Lower Fairing removed for summer?

[lboos]

I bought my tri-glide this Jan. so I have not rode it on a hot day yet, but I have heard a lot about the heat the engine puts out, spring is coming soon.
I just read in the owners manual that on the hotter Mo's it will help to remove the lower fairing's, I was just wondering how many of you do this?...and is it worth the trouble ?...I know it has the slide vents, but is that enough air on a really hot day ? Thanks for any comments, lboos.

 

[jcolson]

I never take my off. It's nice to have to stop the rain from soaking your legs when you get caught in a surprise rain storm. Course if I have time I'll put on my rain suit.Plus it's nice for storage. I don't have the heat issues since I don't have the cats in the pipes. My motor is built up plus the V&H exhaust system.

 

[rhino 2]

Same here, No cat true duals and Stage 1= No heat, Kinda miss the heat in the Winter though.

 

[twalf]

same here, i got rid of the cats got cr true duel pipes k&n filter should run cooler even with the lowers on i will let you know how it turns out.

 

[Skeet7373]

LOL, after waiting all my riding life for a touring bike with lowers, I'm not taking mine off. But, I too had the engine mods, no cats, air and a tuner, so my heat issue is being taking care of. I feel good not having all the wind hitting me.

Karen

 

[Peter A.]

Ditto here, have always thought of pulling them off during the summer but never have - love the storage space, etc., I'm done the engine mods though also.

 

[zeman 1]

Have a 2005 Electraglide Classic with the DFT conversion. Use
the HD soft lowers during cold/cool weather and can take
them on/off on less than 3 minutes without tools. They even
have pouches in them for storage. Seems like a pretty good
compromise to me.

 

[Bigbill]

Took my lowers off last spring and reinstalled them toward the end of summer. I liked the extra air flow without the lowers however you don't get that much more without them. Really not worth the hassle of removing them IMHO.

 

[screwball]

If you look at the red trike in the siggy you can see my lowers are off. Took them off the first summer, put them back on in winter. 3 bolts, takes about 15 minutes to take them off. I replace them with Linby bars that second as highway pegs. Didn't bother to put them back on this winter. Doesn't rain much here in SoCal, and daytime temps in the dead of winter are usually in the 60's. Wife likes hers on in the winter, off in the summer. You do have to jack up the front of the scoot to get the faring to clear the front tire.

Good Luck.

 

[Oldmsocko]

I always have mine on. They protect you from rain and road debri plus in my opinion the bike looks better with them on.

 

[GARYD]

I always took mine off for the summer - untill I installed a HOGTUNES speaker system and have my woofers in the lowers. So now I have to leave the lowers on, but it's not a problem for me. Tunes are way more important then any heat problem.

I will say this though. Try something less costly first. I was like you and bought my TG in the fall so did a bunch of recommended mods due to all the talk on the heat problem here on TT. I did the H-D Fatshotz slip ons, SE A/C and a tuner. I don't really think I needed all that with the other add ons I did.
Like floorboard spacers and crotch cooler. I think I would have been satisfied just with those mods.
Of course it also depends on where you live.

It all really depends on your threshold for heat. Some riders have a high tolerance and don't do any mods, and then there are those that have a low tolerance and spend thousands of $$$ to be comfortable.

If I were you I'd try the spacers, crotch cooler and remove the lowers first - then decide if more expensive mods are in order.
I might have saved a lot of $$$$ if I had waited and did these first.
The one thing I will never do is remove the cat because it doesn't effect me and I want to keep the bike as stock as possible. JMHO

And I agree with Oldmso - I like the protection and the looks.

 

[MontgomeryLittle]

I take them off the wifes TG in late spring. As stated above only about a 15 minute job to remove or install them. And for the most part I think she would rather have them off in the warmer weather.

 

[BinIdaho]

Don't take my lowers off either! No place to store plus I keep insurance papers, registration, life-flight form in one.

 

[gamechngr]

I took them off my 2003 Ultra in summer and enjoyed the cooler running engine (New York traffic).
Then when I had my 2012 Triglide I ran with lowers and without this past summer and it ran a little cooler with them off. Again once I got into traffic it didn't matter. Ran it with a group of folks that were on two wheels and I was only trike. It actually stalled out on me from overheating. Had to pull over along with rest of the group. Seems trike just doesn't get the airflow like a regular bike gets due to the wheels blocking airflow. Otherwise why else is this happening.
Have a 2013 waiting for me at dealer so curious myself how it will be once warm weather starts in.
I do agree with most that leaving lowers is preferable but once you remove them a couple of times it's no big deal. Be careful not to bang them up in the process.
But if I experience what I experienced last summer then new pipes, A/C and tuner is in order.

 

[HarleyGirl60174]

I took my lowers off the first year I had the trike and it was a pain in the butt to store safely then put back on when the weather got cooler, I also lost the storage space so second year and beyond just kept them on and made sure to keep open in the hot weather and you won't have a problem. And also..., yes.., additional protection when it rains. I won't take mine off again.

 

[Rick Kay]

I've always left my lowers on, even before I triked the bike. I like the added protection, especially in the rain.

 

[Bikerbozo]

Never liked the look of them. Took mine off when I got the '10 TG. Never used them again. More room for hwy pegs and air horn (essential for all the evil clowns on the road).:qpnmt:

 

[Frang]

Like Bikerbozo i don't like the looks of em.Took em off the first summer and bought a pair of chaps that slip over the crash bars that i can put on or off in seconds.

 

[GARYD]

On my older bikes I never put anything in them since I had so much storage elsewhere. The TG I put speakers there so again no storage.
The adjustable vent is just about useless, but better then nothing. I usually wear a rain suit when it rains so it doesn't matter about the rain protection.

 

[Bob H]

Mine came off the day after I took delivery, which was last Thursday, I think it looks better without the lowers. I have the soft lowers in the trunk in the vent I need something, but for now happy without them.

 

[lboos]

Thanks for all the great comments from all :wave4:.
I have seen T/G's with the lowers on and off, I think they look better with them off , I don't want to hide that great looking engine with a bunch of tuppelware [sp?], plus I would think on a hot summer day that with the drivers and the pax. legs blocking some air flow that removing the lowers would help a little, esp. when solo..... I could see where they could be a help in the winter mo's. and during a rain, but...that's what rain suits are for, JMHO.....like Bozo and some of the others, mine are coming off in the morning :Coffee:.

Thank you all, a great forum .

 

[msocko3]

I will say I was mighty glad I had my lowers on a couple years ago when we were caught in a hail storm in SD. Me my dad and a friend had started back to the hotel from having dinner when it started raining then in the blink of an eye it went to marble size hail, there was no place to go for shelter. My buddy who was riding a 2 wheel Electraglide ended up with some bloody welts on his shins, my dad and I got nothing because the lowers protected us.

 

[rooster]

Just take out the doors and keep the lowers. I didn't like the change of wind that came without the lowers so took out the doors. Now I don't have to keep sliding them back as they seem to partially close while riding.

 

[pcombe]

Thanks for all the great comments from all :wave4:.
I have seen T/G's with the lowers on and off, I think they look better with them off , I don't want to hide that great looking engine with a bunch of tuppelware [sp?], plus I would think on a hot summer day that with the drivers and the pax. legs blocking some air flow that removing the lowers would help a little, esp. when solo..... I could see where they could be a help in the winter mo's. and during a rain, but...that's what rain suits are for, JMHO.....like Bozo and some of the others, mine are coming off in the morning :Coffee:.

Thank you all, a great forum .

Take a closer look at your lowers.
You may notice that one is shaped to ram air at the front and the other rams air at the rear cylinders.
Paul combe

 

[lboos]

Paul,
Thank you for your comment about the ram air to the frt. and back cly's, I went out and looked but could not tell the diff. It's probley because I'm new to the Harley and don't know what I'm looking for, they look the same to me :Shrug:.

I only have 400 miles on it now and have not rode it in the hot mo's, only what I've heard from from here about the heat, I would think the most heat problem would be from stop and go and sitting at a traffic light where ram air is not a factor any way.

My thinking was if the lowers were removed that the heat would dissipate a little better while sitting at a traffic light esp. if you have a pax. ...4 legs blocking what little air that is moving.

The hottest day I have rode so far has only been 76 degress, no wind, and so far no heat, I was kinda looking for a little for my legs,..... when I got home and in the garage I shut the eng. off and put my face about 3-5 away from the right side of the eng , it was warm, but not that hot, But, I'm sure I'll find out the 1st. hot day this spring, but so far I'm loving it ThumbUp,....New Guy.

 

[pcombe]

Paul,
Thank you for your comment about the ram air to the frt. and back cly's, I went out and looked but could not tell the diff. It's probley because I'm new to the Harley and don't know what I'm looking for, they look the same to me :Shrug:.

I only have 400 miles on it now and have not rode it in the hot mo's, only what I've heard from from here about the heat, I would think the most heat problem would be from stop and go and sitting at a traffic light where ram air is not a factor any way.

My thinking was if the lowers were removed that the heat would dissipate a little better while sitting at a traffic light esp. if you have a pax. ...4 legs blocking what little air that is moving.

The hottest day I have rode so far has only been 76 degress, no wind, and so far no heat, I was kinda looking for a little for my legs,..... when I got home and in the garage I shut the eng. off and put my face about 3-5 away from the right side of the eng , it was warm, but not that hot, But, I'm sure I'll find out the 1st. hot day this spring, but so far I'm loving it ThumbUp,....New Guy.

Hi boose:
Get in front of the bike and look. you may see the difference there.
I put an oil cooler on mine when i first bought it. ( i'm old school) people told me you dod'nt need an oil cooler on a blockhead evo motor but i havent done any major work on it in 24 yrs, 100,000 mi. I had planed on doing two up touring pulling a trailor. I will let you decide if the cooler was worth it?
Your bike has to have 150 degrees oil temp. to maintain proper combustion.
Even in the hottest weather i have never seen it going over 180 degrees wich is very acceptable.
i put an aftermarket oil temp gauge in the oil fill spout in the oil tank.
there must be a temp gauge on the market that will work on yours.
I have never removed my lowers in all these years. Whats the point in having them?
Paul