Here's my story, I've got a 2011 RGU, SERT, FM stainless steel 2-1-2 head pipes ceramic coated, 4" jackpots and a big sucker air intake and dyne tuned 3 times.

With the stock headers I had no issue with heat but of course down by the cat was really really hot, so I went with the de-catted FM head pipe to decrease the heat and for a lower sound. Well sure enough, way cooler where the cat used to be and nice sound, but low and behold now I'm now feeling heat under my right thigh and can't figure out where it's coming from.

I've checked for exhaust leaks, nada, was wondering if there was a leak at the bung close to the cylinder that is plugged, nothing. Used a temp sensor gun and the cylinder and it's running in the low 300's, head pipe close to the cylinder is about the same. I'm running pretty rich so it's not a lean problem.

So I'm somewhat perplexed that I've spent money just to end up moving the heat issue that I wasn't feeling to where I now feel it on my leg. So I'm at the point of putting the stock header back on if I can't figure it out.

Would like to hear from anyone with the same setup as mine, I know there's a lot of riders running the SS head pipes, nothing bad to say about FM, think they're a top notch company, I'm just down a rat hold trying to come up with a solution.

Thanks, and sorry for the long post

 

The bike itself may not have the problem. It may be you. You might be one of those individuals who is extremely sensitive to heat. It that is indeed the case, I doubt if throwing any more money at it is going to help you. Not everyone can tolerate sitting on top of an air cooled V-twin engine without feeling some discomfort. I don't have a solution to offer you but I hate to see you pour more money into it.

 

you have the heat shields?

 

I'm going to sound like a smart ***... but that's not my intent.

It is an internal combustion engine between your legs. It will be hot.

My only suggestion would be to go with pipes that are ceramic coated inside and out. The ceramic does not lessen the heat, per se, but rather carries it out the back door, lessening the felt heat at your legs.

I don't know much about FM's stuff, Rush's pipes are great.


Let me ask a silly question, and don't ask why I'm asking...

Do you have the lower fairing vent open on that side?

 

I sure do and the plastic heat shields too, what puzzles me is that I didn't have the heat issue with the stock headers. Thanks for the reply

 

Yep, I sure do, just didn't have the heat issue with the stock header

 

Thanks texaswiz for the reply and the concern about pouring more money into it. What gets me is that there was no heat with the stock headers. Extremely sensitive, yes due to the fact that it wasn't an issue until I put the new headers on. Can I live with it, probably with winter coming soon, yes.

Thanks again

 

Take the lowers off and the heat will go away, literally. I have the same set up and I think it's just the turbulence that brings that heat up. Removing the vents from the lowers helped but not as much as taking them off completely. I'll put them Bach on in the winter.

 

I've got pretty much the same set-up on my '13 RGU. Only difference is mine has the SE high flow intake under the stock cover. Presumably, your bike is moving a bit more air with the Big Sucker than is mine. Irrelevant.

Using Jackpot 2-1-2 ceramic with 4" Jackpot "normal" baffles. Didn't get the Jackpot cross-over pipe, but am thinking about it. Have the latest SE Professional Race Tuner with the latest software and maps downloaded from the Mothership. My lowers are installed and it's hotter than hell here, in Arizona.

My bike is 1000% (not hundred, but thousand) cooler with this set-up. By that I mean, only a small fraction of the heat that was evident on the stock bike remains. The remaining heat feels like normal cooling fin exchange to atmosphere to me. There is no hot spot evident on the exhaust system (with possible exception of cross-over pipe area below the bike). There is no cooling noise (tinking, plinking, ringing, popping) when the bike is shut off after a long ride in 105 degree weather. This says to me that the engine is running much cooler than stock. I've actually never had an H-D injected bike that has run this cool. (I believe those headers really flow well)

I started with the "Stage I, 103" race exhaust (whatever that means) and SE high flow air cleaner" MAP from H-D. Upon first flash -- in preparation for Smart Tune -- the MAP was very lean. It exhibited popping on decel, surging at cruise, and lots of heat. Here's where Fuel Moto could, and should, have been more helpful. At any rate, the best starting map from H-D was pretty far from the mark and way-lean.

After two smart tune sessions (on the road), the bike has no surging, no popping, and runs as cool as any air cooled bike possibly can. The tune isn't perfect, but it is very, very close. Heat all but gone.

Your dyno tuner doesn't know what he's doing. You could/should (IMHO) run a Smart Tune on top of the flash that's currently in your bike. I wouldn't go back to the same tuner you've been using, that's for sure. In other words, your bike is running too lean if you're still having heat problems with that set-up after tuning.

(p.s., I do have a sense that the restriction in the stock cross-over pipe is making the whole area under the trans -- and the trans itself -- hotter than necessary. I'm considering adding the Jackpot large diameter cross-over pipe to my set-up. Or, I may wrap the cross over. I'm concerned about the temperature inside the trans. This is my first bike with the new frame, and I'm not used to the temperatures I'm experiencing in the transmission lubricant)

(P.P.S., you either have ceramic coated 2-1-2 header, or you have a Stainless 2-1-2 header. The ceramic header from FM is mild steel, not stainless. And, the stainless headers are not coated)

 

I just installed those same 2-1-2 Jackpot SS/Ceramic headers along with complete stage 1 on Friday. Used a map by FM through PV. Rode 100 miles on Saturday including sitting in traffic during Bikefest at Lake of the Ozarks for quite a while. The Jackpots totally eliminated the heat I had on the right side with the stock headers. There may have been a little heat from the engine but nothing unbearable or out of the ordinary. Couldn't be happier with how turned out. Can't imagine why you'd still be having heat issues. Have you called FM? Wonder if it could be bad dyno tunes.