Inexpensive ways to Reduce Temperature???
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, NY
Sorry to disagree but HD designed these bikes to meet current EPA regs.. Being as they are air cooled and being forced to run way to lean from the factory, they run way to hot! Fuel managment devices like power commanders and hi flow air filters and exhaust cure the over heating ...
The symptoms of lean mixtures is holes in your pistons and burnt valves. That doesn't happen unless you start changing things without knowing what you are doing. Stock HD's being "way to lean, and running way to hot" is a myth.
Running rich is not good for performance either.
Last edited by pennetta; Oct 23, 2009 at 07:29 PM.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,955
Likes: 6
From: Little Rock
try riding lean in the Arkansas summer heat, the symptoms will be your burnt thighs when stopped in traffic from your rear cylinder and thats no myth 
anyway you can reduce the heat on these motors WILL reduce wear in the long run.. faliures? its to soon to tell.... Stock injected Harleys run about 14.7:1 from the factory ... That may not be lean enough to burn a piston but it makes it run way to hot.. Fuel in the right ratio acts as a coolant to the top end..
I feel alot better knowing my motors running cooler than HD "designed" it to or should I say, was forced to design .
anyway you can reduce the heat on these motors WILL reduce wear in the long run.. faliures? its to soon to tell.... Stock injected Harleys run about 14.7:1 from the factory ... That may not be lean enough to burn a piston but it makes it run way to hot.. Fuel in the right ratio acts as a coolant to the top end..I feel alot better knowing my motors running cooler than HD "designed" it to or should I say, was forced to design .
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, NY
try riding lean in the Arkansas summer heat, the symptoms will be your burnt thighs when stopped in traffic from your rear cylinder and thats no myth anyway you can reduce the heat on these motors WILL reduce wear in the long run.. faliures? its to soon to tell.... Stock injected Harleys run about 14.7:1 from the factory ... That may not be lean enough to burn a piston but it makes it run way to hot.. Fuel in the right ratio acts as a coolant to the top end..
I feel alot better knowing my motors running cooler than HD "designed" it to or should I say, was forced to design .
anyway you can reduce the heat on these motors WILL reduce wear in the long run.. faliures? its to soon to tell.... Stock injected Harleys run about 14.7:1 from the factory ... That may not be lean enough to burn a piston but it makes it run way to hot.. Fuel in the right ratio acts as a coolant to the top end..I feel alot better knowing my motors running cooler than HD "designed" it to or should I say, was forced to design .
Running the oil too cold is bad too, or running too heavy an oil. But if you don't know better it could make sense that a heavier oil would protect your engine better right?
Unless you modify the bike, or ride it differently than you would for the street (like on a racetrack, towing a sidecar or trailer, or maybe even in parades), then you should be fine.
Check your spark plugs to see how things are burning. If you have a whitish residue on the plug tips, then you are running hot. If they are tan, you're running normal. Black is rich.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,562
Likes: 11
From: Palm Harbor fl.
Harleys have been around since 1903, how is to early to tell?
Running the oil too cold is bad too, or running too heavy an oil. But if you don't know better it could make sense that a heavier oil would protect your engine better right?
Unless you modify the bike, or ride it differently than you would for the street (like on a racetrack, towing a sidecar or trailer, or maybe even in parades), then you should be fine.
Check your spark plugs to see how things are burning. If you have a whitish residue on the plug tips, then you are running hot. If they are tan, you're running normal. Black is rich.
Running the oil too cold is bad too, or running too heavy an oil. But if you don't know better it could make sense that a heavier oil would protect your engine better right?
Unless you modify the bike, or ride it differently than you would for the street (like on a racetrack, towing a sidecar or trailer, or maybe even in parades), then you should be fine.
Check your spark plugs to see how things are burning. If you have a whitish residue on the plug tips, then you are running hot. If they are tan, you're running normal. Black is rich.
lower temperatures will be much more comfortable for the riders on hot days.
a cooler motor lasts longer.
Running an oil cooler, synthetic, and more performance oriented AFR is not going to cause our air cooled bike to run too cool...that's just goofy to think so.
Cruiser
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
Note...since your bike is an 09, you can run O2IED's to reduce your AFR to 14:1. Plenty rich for all conditions...and they're only about $70 new.
Note, if you're judging your engine temp as being too hot because you're feeling lots of heat coming from your engine or exhaust, perhaps I can offer you a good deal on a bridge I'm selling in Brooklyn.
Note, if you're judging your engine temp as being too hot because you're feeling lots of heat coming from your engine or exhaust, perhaps I can offer you a good deal on a bridge I'm selling in Brooklyn.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,562
Likes: 11
From: Palm Harbor fl.
Note...since your bike is an 09, you can run O2IED's to reduce your AFR to 14:1. Plenty rich for all conditions...and they're only about $70 new.
Note, if you're judging your engine temp as being too hot because you're feeling lots of heat coming from your engine or exhaust, perhaps I can offer you a good deal on a bridge I'm selling in Brooklyn.
Note, if you're judging your engine temp as being too hot because you're feeling lots of heat coming from your engine or exhaust, perhaps I can offer you a good deal on a bridge I'm selling in Brooklyn.
Last edited by rounder; Oct 24, 2009 at 11:11 AM.
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The cheapest way is to go to your local radio shack or electronics shop and purchase 2 330ohm resistors, use them to jump out your o2 sensors (fooling them into running the air fuel mixture at 14 to 1. Should cost less than $5.00
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 409
Likes: 2
From: Norwalk, Ohio
Cheapest in the short/long run is a vance N hines fuelpack.
They are on ebay for $150 or less very often. After buying xieds and eventually realizing the limitations, you'll buy a fuelpack next for $150 shortly after buying the $100 xieds.
They are on ebay for $150 or less very often. After buying xieds and eventually realizing the limitations, you'll buy a fuelpack next for $150 shortly after buying the $100 xieds.