motorcycle AC anybody?

[oldryder]

was wondering if anyone knows of an ACTIVE rider cooling system. I know about the passive vests but am thinking of something more effective.

I've spent some very hot days traveling although in general it's not so bad up here in MN. I've often wondered how the people in TX, FLA, AZ, and other southern states take it.

Anyway I've been thinking about a system that would have a liquid cooled vest and seat. Saddlebag would have a heat sink of ice or maybe CO2. a small pump would circulate coolant thru the heat sink and then the seat and riders vest. alternative would be a compressor and evaporator on the bike but that would get pretty complicated. not sure how long the ice would last, i.e., long enough to be worth it?

seems a pretty basic idea and was wondering if anyone was aware of something similar already on the market.

 

[odot]

Audi has a kick ass a/c system....check them out.

 

[El Toro]

My recipe for beating the heat is to ride around for an hour or two on an air cooled American V-Twin. When you get back on your FJR, you'll think its air conditioned.

 

[Bugnatr]

Easier to stuff ice in all areas of your riding gear every 100 miles.

 

[ShawnKing]

seems a pretty basic idea and was wondering if anyone was aware of something similar already on the market.

I've never even heard of any kind of active cooling system for a motorcycle rider.

 

[RayW]

was wondering if anyone knows of an ACTIVE rider cooling system. I know about the passive vests but am thinking of something more effective.
I've spent some very hot days traveling although in general it's not so bad up here in MN. I've often wondered how the people in TX, FLA, AZ, and other southern states take it.

Anyway I've been thinking about a system that would have a liquid cooled vest and seat. Saddlebag would have a heat sink of ice or maybe CO2. a small pump would circulate coolant thru the heat sink and then the seat and riders vest. alternative would be a compressor and evaporator on the bike but that would get pretty complicated. not sure how long the ice would last, i.e., long enough to be worth it?

seems a pretty basic idea and was wondering if anyone was aware of something similar already on the market.

That's what I like about the internet..no matter how weird your ideas are you can always find someone who has been thinking along the same lines....

Been wondering about that myself. Don't the NASCAR drivers have a similar "cool suit"? I keep thinking of something like the Skyway hydration unit full of ice connected to the tubing lined vest.

I also thought about making a vest with pockets for cool packs. I know they sell such a thing. But I stuffed a couple cool packs into a pocket on my mesh jacket and they didn't last the hour ride home from work.

That hour ride home from work in Atlanta summer heat is about the most this old fat guy can handle. <sigh>... I'll probably have to come up with something.

hmm...let's see....a small pump like from an aquarium or one of those desk top waterfall things...need one that will run on 12 volts though....a bunch of small tubing...and mount an ice chest on the bike somehow...... oh..l might be able to get some advice on water cooling systems from my computer geek co-worker!!

I think I have seen some kind of plans on a way to use one of those solid state cooler chips mounted on a helmet....looked weird with the big heat sink but hey...for portable AC I could deal with the funny looks and questions....

this sounds do-able....

Ray

 

[El Toro]

I've spent some very hot days traveling although in general it's not so bad up here in MN. I've often wondered how the people in TX, FLA, AZ, and other southern states take it.

More serious answer than the American V-Twin answer - I'm not one that subscribes to what I consider to be the masochistic rules of two wheeling all the time or you're a wimp. If its going to be hot (90+ and muggy), I'm in my airconditioned truck in a heartbeat. If I want a sporty ride, I take it in the evening. Gotta watch out for the deer moving at dusk, but they move at other times of the day too, so its not a major extra aggravation.

Last summer was horrible, and in July and August it was just about impossible to even get a decent ride in at all. I washed my helmet innards enough to wear them out. This summer is much much nicer. Its been comfortable nearly every evening, and not too bad on many of the days. We're getting ready to head into a hotter period now though, so I'm heading up to Maine and Atlantic Canada on Tuesday.

Anyway I've been thinking about a system that would have a liquid cooled vest and seat. Saddlebag would have a heat sink of ice or maybe CO2. a small pump would circulate coolant thru the heat sink and then the seat and riders vest. alternative would be a compressor and evaporator on the bike but that would get pretty complicated. not sure how long the ice would last, i.e., long enough to be worth it?
seems a pretty basic idea and was wondering if anyone was aware of something similar already on the market.

I'm not aware of anything on the market. It would seem that anything that would work would rob power, and would be awkward. If you made a suit with a liner of the gel stuff they freeze for keeping stuff cold in a cooler, you'd have trouble regulating the temp, and a lot of folks would get too cold. If you made a suit with an actual heat pump and air circulation system, it would cost a fortune (just look at the price of Aerostich and Vanson suits without a/c), and articulating the body joints would be a problem.

Most folks just use evaporative techniques (put on a wet shirt and let it dry while you ride). Lots of folks abandon their helmets and other gear for the sake of comfort, or don't even bother to have any. My wife thought out loud last night "I wonder what X and Y do when they ride their Harley to New Orleans? Oh yeah, Y says they just pack T's and shorts."

As a comfort oriented guy who also values his hide and head, if its too hot to ride, I'm in the truck or staying at home.

 

[Hit the Road Jack]

I've been having good success with a wet bandanna around my head, under the helmet. Works well for about 45 minutes out here in the desert.

But, an Active System does exist!

Saw the Cool Suit on Modern Marvels recently. Looked at their website and they have a Motorcycle specific system here. 6 or 12 quart capacity. A hooded cool-shirt is available. Perfect! $299.

Pretty cool! Really! I may need one of these!

 

[El Toro]

Well, you can go to the truck stop and buy a 12 V DC refridgerator for your big rig to keep stuff cool, so it should be possible to rig something up with the water tubes and a pump, and run it through the cooler, and it could work for a good while.

 

[Knifemaker]

I have seen these:

https://tinyurl.com/c6cy3

A couple of years back I did read about a European company that had made a self contained suit that worked along the same lines.

They made theirs for heat rather than to cool , but I think it did have that option.

KM

 

[BwanaDik]

I own one of these Clicky and it works great. Hands and feet hot but core temp is lower. Lasts about 1 1/2 hours in 100+ Houston heat so good for commuting.

Last year I looked into using some solid state cooling that they use for cooling off processors. SS Cooler Something like this plus some hospital grade quick connects would really do the trick. Did the calculations and well within the load of the FJR. Unfortunately, the idea has already been patented.

 

[ceddec]

Some cleverness going on here : https://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php...highlight=a%2Fc

Just can't seem to get to that last step.

 

[painman]

I just use two Cool Vests and the night before I leave on a trip I keep them both in seperate zip-loc bags soaked in water in the fridge. If needed you can always put ice cubes in the bags as well. I wear one and when its time for a cool down I put the other vest on. Rode in 100+ degree temps and works well. While on the road when you stop for a rest if possible just get some ice from the local store/burger joint and re-cool the vest with ice in one or both bags. About $40 per vest purchased. And if that doesn't work just grit your teeth harder. Be cool, PM. <><

 

[odot]

AUDI.........PUPS................AUDI....................

 

[vol210]

There was a guy at WFO last year that had a suit that hooked into the bikes plumbing for heating and they were working on a cooler unit to plug into the suits tubing. Don't know if they succeeded yet. :dntknw:

 

[oldryder]

everyone, thx for all the responses. I will probably make my own cooler since it seems like my question about how long a bag of ice would last has been answered favorably and the products discussed are all pretty simple.

Couple other thoughts on this:

I think an easily removed vest would be better than the shirts in some of the products mentioned above. Also there is a substantial possible cooling effect from a neck roll as there is so much blood flowing thru a small area.

A collapsible cooler could be used for the heat sink (ice bag). this would allow you to pack away the rider cooling system on long trips and only use it if needed

a windshield washer pump from a junkyard might make a good, cheap pump for the coolant

The tubing would need to be real flexible for the cooling garmet to be comfortable. ALso, you'd want insulation outside of the coolant tubes so you're not wasting your heat sink cooling the ambient air whistling by your body.

If I make one I'll take pics and post here how it turned out.

mark in MN

 

[BwanaDik]

Some cleverness going on here : https://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php...highlight=a%2FcJust can't seem to get to that last step.

Right, this is the technology I was talking about.

You can figure out your heat load from here: Heat

Then apply this technology Peltier with some hospital grade tubing, valves and pumps. Google "Peltier thermo electric cooling" and you get a pile of links. Should work real well but, like I think I posted before, it's been patented so just for your own use.

 

[Rob]

There was a guy at WFO last year that had a suit that hooked into the bikes plumbing for heating and they were working on a cooler unit to plug into the suits tubing. Don't know if they succeeded yet. :dntknw:

Did this heater come right off the exhaust? Can I get one for the EX?

 

[Bounce]

In the mid to late 90's Vince Putt, an active endurance rider, fabb'd up his own cooling vest using tubing swen into a standard cloth vest. the tubing routed to a styrofoam ice chest in one saddle bag of his ST1100. a pump circulated the ice water through the vest and then back into the ice chest to re-chill it.

I seem to remember seeing a commercial version of this idea some time around 2005. It was appropriately costly.