Next rookie question, regarding overheating

[dartref]

I know to stay out of traffic as much as possible to prevent overheating problems, especially in a hot Florida summer. But has anyone had any issues, or have any suggestions for long distance highway travel... such as limiting rides to so many hours or miles per day in hot weather? Or miles/hours then taking a cooling off period for "X" amount of time? I know I'll go forever in the car before stopping, because then I need to stop for me but the car is fine. But I keep hearing all these warnings about overheating with the Harley engines, including from my service man at the dealership.

 

[rhino 2]

I know to stay out of traffic as much as possible to prevent overheating problems, especially in a hot Florida summer. But has anyone had any issues, or have any suggestions for long distance highway travel... such as limiting rides to so many hours or miles per day in hot weather? Or miles/hours then taking a cooling off period for "X" amount of time? I know I'll go forever in the car before stopping, because then I need to stop for me but the car is fine. But I keep hearing all these warnings about overheating with the Harley engines, including from my service man at the dealership.

Not to hash things up....But ''If'' the service man at your dealership told you that ' Find a new service man...

 

[Peter A.]

Heat

I'll second that........ride all day long, day after day on trips out here in SUNNY CA and NV and never had a issue nor heard of any......just keep those motors running in the wind........left Vegas one morning @ 5:00 A.M. Temp was 99.......THEN IT GOT HOT!!!!
:Shrug:


P.S. I just realized, maybe that might be an issue on the NEW WATER COOLED ENGINE....
FYI mine is a 2010/just short of 70 thou. miles

 

[Gorilla]

Ride and don't worry about it. Use synthetic oil and shut the motor down if you are going to sit for more than a couple of minutes. Yes Harleys are hot, but they are made with that heat in mind. If they were going to heat up and die, then thousands would have done so by now. We get on them and ride. Not worry that I need to stop except to get gas. When done get back on and ride some more. I've taken a 8 to 10 k trip every summer for the last 7 years on my Harley Trike have not burned it up yet.

 

[Bikerbozo]

I limit my '10 TG to 32 hrs straight (with gas stops and small breaks). Including bumper to bumper through NYC. When no mech or electrical issues , it runs fine. Your leg will overheat before the trike. Hywy running is a breeze...literally.

 

[J.T.M.]

A Harley has an air cooled engine without a fan. This means to cool it you need to keep it moving. As long as it is moving down the road it is getting some cooling. You can ride it continuously without a problem but on a hot day don't let it run very long standing still.

 

[DK Custom Products]

I know to stay out of traffic as much as possible to prevent overheating problems, especially in a hot Florida summer. But has anyone had any issues, or have any suggestions for long distance highway travel... such as limiting rides to so many hours or miles per day in hot weather? Or miles/hours then taking a cooling off period for "X" amount of time? I know I'll go forever in the car before stopping, because then I need to stop for me but the car is fine. But I keep hearing all these warnings about overheating with the Harley engines, including from my service man at the dealership.

Here's a LINK you may find useful.

Kevin

 

[67wizard]

Cops here in Las Vegas Nv. ride Harleys and don't have a problem.
A good summer day its 120 or higher in town. Plus u have the heat from the ground so its really hot. Oh I forgot to say its a dry heat. LMAO

 

[dartref]

Thanks everyone! This is why I love this site.

 

[67wizard]

Thats for sure FuzzyWuzHe. You don't even know your sweating, its dry before you get wet. LOL
Looks like our 100 degrees weather is about to hit us.

 

[rhino 2]

Thats for sure FuzzyWuzHe. You don't even know your sweating, its dry before you get wet. LOL
Looks like our 100 degrees weather is about to hit us.

Just like sticking your head in an oven.....:gah:

 

[67wizard]

More like riding behind a jet even going down the road. It's just not fun.

 

[Inconel]

Thanks for the link Kevin. Good stuff whole thread, lol

 

[Bigfoot21075]

Here's a LINK you may find useful.

Kevin

WOW! There is some great info in there - THANKS DK!

 

[MikeyTX]

Not to hash things up....But ''If'' the service man at your dealership told you that ' Find a new service man...

This ! I ride the crap out of my trike here in Tx. Did the same with the Limited Low. No issues with either. The heat would/will get to me long before it ever effects the trike.

 

[Mykneesbehurtin]

Here's a LINK you may find useful.

Kevin

So would it be advantages to install an oil cooler on a wet head trike.

 

[screwball]

You can add an oil cooler if you want, Harley already did that. We also live on the desert. We ride from Laughlin (60 miles from Las Vegas) to the high desert in California all the time. We did it on an '09 trike, '11, 14, and a Freewheeler. 'wet head' and dry head. My butt is good for about 150 miles, a lot sooner than the Harley needs a rest. Ride that damn thing, that is what it was designed to do. Out here in the summer it really helps to have a wet vest, to keep yourself cool.

OR

Spend a zillion dollars on fans, oil coolers, tuners, catless head pipes slip-ons, flag holders, wind diverters and a ton of other stuff.

My only other suggestion, DO NOT put an oil temp gage in place of the air temp gage. All you will do is scare the hell out of yourself for no reason at all. :AGGHH:

 

[MikeyTX]

Ehhhh . . . Where is the oil cooler on the tri glide ? I sure can't find it ....

 

[rhino 2]

Ehhhh . . . Where is the oil cooler on the tri glide ? I sure can't find it ....

If you have the water-head 103.. It replaced it.....

 

[MikeyTX]

Exactly ! That's why I asked. Just funning Screwball. Slow day my side of the river ........

 

[Gorilla]

Ehhhh . . . Where is the oil cooler on the tri glide ? I sure can't find it ....

There is not one on the 14,15 and 16. 09 thru 13 it is where your cooling fluid pump is at on the later models front center bottom.

 

[MikeyTX]

I know ...... I was just being a smart a**

 

[DK Custom Products]

So would it be advantages to install an oil cooler on a wet head trike.

Yes. A huge advantage, both in engine longevity, felt power, and economy. The hotter the engine gets, the more sluggish the power feels and the less MPG you get.

On the wetheads They have a higher compression, which creates more heat.

The water pump is in the location where Harley normally puts the oil cooler, resulting in NO oil cooler. So the oil and all portions of the engine, except the liquid cooled heads, are even Hotter on the Twin-Cooled engines than the air-cooled.

Use the Dual-Cool Oil Cooler, specifically designed for the Twin-Cooled Engine. Combined with the CnC Oil Filter Relocation you should see a 30-35* drop in temperature.

There is a ton of information on cooling down the wetheads at this LINK.

Here is a Dual-Cool Oil Cooler for the wetheads. LINK

Just the other day I took the pic below of mine, which is running the Dual-Cool.

Excerpt from Ride Report-

The TG is running great. We ran about 100 miles, half of them around 65 mph, the rest at 35-45, with a ton of starts and stops. Round trip, so same up & down hills, same headwind/tailwind. Just under 41 mpg, running a cool 207* at 65 mph in 91* ambient.

Kevin

 

[desertclassic]

I am very happy with the oil cooler and oil filter relocation from DK Customs. Jim