Why is the right side so friggin' hot?
Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,310
Likes: 1,079
It is so hard to read these posts,especially when the answer is so obvious.A huge air cooled v-twin, rear cylinder just below the crotch with exhaust pipe protruding from the top also the front cylinder adding to the level of temp causing you so much discomfort.It is what it is.Wish there was a magic bullet for the cure,other than heat tape wrapping the pipes (which helps considerably)
Folks, you don't have to suffer with the high heat that HD has been forced to make their customers suffer through. They force this heat on their customers because the EPA has forced them to run very lean engines to reduce emissions. Those O2 sensors have nothing to do with enabling your engine to run "better" (although they do provide assistance when changing altitude).
The O2 sensors are designed to ensure tuners and owners can't enrichen the fuel mix below the settings allowed in the fuel tables. For 2010/2011 bikes using the SEPST, that's a 14.3 Air/Fuel Ratio (afr). Anything below 14.3 forces the ECU into Open Loop and if the entire map is in Open Loop, you'll eventually kick out a trouble code since the sensors are no longer functioning.
That doesn't mean you can't have your cake and eat it too. For the home tuners, here's a little trick to really cool the engine and improve performance. After you've run "Smart Tune" and are really satisfied with both performance and throttle responsiveness, go to the main tuning table and lower the size of your injectors.
By lowering the size of your injectors, the ECU will lengthen the pulse of fuel since it thinks you're using a smaller injector. Since the injector size hasn't really changed, you're actually adding more fuel to the chamber than was really designated by your fuel map. End result is a more powerful but cooler explosion. Hence cooler exhaust, followed by cooler head pipe, followed by cooler right leg. And I mean dramatically cooler as you'll feel almost no heat off the engine. The bonus is the engine will also be much more powerful.
If you still have a cat, get rid of it first. If you're concerned about "melting planetary glaciers" due to your higher emissions, get rid of your Harley and buy a Prius (you'll still be making more emissions than your HD but maybe you'll sleep better). If you're looking to maximize mpg, reducing the size of injectors will reduce the miles you'll get per gal.
My experimentation shows that if you reduce the injector by the largest measure in the pull down list (there are 3 increments you can choose), you'll reduce your fuel economy by 15-20%. I also found that this was too much additional fuel but it sure cooled the engine down.
If you use the middle increment in the pulldown list, you'll reduce your fuel economy by about 5-10%, with a significant gain in power and almost no engine heat.
Using the smallest increment really doesn't make any significant change unless you'll just looking to make minor changes after using the middle increment. You might find you can make the injector size slightly smaller or larger after getting the performance/heat close.
Anyone sufferring with heat on their right calf needs to get rid of the cat but that's only half the solution. You'll still need to add more fuel to the engine. Use Smarttune to get it running well (assuming you started with a map that was suitable for your engine) and then reduce the size of your injectors using the steps above and both you and your bike will be much happier.
The only loser will be the EPA which I don't give a crap about.
Last edited by Heatwave; Jul 31, 2010 at 07:55 AM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,469
Likes: 0
From: 310
Not true at all. My 2010 SE Ultra is now cool & comfortable even in the worst heat. The only time it gets even marginally noticeable is if it's very hot outside and I have to use a low octane tank of gas (89/91 instead of 93).
Folks, you don't have to suffer with the high heat that HD has been forced to make their customers suffer through. They force this heat on their customers because the EPA has forced them to run very lean engines to reduce emissions. Those O2 sensors have nothing to do with enabling your engine to run "better" (although they do provide assistance when changing altitude).
The O2 sensors are designed to ensure tuners and owners can't enrichen the fuel mix below the settings allowed in the fuel tables. For 2010/2011 bikes using the SEPST, that's a 14.3 Air/Fuel Ratio (afr). Anything below 14.3 forces the ECU into Open Loop and if the entire map is in Open Loop, you'll eventually kick out a trouble code since the sensors are no longer functioning.
That doesn't mean you can't have your cake and eat it too. For the home tuners, here's a little trick to really cool the engine and improve performance. After you've run "Smart Tune" and are really satisfied with both performance and throttle responsiveness, go to the main tuning table and lower the size of your injectors.
By lowering the size of your injectors, the ECU will lengthen the pulse of fuel since it thinks you're using a smaller injector. Since the injector size hasn't really changed, you're actually adding more fuel to the chamber than was really designated by your fuel map. End result is a more powerful but cooler explosion. Hence cooler exhaust, followed by cooler head pipe, followed by cooler right leg. And I mean dramatically cooler as you'll feel almost no heat off the engine. The bonus is the engine will also be much more powerful.
If you still have a cat, get rid of it first. If you're concerned about "melting planetary glaciers" due to your higher emissions, get rid of your Harley and buy a Prius (you'll still be making more emissions than your HD but maybe you'll sleep better). If you're looking to maximize mpg, reducing the size of injectors will reduce the miles you'll get per gal.
My experimentation shows that if you reduce the injector by the largest measure in the pull down list (there are 3 increments you can choose), you'll reduce your fuel economy by 15-20%. I also found that this was too much additional fuel but it sure cooled the engine down.
If you use the middle increment in the pulldown list, you'll reduce your fuel economy by about 5-10%, with a significant gain in power and almost no engine heat.
Using the smallest increment really doesn't make any significant change unless you'll just looking to make minor changes after using the middle increment. You might find you can make the injector size slightly smaller or larger after getting the performance/heat close.
Anyone sufferring with heat on their right calf needs to get rid of the cat but that's only half the solution. You'll still need to add more fuel to the engine. Use Smarttune to get it running well (assuming you started with a map that was suitable for your engine) and then reduce the size of your injectors using the steps above and both you and your bike will be much happier.
The only loser will be the EPA which I don't give a crap about.
Folks, you don't have to suffer with the high heat that HD has been forced to make their customers suffer through. They force this heat on their customers because the EPA has forced them to run very lean engines to reduce emissions. Those O2 sensors have nothing to do with enabling your engine to run "better" (although they do provide assistance when changing altitude).
The O2 sensors are designed to ensure tuners and owners can't enrichen the fuel mix below the settings allowed in the fuel tables. For 2010/2011 bikes using the SEPST, that's a 14.3 Air/Fuel Ratio (afr). Anything below 14.3 forces the ECU into Open Loop and if the entire map is in Open Loop, you'll eventually kick out a trouble code since the sensors are no longer functioning.
That doesn't mean you can't have your cake and eat it too. For the home tuners, here's a little trick to really cool the engine and improve performance. After you've run "Smart Tune" and are really satisfied with both performance and throttle responsiveness, go to the main tuning table and lower the size of your injectors.
By lowering the size of your injectors, the ECU will lengthen the pulse of fuel since it thinks you're using a smaller injector. Since the injector size hasn't really changed, you're actually adding more fuel to the chamber than was really designated by your fuel map. End result is a more powerful but cooler explosion. Hence cooler exhaust, followed by cooler head pipe, followed by cooler right leg. And I mean dramatically cooler as you'll feel almost no heat off the engine. The bonus is the engine will also be much more powerful.
If you still have a cat, get rid of it first. If you're concerned about "melting planetary glaciers" due to your higher emissions, get rid of your Harley and buy a Prius (you'll still be making more emissions than your HD but maybe you'll sleep better). If you're looking to maximize mpg, reducing the size of injectors will reduce the miles you'll get per gal.
My experimentation shows that if you reduce the injector by the largest measure in the pull down list (there are 3 increments you can choose), you'll reduce your fuel economy by 15-20%. I also found that this was too much additional fuel but it sure cooled the engine down.
If you use the middle increment in the pulldown list, you'll reduce your fuel economy by about 5-10%, with a significant gain in power and almost no engine heat.
Using the smallest increment really doesn't make any significant change unless you'll just looking to make minor changes after using the middle increment. You might find you can make the injector size slightly smaller or larger after getting the performance/heat close.
Anyone sufferring with heat on their right calf needs to get rid of the cat but that's only half the solution. You'll still need to add more fuel to the engine. Use Smarttune to get it running well (assuming you started with a map that was suitable for your engine) and then reduce the size of your injectors using the steps above and both you and your bike will be much happier.
The only loser will be the EPA which I don't give a crap about.
Is this possible with a power commander?
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 195
Likes: 0
From: Champaign, Illinois
I got the NightRider XiED O2 sensor cylinder enrichment wiring and it lowered the heat - it's still warm but the wife says it's bearable now. I might consider the rear floorboard extensions too.
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 627
Likes: 195
From: St. Louis
I have been working through this for the past 2 mos. I started with the oil cooler, extended floor boards, got rid of the cat, switched to synthetic. Yesterday I went to an auto parts store and bought exhaust tape. I wrapped the rear header and re-installed the heat shields. I have a solid 24 degree cooler running engine now. I rode yesterday in 90 degree heat and had these readings on three separate trials: 234, 235, 245. The heat tape eliminated a lot of the heat on the calf--no heat on passenger, no red-hot saddlebag rail, barely detectable heat on the rider. I other words, I have to look real hard to find the heat source, coming off the rear head. The tape works. No AFR change--completely stock. The tape cost me $30.
For those who claim it causes rust on the head pipe, I don't see how. You need moisture for heat. There isn't much moisture on these pipes.
For those who claim it causes rust on the head pipe, I don't see how. You need moisture for heat. There isn't much moisture on these pipes.
Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 5
From: In the north
Word of caution to the tape users. If you ride in wet conditions alot, the tape holds in moisture and can cause your exhaust to rot without you knowing it. Heat tape does work but this is just one of the down falls of using it.
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