I'll bet Harley is already working on a liquid cooled big twin. We may not see it for a while but I'm sure the ball is rolling. Even though I am against it, I also know that it is inevitable. I just hope they take their time and DO IT RIGHT because I may have to buy one someday. Like many others have said, it will not solve the radiant heat problems but at least it will run cooler.

 

I have been wondering why they have not added oil passages in the cylinders, so the oil can take some of the heat to the oil pan, and add fins to the oil pan also.

 

[quote=lh4x4;7355501]I'm 70 so if I can ride in a heat wave on a stock bike without any trouble then you little girlie boys should be able to.

Stop whining and start shining.

lh4x4-I like the way you think

 

[quote=lh4x4;7355501]I have a 2010 Ultra Classic completely stock with the cats in place which I took in this summers heat wave down to the Dragon and onto Key West. Daily temperatures were from 100 to 105. We got caught on the interstate for and hour in 102 degree temps waiting for an accident to get cleared out. The bike never went into the mode where it shuts off the rear cylinder. I may have went to the phase where it dumps a little more fuel to the rear cylinder. We would move 10 - 12 feet and stop. This went on as I said for an hour. I had absolutely no problem with being too hot on my feet, legs or anywhere else.

In the traffic through Florida to Key West then across the Everglades and onto Louisiana the temps held at over 100. Still no problem.

I have an 07 FXSTC that I have ridden for four years now. Nada on any heat issue. I have an 010 Super Glide with cats. No heat issues. Well unless you grab onto the mufflers with your bare hands. Don't try that at home kids.

I think it's just a case where owners like to bitch about what they have to show that they are cool enough to do that. The same thing happens on the Vette forums.

I'm 70 so if I can ride in a heat wave on a stock bike without any trouble then you little girlie boys should be able to.

Stop whining and start shining.

A side note about Harley motors. They are not air cooled they are air/oil cooled. The Evo motor relied on oil more than air to cool it. With the TC88 motor HD increased the fins quite a bit to add more cooling. So former Evo riders will notice more heat than they had been used to. With 09 the TC96 in the touring models didn't just get a new frame. The oil pan was changed to be like a maze the oil drains across the pan then back then across until it reaches the pick up. Why? To loose as much heat as possible to the pan which then looses it to the air.

Now those that think the bike must be moving to loose heat no. If a radiator in your house had to move for you to get heat it would not work. The heat radiates off raising while it does and pulling more air behind it. The oil cooler will dissipate heat while not moving also. The hot oil is pumping through it and it pulls it off and puts it into the air. Of course not as much as it does when speeding down the road.

Fins and oil are giving off heat. That TC88 or 96 can run a long time in 100+ temps. Remember 100 degrees seems cold to a 400 degree motor. Brrr.

EPA keeps giving HD more heat causing solutions to pollution (phony in my opinion) and HD engineers keep providing solutions. The engine idle heat management system, the oil routing in the pan, increased fin surface area, rerouting exhaust pipes, standard oil coolers on some models. There are a multitude of other strategies still on the table.

The TC96 is far and away the best motor HD has made.[/quote

Amen! Finally a post that makes sense. I thought we had lost this forum to a bunch of whiner's!!!!

 

Having owned Hondas for as long as many of you have owned Harleys I can say that you are comparing apples and oranges here.

Consider these points:

1. Water cooled bikes run just as hot from the factory, they have to meet the same emissions standards that air cooled bikes meet. In that regard one isnt better than the other, they are just different.

2. Of course any bike is going to get hot sitting in traffic in summer. Thats not what they are made for.

3. You cant beat the longivity of a water cooled engine. Google "Goldwing 200,000 miles" There are many GWs topping 250,000 miles without any internal engine work.

4. If/when HD goes water cooled it will increase sales. All the haters who say they will quit buying Harleys are talking out their ***.

5. There is a limit to how big/hp you can get out of an air cooled engine thats going to fit on a motorcycle frame.. Its just a fact. I messed around with VWs for a few years, in the end a nicely built 1600 was way less headaches than a ***** out 2000+ cc engine.

I bought my first Harley for several reasons:

The GW and VTX were to top heavy and I didnt like the balance. The GW is to big to ride around town. The VTX is not and never will be a decent touring bike. The FLH is a nice compromise of both. Not to big around town, big enough to tour.

I love the 1998-2002 Honda 750 Magna. It is the fastest/quickest 750 (V4) Honda has ever produced. I would love to have one to ride around town on when the mercury hits 100+. A nice set of unrestricitve pipes, drop in a low temp thermostat and its very comfortable to ride around on. Stoplight to stoplight it will spank many bikes twice its size.

 

I beg to differ, the 103 is far and away the best motor they've made.

 

Works for me! I like Guinness too - draught only please...bottles and cans just don't taste right.

One caveat - if they come out with them before this craptacular economy gets back on its feet, all bets are off - there are too many variables affecting sales right now.

 

The toughter the EPA standards; the more states that follow California's lead, the less demand for HD motorcycles.
Holding onto OLD technology might be "heart felt" but maybe not be a "wise" investment.

Ride In Peace

 

Wow. And for years I thought my first bike, a 1954 FL 74 ci panhead, was the best motor harley had made! LOL. Wish I still had it. Just sayin. jdhickm.

 

I almost forgot. I like HD air/oiled cooled bikes so much that I bought one of each family including Buell to be sure that I could experience them before they are gone.
The TC96 is a proprietary motor and the 103 - 110 are variants of that motor.
Yea they are all good.

07 FXSTC - 08 Buell UlyssesXT - 09 XR1200 - 010 Dyna Super Glide - 010 Ultra Classic.



Engines of similar size, configuration and tune make the same amount of heat whether they are water cooled or air cooled. It is only a matter of where the heat is displaced. Kawasaki had heat to the rider problems with the 010 Nomad. They had problems with the Concours and solved it with rerouting the flow from the radiator. My water cooled Honda Rune would cook your feet as they were immediately behind the exhaust headers.