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DK Custom recommends removing the left thigh protector to aid in engine cooling. However, on my new 2023 RG3, I see nothing that looks like a thigh protector:
Was this something that USED to be installed by HD, but has been discontinued?
I don't have that one either, but interestingly, the HD "fit" guide says it will fit the RG3. I don't think I want to add it though, as I suspect that it would make air movement past the rear cylinder worse, not better, and it is more cooling that I want instead of more rider or passenger comfort. I feel no heat from the engine when riding, and my wife will only ever be a "seldom" passenger.
DKC recommends removing the left one so air caught and pushed from the right one has somewhere to go.
Yes, I have seen their commentary on that. But, it presumes you have both on your trike, and advise you to remove only the left one. But, I suspect, NO deflector might be better than one deflector, since the deflector does cause some turbulence by redirecting the air leftward, which is liekly not as good as uninterrupted flow.
By the way, the funny "kinky offset wrinkles" in the Heavy Breather Extreme air filter are the result of user stupidity.
After finally receiving the special Japanese wax I ordered, I washed the trike in the driveway just outside the garage, by backing it out unpowered down the slight garage and driveway grades. When I finished washing it, I was not able to push it manually up the grade, so started the engine, ut it in gear, and rode it up the slight grade into the garage.
BUT, I forgot that because my air filter rain cover had not yet arrived from the HD dealer, I had put a plastic baggie over the filter to keep the soapy wash and clean rinse water out of the filter!
After I got it inside and started to wax it, I saw the wrinkles, which I KNEW had not been there before, and realized what had happened: the engine had been trying to suck in air for the trip back into the garage, and since the plastic baggie was making that difficult, it sucked in the filter pleats in one neat circumferential line!
I have since then did my best to straighten out the kinks, so it looks betetr now than in that photo, but of course it is not perfectly restored. I'm thinking that maybe bending a straight piece of 1" x 2" metal lenghtwise until it is almost, but not quite "closed' on itself, inserting it over each kinked pleat and squeezing, might traighten the pleats more.
Yeah, I know, dumb. But sometimes I just forget the obvious precautions.
Jim G
Last edited by JimGnitecki; Sep 7, 2024 at 01:21 PM.
DK Custom recommends removing the left thigh protector to aid in engine cooling. However, on my new 2023 RG3, I see nothing that looks like a thigh protector:
Was this something that USED to be installed by HD, but has been discontinued?
Jim G
Why is your air filter element all munched up? Did it bump into something?
EDIT: Guess Jim was explaining while I was typing my question.
Last edited by CoolBreeze3646; Sep 7, 2024 at 11:19 AM.
By the way, the funny "kinky offset wrinkles" in the Heavy Breather Extreme air filter are the result of user stupidity.
After finally receiving the special Japanese wax I ordered, I washed the trike in the driveway just outside the garage, by backing it out unpowered down the slight garage and driveway grades. When I finished washing it, I was not able to push it manually up the grade, so started the engine, ut it in gear, and rode it up the slight grade into the garage.
BUT, I forgot that because my air filter rain cover had not yet arrived from the HD dealer, I had put a plastic baggie over the filter to keep the soapy wash and clean rinse water out of the filter!
After I got it inside and started to wax it, I saw the wrinkles, which I KNEW had not been there before, and realized what had happened: the engine had been trying to suck in air for the trip back into the garage, and since the plastic baggie was making that difficult, it sucked in the filter pleats in one neat circumferential line!
I have since then did my best to straighten out the kinks, so it looks betetr now than in that photo, but of course it is not perfectly restored. I'm thinking that maybe bending a straight piece of 1" x 2" metal lenghtwise until it is almost, but not quite "closed' on itself, inserting it over each kinked pleat and squeezing, might traighten the pleats more.
Yeah, I know, dumb. But sometimes I just forget the obvious precations.
Jim G
🤣
Had a member on a Cummins Diesel forum with a new $100 K&N do the same after cleaning his engine.
ETA: A Cummins/Turbo pulls a LOT more vacuum when running…😉
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Thigh protector??
