Newbie with an 05 - this thing is HOT

[HaulinAshe]

Here's something you won't find with the search function. My advice is based on 8-months riding an 05 in 90F and above with 80% plus humidity.

The effect of the heat greatly depends on three things, windshield type/size, your inseam/height, bar risers or not.

* Windshield is obvious. If you run an oversize and do NOT provide vent holes in the shield, the engine heat "pools" around mid-tank.

* If you are 30" inseam or less, you naturally hug the tank more and cannot get the fresh air between your inner thighs and the tank, without uncomfortably spreading your legs. Sliding back helps the heat but hurts your riding performance.

* If you use risers you naturally sit up straighter and higher. This also produces more "backdraft" and causes more pooling of hot air around mid-tank.

Insulate the tank. Make the heat shield for the left side. The left side really DOES get hotter than the right. Try to avoid stopping with a mostly empty tank and then taking off again. The fuel tank can get exremely hot and uncomfortable. As already said, there are a host of threads about heat fixes. Just remember that your physical size affects which ones make a difference for you.

My best advice... If it bothers you, buy an 07. I did!

 

[James Burleigh]

People, people, people... Can't we all just try to get along, with the heat? :nea:

FriscoJim, first of all, are you in San Francisco? If yes, let's ride. Okay, next...

When I first bought my '05 Rocketship back in April 2006 and started commuting on it, I'd hit the Bay Bridge and man O man I started sweating like a mule in wool pajamas. It bugged me so much that I started having HUGE buyer's remorse, and started thinking I'd just dropped $11K to rid some guy of his problem, and he's laughing at me for being such a fool. I was tortured by this issue, and finally confessed to my wife, Fang, that I thought I may have made the wrong decision and just wasted a ton o' dough. She put my head in her lap and stroked my hair and... Wait a minute! That's none of your business...

So anyway she talked me out of my tree. I then went on to insulate the underside of the gas tank and build and install the famous what's-it-called heat deflection box that you install under the left faring.

Okay, so here's the bottom line: I've been riding this masterpiece of motorcycle technology non-stop since I bought it. I commute 70 to 90 miles a day on it, summer heat and winter cold & rain. Over the 10 months since I bought it last April I've put >19,000 miles on it. Occasionally I feel some heat coming off the bike and I think, "Oh yeah, the FJR's supposed to have a heat problem." But the long and the short of it is, I LOVE this bike, this model, and no longer think about or notice the heat issue. It's a dynamite machine. Give it a chance.

James (Keepin' Cool :coolsmiley: ) Burleigh

 

[Scab]

Yeah, what James said.

 

[conwest]

Sadly I did know about the heat but really thought it had been exagerated - I had several people tell me it wasn't that bad so I figured I would try the heat mods and see how it did. After riding though I am more concerned that even doing those mods isn't going to make a significant difference. At least they aren't expensive mods - I will have to check into the idle though as it does seem a bit higher than it needs to be.

Interesting there Frisco...seems you got caught in the same denier crowd that claims they don`t hear any strange noises coming from their top ends.In other words, the ticking issue is highly exgagerated....puke. :angry2:

 

[Bounce]

What kind of gear are you wearing? I really don't notice it with proper gear.

+1

also check out this tip from April of 2003.

 

[FriscoJim]

Thanks to all that have responded - the weather this Sat in Frisco Texas is supposed to be wet so a perfect time to visit Home Depot and get the tolls out and start making adjustments. Rode last night to a dinner meeting of our local ride group and realize that I love this bike and have to make it work (for now anyways). Unfortunately an 07 is not an option at this point (I really didn't care for the color anyhow) but an 08 may be an option depending on what the coloring offering will be.

 

[Grumpy]

I'm the second owner on this bike, the first owner cut out the chin as pictured below. I have about 35,000 miles with no problem and very little heat.........I've done all the other modifications as well. Just thought you might be interested.

chin cutout

 

[keithaba]

I'm the second owner on this bike, the first owner cut out the chin as pictured below. I have about 35,000 miles with no problem and very little heat.........I've done all the other modifications as well. Just thought you might be interested.
chin cutout

You put your chin down there?!?!

 

[Centerline]

Thanks to all that have responded - the weather this Sat in Frisco Texas is supposed to be wet so a perfect time to visit Home Depot and get the tolls out and start making adjustments. Rode last night to a dinner meeting of our local ride group and realize that I love this bike and have to make it work (for now anyways). Unfortunately an 07 is not an option at this point (I really didn't care for the color anyhow) but an 08 may be an option depending on what the coloring offering will be.

Hey Jim,

Sure sorry to learn the heat from the Feejer is causing you some remorse. It really did not much bother me, or I would have made some mods to it in the year and a half I owned the beast and put those 17k miles on it. At more than 35 mph, the heat just didn't bother me whatsoever even up to the ridiculous 115 temps around here in the brutal summers. Around town in traffic, I would just move my feet out on the pegs.

OTH, I am certainly enjoying your "old" Warrior, 'cept the thing handles like a pig in comparison to the FJR, and the ride of course is positively no comparison to the ride quality of the KTM950. The Warrior IS great fun to ride tho, for sure fun to twist the throttle at anything more than idle and feel the brute hoist sail and move out.

Hope you can make it work for you, cause I know you are finding the FJR otherwise, a fantastic high speed touring missile.

I seem to recall posting my thoughts on my Feejer heat early on in the starting days on the forum here, and were probably pretty much what I wrote above.

 

[FriscoJim]

Thanks to all that have responded - the weather this Sat in Frisco Texas is supposed to be wet so a perfect time to visit Home Depot and get the tolls out and start making adjustments. Rode last night to a dinner meeting of our local ride group and realize that I love this bike and have to make it work (for now anyways). Unfortunately an 07 is not an option at this point (I really didn't care for the color anyhow) but an 08 may be an option depending on what the coloring offering will be.

Hey Jim,

Sure sorry to learn the heat from the Feejer is causing you some remorse. It really did not much bother me, or I would have made some mods to it in the year and a half I owned the beast and put those 17k miles on it. At more than 35 mph, the heat just didn't bother me whatsoever even up to the ridiculous 115 temps around here in the brutal summers. Around town in traffic, I would just move my feet out on the pegs.

OTH, I am certainly enjoying your "old" Warrior, 'cept the thing handles like a pig in comparison to the FJR, and the ride of course is positively no comparison to the ride quality of the KTM950. The Warrior IS great fun to ride tho, for sure fun to twist the throttle at anything more than idle and feel the brute hoist sail and move out.

Hope you can make it work for you, cause I know you are finding the FJR otherwise, a fantastic high speed touring missile.

I seem to recall posting my thoughts on my Feejer heat early on in the starting days on the forum here, and were probably pretty much what I wrote above.

I was out this past weekend on some of those roads we were on with the Warrior group - I think I am getting used to the heat concept - absolutely no issues when it's moving (and boy does it move!) - I think it was just the stop and go of the commute that was getting me concerned. Adjusting the shield makes a big difference (just keep it down in the stop and go stuff) - going to try a couple of the fixes mentioned and see how they work. Definitely no buyers remorse as it is great out on the road - may just have to rethink my commuter scooter.

Glad to hear the Warrior is giving you grins - there is something about that brute rush (and sound) it gives you - definitely a different ride.

 

[FJRMGM]

check all the links in Keithaba comments above - the stock windscreen creates an updraft of air from the engine so I changed to a Cee Bailey +2+2 with flip and it fixed that and the dreaded "push" on your back at speed.