Removal of one heat shield

Oct 29, 2012
556
105
Centennial, CO
Name
Barry
Can't find the thread now and I think Kevin is still out on his travels, so I'm asking anyone that has the answer.

In one of Kevin's threads he says to help reduce engine temps, you can remove the left heat shield, which will allow the hot air to be blown out instead of being trapped when both heat shields are in place. Is there a reason he only mentions removal of the left side? Would you get the same results from removing the right side? Seems to me that it wouldn't matter, but more than likely, I'm missing something.

Thanks!
 
Can't find the thread now and I think Kevin is still out on his travels, so I'm asking anyone that has the answer.

In one of Kevin's threads he says to help reduce engine temps, you can remove the left heat shield, which will allow the hot air to be blown out instead of being trapped when both heat shields are in place. Is there a reason he only mentions removal of the left side? Would you get the same results from removing the right side? Seems to me that it wouldn't matter, but more than likely, I'm missing something.

Thanks!

Yes' this way the right side will act as a scoop and send hot air out the left side...
 
Yes' this way the right side will act as a scoop and send hot air out the left side...

I get that part, but if you leave the left side on and removed the right side, wouldn't it do the same thing? I'm just curious if there was a reason why he specifically said remove the left side.
 
Most of the Heat is on the right side, so you want to move it out the left side to help keep the right side cooler. Theres more Heat on the right and your right leg acts like a buffer with the flowing air, so push the air to the left. Not much heat is produced from the left side as there is from the right side.

Now that we are all confused, :Shrug: Try it both ways and see which works best.

Then lets us know ThumbUp Stay Cool
 
I get that part, but if you leave the left side on and removed the right side, wouldn't it do the same thing? I'm just curious if there was a reason why he specifically said remove the left side.

Like Sully, Said//

Righty Hot'ee... Lefty Cooley.........:)
 
Most of the Heat is on the right side, so you want to move it out the left side to help keep the right side cooler. Theres more Heat on the right and your right leg acts like a buffer with the flowing air, so push the air to the left. Not much heat is produced from the left side as there is from the right side.

Now that we are all confused, :Shrug: Try it both ways and see which works best.

Then lets us know ThumbUp Stay Cool

Thought maybe that's what the reason was, but not sure, so thanks for the clarification. As big a pain as it is to put on / take off those shields, I don't think I'll bother testing the other side and just remove the left side once.

Thanks again for the explanation.
 
you could but!

I get that part, but if you leave the left side on and removed the right side, wouldn't it do the same thing? I'm just curious if there was a reason why he specifically said remove the left side.

Air going from left side would actually increase felt heat than reduce it. :gah I'm going to try the left side removal for a test very soon. :Shrug: ride safely fearless.
 
Most of the Heat is on the right side, so you want to move it out the left side to help keep the right side cooler. Theres more Heat on the right and your right leg acts like a buffer with the flowing air, so push the air to the left. Not much heat is produced from the left side as there is from the right side.

Now that we are all confused, :Shrug: Try it both ways and see which works best.

Then lets us know ThumbUp Stay Cool


That is why I removed the left side and not the right.

Removing just this side really helps the flow of air around the rear cylinder.

Kevin
 
This past weekend I installed the DK Custom Products 1.5" tank lift kit with deluxe option, and I decided to remove the left side heat shield while I was at it.

Yesterday we took a long ride to test things out. The ambient temperature when we started out was 91° F, and it rose to 96° F by the time we returned, if the onboard thermometer can be trusted. IMO, there was a noticeable difference in heat reduction on the right side one the engine heated up, and there was no real change in temperature felt on my left leg. Of course, heat on my left leg has never been much of an issue anyway.

When we hit some stop and go traffic the heat on both legs increased, as I would have expected. So far I have to say that Kevin's advice is right on the money. Given the heat and high humidity here in N. Florida, I was more comfortable riding with these changes than I was before making the changes.
 
RedOregon,

I see in your sig line that you have the DK air deflector wings. Do you find that they help reduce heat significantly?

Regarding my post about the tank lift and removal of the left heat shield; I wouldn't say that it's perfect, but it was quite an improvement. To be honest, the Stage 1 with Rinehart true duals did more to reduce heat, but there was still a good bit of heat around my right calf and knee. The tank lift and removing the left heat shield helped even more in that area.

On Edit: Someone posted earlier that they had used a Captain Itch leather heat shield on their TG. I installed one of those on my 2011 TG, and it was a huge improvement. My 2015 TG doesn't cook my thighs like the 2011 did, so I haven't bothered with another Captain Itch shield.
 
RedOregon,

I see in your sig line that you have the DK air deflector wings. Do you find that they help reduce heat significantly?

Yup, they definitely helped. The heat is still there but nowhere near as intense. They look damn good too as an extra side benefit.

(edit) just reread this... I was thinking of RJS's "no more fry your thighs" shield. Now that I see that you're talking about the wings up front, yes, they make a difference in the wind in my face... might make a difference in heat, hard to say. I plan on changing the angle that they're mounted to try to find the best angle... maybe one side different than the other, then hand-check both sides to see which is stronger, etc.
 
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