' due to being 'vertically challenged'. :lol: (I'm 5'9")

I did some of the mods.:

-The 'water pipe' foam insulation trick, slipping a slit piece between the left side fairing edge and the frame; definitely helps keep the heat blast off of my left calf.

-I tried removing the black rubber sealing pieces from the sides of the tank, but it was not satisfactory for me, as when I raised the windshield the resulting vacuum would suck heat straight from those openings, making it like a sauna.

-I did add the self adhesive Thermo-Tec insulation to the bottom of the tank, helped *a little*, later added a removable 3/8" thick foil-backed insulation blanket under the tank, which helped more. (reportedly available from JC Whitney, however got mine from 'Aircraft Spruce & Supply'? I believe, as recommended by another member; product is called 'The Insulator'.

(Oh, and after the ride, have the wife suck on some ice and blow cool air on your 'nads...you know she wants to!)

As a result, the bike runs no hotter, is definitely more liveable in the summer for me. Lastly (as you probably have already figured out) the tank heat goes up dramatically from the half-empty point and on; keeping it topped off helps.

Check out the search engine for (no doubt) dozens of entries.

 

[SkooterG]

There's a lot of heat trapped under the tank. I just removed the rubber panels under the front of the tank to allow the heat to escape and it made a world of difference. It took all of 15 minutes, and didn't cost a cent.  :thumbup:

I know of another forum member that did this. He reported it made things worse.

Diff'rent stroke for diff'rent folks I guess. YMMV. Yadda yadda yadda.

 

[odot]

Who was it?

"easy.....park the bike in the garage...turn the key into the off position....heat will dissipate"

was it twn?

Love that answer.

 

[FJRMGM]

Guys - I am the one who originally posted about removing the rubber panels on either side of the tank to let the heat out.

If you have the stock wind screen you probably won't like the results because it does pull the heat up from the engine because of the air flow with that screen. The stock screen just creates too small of an "air envelope" - that's why you get the "push" on your back at speed.

However, with my Cee Bailey +2+2 with flip the airflow is very different and removing the rubber panels works very well and the tank stays much cooler.

Mike

 

[donaldb]

... When it does warm up, I do what JeffAshe does, and swing your leg out to cool down.

:haha:

During group rides we look like a flock of birds headed down the highway--keep away from fall and spring migration paths, you might get shot :haha:

I do the same thing. My leg and arm length is long enough that I do not have to "hug the tank" on long interstate runs, I sit back a inch or two away from the tank and relax my legs a bit from the tank and I'm purty dang comfy even in extreme heat days here in Mississippi--and folks believe me it does get hot and humid here. I found that my heli risers also help set me back a bit from over the tank. I don't have the under tank foil insulation, but I think maybe I'll get some and give it a try and see what happens. I'm not in a hurry though, like I said it aint much of an issue w/me.

 

[evil_henchman]

At the risk of extending another dreaded heat problem thread I should clarify that removing the rubber panels worked wonders for keeping the tank from heating up. As far as heat on the leg, moving my knee ourboard about 1" solves that problem...

 

[vectervp1]

I know of another forum member that did this. He reported it made things worse.
Diff'rent stroke for diff'rent folks I guess. YMMV. Yadda yadda yadda.

Yes, I did try removing the two rubber pieces and found it made things worse. Rode from my place to Skooters (about 30 miles away) and found that I could feel the heat coming off the engine. I'm not really sure why I tried it because I dont think the heat is that bad. I found that while there was less heat on my lower leg/ankle area, it heated up my upper leg and pushed heat towards my upper body.

However, with my Cee Bailey +2+2 with flip the airflow is very different and removing the rubber panels works very well and the tank stays much cooler.

Its interesting you say this, because I have the same shield and found quite the opposite results.

My opinion is to give it a try. Its not hard to do, and its simple to undo should you decide its just not working out for you.

 

[FJRMGM]

I also did the Cromeit heat fix a couple of months after I removed the rubber thingies and it helped the left ankle heat so now life is good.

When I rode my FJR with the stock wind screen and an open face helmet I got a lot of grit and dirt in my eyes and the Cee Bailey fixed all that.

As Vector pointed out - remove the rubber thingies and try it as it only takes a few minutes.

 

[Toecutter]

There's a lot of heat trapped under the tank. I just removed the rubber panels under the front of the tank to allow the heat to escape and it made a world of difference. It took all of 15 minutes, and didn't cost a cent.  :thumbup:

Before I took 'em off, I could smell gas fumes when I went out in the garage after riding the bike. Since removal, no more fume smell.

 

[rogdeb]

"Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints" :lol: :lol:

Good one Mr Toecutter :lol:

 

[yamaholic]

Alright, sorry to leave you guys hanging. Got pulled away...

As for my heat fix, it's not simple, but not terribly hard either. The concept is to untrap the hot air and suck it to the rear away from the rider, creating a new air flow exit pattern.

I do not know if the same benefits can be had with ABS bikes, but I suspect you can do most of these. This will make sense after reading. ABS owners will need to take more precaution as far as supporting the ABS unit properly.

First things first, do insulate the bottom of your gas tank. You can also apply insulate the bottom of the seats. Here's what I used: Thermo-Tec Adhesive backed Wrap

Do full coverage for maximum effect (2 sheets and with some to spare, IIRC)

The next steps can be somewhat phased. For maximum effect, do all of this. Or if you don't want to hack up as much as I did, just remove parts.

OK..Phase 1

Remove seat and side panels. Remove airbox noise suppressor (cover) and put in parts bin.

Remove underseat tray (parts bin) and ECM (computer box) under the seat. DO not unplug the ECM unless you have disconnected the battery completely. I don't recall that I had to unplug it, just had to move it around and hung it on the subframe temporarily. But it's been awhile so YMMV.

Remove the two small elongated triangle shaped pieces (right side near brake master cylinder, left side in the same orientation) and parts bin they go.

For phase 1 only, hang or otherwise fasten (HD velcro) the ECM back into the center area. Make sure it's fairly secure.

Reinstall side covers and seat. You should have 4 parts remaining plus fasteners.

Test ride. Should be much less heat. Feel more power?? I did! But only a little bit.

Phase 2 is a bit more extreme and needed for maxium heat redirection.

Remove rear plastic. Remove the inner rear fender. This involved unplugging the tip over sensor and another sensor, unscrewing the brake res. from the fender, and unscrewing the fender.

Again ABS users...you are on your own here. We'll be cutting off some of the fender near the ABS equipment. Do pay attention to where it mounts so you do not cut it off where mounting integrity would be compromised. If you screw it up, don't blame me

With rear inner fender and dremel cut off wheel (I suggest minimum HD wheels and the larger cut offs) in hand, start by cutting of the front stepped area. The piece that ran along the back of the airbox should be completely cut off. Easier to cut this off, then work at the stepped area. I cut out a small area by the lock to allow air to flow through that area.

Along the side edges I cut off about .5"-.7" the entire lenght. I drilled 3/8" holes in the strenghtening ribs to more air to flow under the seat. Not sure if this is needed.

At the very back, I cut out the ribs to create a storage pocket. I cut out a 1"x2" square hole in the rear facing portion of the fender. This allows a new vaccum /bernoulli effect area to help keep the ar flowing.

Once you have effectively minimized the amount of plastic that would impede airflow, and I think it is fairly straight forward to see what needs to be cut, put it all back together. Be sure the tip sensor is facing up, or the Check engine light will come on and it won't start.

The end result is much less trapped air under the seat/tank and no blast effect on the legs. The heat appears to be getting pulled out the rear section instead of coming out the side panels. Also you'll notive a HUGE pocket under the seat to store all kinds of goodies. Again, a cut up 100oz tide container does the trick for me, albeit it's a bit ghetto :aarambo:

I know this will make more sense with pics. I have lot's of them but no where to host. If someone can host them, PM me and I'll send them to you to post.

To my knowledge only "kidrock" from another board did all of these mods too (IIRC same parts removed, a little less plastic removed) and he also reporting a huge difference in felt heat and more power.

I do realize phase 2 is somewhat extreme, but for me it's a good permanent fix for all problems areas rather than 1 fix for certain problem areas.

Sooo...who's getting the dremel tool out? :aaevil: :guitar: