Engine Heat ??
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2011
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Engine Heat ??
Hi All,
I live slightly over one mile down a gravel/dirt road. My bikes a 2011 Fatboy and my question is, since I don't want to chip it up I pretty much idle it up and down my road to leave my house. I'm going around 9 or 10 miles an hour. I figure when the engine is cold this is fine but on the way home after riding is this enough to keep the engine cool enough, it seems pretty hot? I know engines run a lot hotter these days, in fact I remember when you didn't need heat shields on your pipes so you couldn't see all the pretty colors they turn underneath them ! Thanks!
I live slightly over one mile down a gravel/dirt road. My bikes a 2011 Fatboy and my question is, since I don't want to chip it up I pretty much idle it up and down my road to leave my house. I'm going around 9 or 10 miles an hour. I figure when the engine is cold this is fine but on the way home after riding is this enough to keep the engine cool enough, it seems pretty hot? I know engines run a lot hotter these days, in fact I remember when you didn't need heat shields on your pipes so you couldn't see all the pretty colors they turn underneath them ! Thanks!
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,048
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From: Central Jersey
Picture it this way... have you ever been in traffic for what feels like an eternity? If so, did that ever damage your engine or whatnot and whoforth? The situation wouldn't really be much different, so although it's not getting the same air cooling it would at speed, it's not going to break it, ya know?
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,049
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From: Emerald Coast, FL
We could sit down and factor exactly how much air flow is required to cool the engine and what speed actually maximizes the flow to cool ratio... but for now 10 mph is plenty fast to pass enough air over the engine to cool it... LOL
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 246
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From:
9-10 mph is much faster than most parades. Heat shouldn't be an issue. The engine won't be generating that much heat since you're going slow. It may even cool down a bit after riding on the highway towards home. The Stage I mods will help this situation too.
Jake
Jake
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
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From: Middle of Kansas
I have about a half mile of gravel sand dirt to get to my house from the hiway also, but I think as said above that 10 mph is good enough to keep it cool. In Kansas we hardly ever have wind that is less than 10 mph. LOL. The heat you feel coming off the engine when riding down your lane is from it cooling off. It is not making much heat at just above an idle.
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Tourer
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