Hi Everyone,

I'm trying to convince my wife to agree to us getting a Softail Custom.

Right now I ride a 2006Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic FI.

But as I'm sure you all know, there's just something about a Harley.

But I do have one question, the most frequent use the Harley would be getting would be to and from work. (Pretty good way to start and end the day). But the thing is, traffic so darn heavy that it can be stop-and-go for miles sometimes even crawling along.

Will the bike over heat during these times? Are my legs going to get a 3rd degree burn? I know about doing stage 1 and switching to synthetic, that sounds promising. What about the Harley oil-cooler? She thinks it's stupid to ride a bike that is going to over-heat all the time and leave me stranded or burned.

I know the Kawi easily sits in stop-and-go for hours, and does just fine. How will the new Harley?

If anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Mark.

 

One good thing if you buy a Harley you won't have to wear that neck tie like you do on those rice burners.....

 

Yeah, that's probably true.
A bonus I didn't even think of.

 

I can't stand to be in stop and go traffic with mine. I will avoid it at all costs.
Ron

 

Traffic sucks, but what are you gonna do?
Same as in the car.
Hot? Yep, but when you start moving, it doesnt matter anymore. I pick the long way home and love it. Ride right along the river.

MikeM

 

For your first concern of the over heating of the bike, as you stated, doing a stage 1 and getting a fuel management system (PCIII or SERT ect.), switching to synthetic oil, will cool the motorcycle down considerably. The ECM has a built in heat managment system that has 3 stages for when things start to heat up, 1 being to add more fuel to cool things off some, 2 is to alternate firings of the spark plugs from the front and rear jugs, third is to shut down and not start untill it is cool enough (very extreme condition). Having your bike overheat in stop and go traffic, it may hit stage 2 of the heat management system, but I have rarely heard of someones bike shutting down because it got too hot. An oil cooler is a good thing to have (although most times un nessicary) but it will not help much in stop and go traffic as air will not be passing through it to cool the oil while you are sitting still, but it will help to cool the motor and you off faster after you get moving. Your legs wont get burnd unless you rest them on the pipes of your bike, the exhaust wont be any hotter than your Kawi is right now. The heat that you will feel is comming off the motor, not really the exhaust on a softail. All in all you shouldnt ever have a problem with an HD in stop and go traffic, but if your start to heat up, just shut her down while your sitting, or take the long way home and get some good riding in. Also you can get a temp dip stick for your oil bag (or tank to some of you) that will give you an idea of how hot you are. they arent really accurate, but good enough to let you know when you should let her cool off or get moving. Oil temps should range anywhere from 200-280 any hotter, you should really get moving or find some place to rest for a while.

Chris

 

I climbed off a kaw 1500 classic myself still own the bike but my son rides it. living in so cal I used mine every day to commute till I retired a year ago. you living in bc should have nothing like the heat we have here or on our runs to palm spring or yuma az. get the darn thing and don't look back. I have tried riding what I thought was a good bike (vulcan) and now I really hate it..

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I live in Phoenix and when my bike was stock it was veryhot at stops(inside legs from engine). Like said before they run lean from the factory and get hot at idle. I did stage1,pipes and fuel management and it cut the heat dramatically at stops.(can really feel the difference in 100 degrees heat). I followed up with synthetic(mobil1) and now have no issues with heat at stops.

 

Rode this summer here in Texas w/ the 105 degree heat in stop and go traffic.I was concerned about the heat after reading all the hype in this forum so I bought a temp Gageand it never went above 260 degrees. That was after sitting a few mins waiting on a wreck to clear. I do have a
PC III and run Mobil 1 Synthetic and its Stage 1. As others have said buy it and dont worry about it, you'll never regret it thats for sure!

 

I'll second everything AzDeuce said! I live in socal (middle of the Mojave desert). Afetr installing a set of python3 slip ons, a PCIIIUSB, an SE stage1 AC, running mobil1, and I also added an oil cooler & a thermometer dipstick (Don't get the $100 digital...get the $50 dial version...it works better!). I have zero heat issues.
-clutch-
P.S. Speaking of heat...here are somepretty cool looking infra red pics I took of my engine & oil cooler with a $15,000 Foward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) we use at work.

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