So, the Tri-Glide can be hot, but
- Thread starter Woody54
- Start date
2010 with a stage 1. Still have the cat on, yes it gets hot in hot weather but so does most other harleys. I carry a good quality heat gun with me and have found that when its hot, most harley engines are probably hotter than they should be. Overall i really love this thing
My biggest concern is voiding the warranty. I bought this bike as a pre-retirement gift when I turned 60 and financed a big chunk. I wasn't going to mess with the exhaust until it was off warranty. I think I'm simply trading peace-of-mind for performace, at the moment.
Your making an a excellent decision. If the heat issue is such a big problem and the engine fails. Your warranty will cover it. In the mean time enjoy your excellent purchase. I really didnt know if id like a trike, but 3 years later i wish id bought one 10 years ago! We try to not ride if its too hot '100s', but if were in it for long time harley recommends changing oil which i do. You might look at the extended warranty at some point.
T
TheBobs
Before mods: oil temp 270 deg or higher. Told is was "normal." <br />
After mods: oil temp 230 deg or less. Know it's normal.<br />
Bottom line: Bike and rider are both happy!
After mods: oil temp 230 deg or less. Know it's normal.<br />
Bottom line: Bike and rider are both happy!
Peter A.
1000+ Posts
I have to agree with the Screwball.........Wife/I both have HD trikes and LOVE them........do they run hot, slightly yes, but only on extreme weather days here in sunny California.........we wouldn't ride anything else!!!!!!!
:10:
:10:
I know folks that have had blisters on their calves from the heat. I bet you couldn't convince them that they are not hot.
Want to see warm ? Get on the back of your wife's trike on a warm day!
It's great when you can get your feet & legs out of the heat when you are up front. Congrats on being able to afford two trikes, but most of us can't do that.
Besides, I want a good engine left at the end of the warranty, & didn't feel that 318* oil temp on an air/oil cooled engine would make that happen. It doesn't happen if you are able to buy new bikes every couple years, many can't.
Also your trikes might not be running that hot either. If not that's great!
Ride Safe
Ride Often!
ThumbUp
Just thought I'd weigh in, this seems to be a re-occurring topic. Mike, there have been people on this board posting on how they "hug the tank with their legs" when riding. That sure would be conducive to burning their legs. Slou, if your oil temp is running 300*+ I'd be concerned too. Last week in Las Vegas it was over 110* air temp, and we got stuck on Las Vegas Blvd in traffic. Usually we stay out of city traffic. Oil temp got up to 300*, but as soon as we got off the Blvd and riding faster than 40 mph temps came back down. Maybe my '09, and wife's '11 are "unusual" trikes, or our riding style or area of riding is different from others, but heat hasn't been a problem with either scoot. 35,000+ miles on mine, 16,000+ miles on hers. We live in Southern California and ride in Arizona and Nevada.
Our trikes are relatively stock, no trailers, and rarely ridden 2 up. We both have been on Harleys for years, rarely ride below 2000 rpm and shut the engines off if stuck at long lights or train crossings. Did the same thing with the 2 wheelers. We have kept the trikes (and their predecessors) relatively stock because I have always paid for the extended warranty and didn't want any problems IF something went wrong.<br />
<br />
I'm old and beat up. A stock bike / trike treats me very well. We ride the hell our of our scoots and really enjoy them.<br />
<br />
I'll log off now and go back to lurking. Good Luck everyone.
Our trikes are relatively stock, no trailers, and rarely ridden 2 up. We both have been on Harleys for years, rarely ride below 2000 rpm and shut the engines off if stuck at long lights or train crossings. Did the same thing with the 2 wheelers. We have kept the trikes (and their predecessors) relatively stock because I have always paid for the extended warranty and didn't want any problems IF something went wrong.<br />
<br />
I'm old and beat up. A stock bike / trike treats me very well. We ride the hell our of our scoots and really enjoy them.<br />
<br />
I'll log off now and go back to lurking. Good Luck everyone.
Man I hate that Vegas heat !! Also they don't get enough rain there to wash the oil off the streets ! When it does rain there I like to find a good vantage point to watch a busy intersection. Morbid I guess....
But I had to put my pickup in 4wheel to pull away from one about 10 yrs ago...
I can put up with the heat up front pretty much. It is the fact I usually have the co-pilot on the back where all the heat ends up.
The engine oil heat problem is mostly taken care of now. I want to do an oil cooler just to be sure to be able to keep things down.
It's like buying extended warranty. Just to make sure. And it's cheaper for the long haul..
By the way, in Phoenix you can check your tire wear by the tracks you leave in the pavement !!
HA !! Good lurking !!!!
Ride Safe & Enjoy !
Local wounded vet just received tg from dealer. I wondered about heat issues since he feels nothing in his legs. Sure enough, blisters formed quickly.
DK Custom Products
Sponsor
Something to think about.
When I first got my TG I decided to keep the engine bone stock.
The heat never bothered me. I could tell it was hotter than my Sporty, hotter than my Dyna, and hotter than my 09 Ultra had been. But it was not uncomfortable for me.
It was uncomfortable for Mary (passenger). I attributed that mostly to the way the air hits the plastic body between the fenders and the seats and sends it right up her legs, torso and arms.
I did end up getting an oil temp gauge. Was I shocked!
I was constantly between 250 and 320 degrees. This was NOT in stop & go traffic, this was going down the interstate.
I took it in numerous times, one time they did an "updated" download for TG's. Each time they said this is normal for the TG's.
I knew the oil was breaking down over 300 degrees, but, Hey, I was under warranty, it seemed to run fine, so we kept riding it.
We came back from a long trip in the middle of summer and Mary had been very uncomfortable. Plus some of the black on the engine had been turning white...getting so hot it literally burned the black off. Plus some of the wiring sleeve near then exhaust had started melting.
So I took it in again, asked the dealer to check the ACR's, thinking maybe they were sticking open a bit, giving a lean mixture.
NOPE, but what they did discover is the cylinders, heads, rings and valves were all toast. Destroyed by too much heat.
Here is the thing to think about...
I was never uncomfortable.
The engine did NOT use oil.
I was able to run down the road 85 mph with no problem, and accelerate up to 95 mph when I wanted to pass.
It started fine, sounded fine. There was no indication to me that the cylinders were ovaled out.
The service dept. called for authorization to repair under warranty and got approval in less than a minute. Sorta like they do with the known problem on the radios.
When I got it back after the re-build, it had more power than it did they day I bought it.
Having never ridden another TG, I did not know how they were supposed to feel, power-wise.
After getting it back, I did end up doing some work to it to keep it cool. That is for another post.
The thing I want to point out with this post is that a TG can start fine, run down the road fine, NOT burn oil, not bother the rider with heat, but it can still be trashed inside because of it running too hot.
300+* oil temps may be "normal", but are almost a sure indicator that bad stuff is happening inside.
btw, the rebuild happened around 10k miles. It now has 45k miles on it and I don't let the oil temps go above 230*. Still running strong.
When I first got my TG I decided to keep the engine bone stock.
The heat never bothered me. I could tell it was hotter than my Sporty, hotter than my Dyna, and hotter than my 09 Ultra had been. But it was not uncomfortable for me.
It was uncomfortable for Mary (passenger). I attributed that mostly to the way the air hits the plastic body between the fenders and the seats and sends it right up her legs, torso and arms.
I did end up getting an oil temp gauge. Was I shocked!
I was constantly between 250 and 320 degrees. This was NOT in stop & go traffic, this was going down the interstate.
I took it in numerous times, one time they did an "updated" download for TG's. Each time they said this is normal for the TG's.
I knew the oil was breaking down over 300 degrees, but, Hey, I was under warranty, it seemed to run fine, so we kept riding it.
We came back from a long trip in the middle of summer and Mary had been very uncomfortable. Plus some of the black on the engine had been turning white...getting so hot it literally burned the black off. Plus some of the wiring sleeve near then exhaust had started melting.
So I took it in again, asked the dealer to check the ACR's, thinking maybe they were sticking open a bit, giving a lean mixture.
NOPE, but what they did discover is the cylinders, heads, rings and valves were all toast. Destroyed by too much heat.
Here is the thing to think about...
I was never uncomfortable.
The engine did NOT use oil.
I was able to run down the road 85 mph with no problem, and accelerate up to 95 mph when I wanted to pass.
It started fine, sounded fine. There was no indication to me that the cylinders were ovaled out.
The service dept. called for authorization to repair under warranty and got approval in less than a minute. Sorta like they do with the known problem on the radios.
When I got it back after the re-build, it had more power than it did they day I bought it.
Having never ridden another TG, I did not know how they were supposed to feel, power-wise.
After getting it back, I did end up doing some work to it to keep it cool. That is for another post.
The thing I want to point out with this post is that a TG can start fine, run down the road fine, NOT burn oil, not bother the rider with heat, but it can still be trashed inside because of it running too hot.
300+* oil temps may be "normal", but are almost a sure indicator that bad stuff is happening inside.
btw, the rebuild happened around 10k miles. It now has 45k miles on it and I don't let the oil temps go above 230*. Still running strong.
I'm with you on this one!! ThumbUp
T
TheBobs
Steve, I kinda miss your posts
You say "relatively stock." What is relatively? Open Air Cleaner, Stage I HD Flash, slip-on aftermarket mufflers, no fairing lowers? I think it's fair to quantify terms such as relatively for the folks new to Trigliding. I call Big Blue 'relatively stock' as well, but I think we may have slightly different equipment.
I live about 2 1/2 hours north of you so you know I'm no stranger to the heat. I grew up in the Mojave desert so heat is cooked into my bones. I guess I'm relatively immune to heat
T
TheBobs
TESTIFY MY BROTHER, TESTIFYclapping
+1 and by the way I've got the FCS fans installed. Thanks for the tips, the fans really work as advertised. Do yours seem to be on most of the time? With the high ambient temps and humidity here, mine almost run constantly. After I shut down in the garage they will run for a few minutes, shut down and then turn back on for a few minutes and then she's off. Sound normal to you? She is running so cool now that the Jagg oil cooler fan does not even cut in.
Thanks,
Buddy....
Screwballs post sounds like I wrote it.
My somewaht mods are. H-D Screaming Eagle A/C, H-D Fatshotz slip ons and H-D Screaming Eagle tuner.
Other stuff I've done is to get a custom made Crotch Cooler and added floor board extenders
I also still have my lowers on because my woofer are in them.
Also I think I have a higher tolerance for heat and I don't ride around in shorts. The only time I have a passenger is when I do charity rides and they ask me to ride one of the recipients. So far no one has complained about the heat even when we ride in a parade.
My somewaht mods are. H-D Screaming Eagle A/C, H-D Fatshotz slip ons and H-D Screaming Eagle tuner.
Other stuff I've done is to get a custom made Crotch Cooler and added floor board extenders
I also still have my lowers on because my woofer are in them.
Also I think I have a higher tolerance for heat and I don't ride around in shorts. The only time I have a passenger is when I do charity rides and they ask me to ride one of the recipients. So far no one has complained about the heat even when we ride in a parade.
:wave4:When it's hot it's hot when it's not it's not
After reading all the heat issue's. I wonder if I still want a trike or NOT ? :gah:. I love the way they look. Myself I'm an old Hot Rodder and old Biker. I love it when things a stripped off of things and they look nice a smooth and clean. Like the tour pak off around home. No lowers, small windshield. and lowered. I'm going to have to really take one for a ride may for a weekend 1st. They are a Beautiful Bike ( TRIKE) ThumbUp
Your doing the right thing by riding one 1st, some folks have issues with the heat and others don't. When I owned my 2010 I could have lived with that slow roasted feeling I was getting, I couldn't live with what I knew it was doing to the engine. I'll be interested to see how many will make the 100,000 mile mark without having the engine cracked into to fix cylinder or valve issues.
YUP. Also we know Harley's doesn't move fast with anything. BUT their sitting on a water cooled engine that COULD go into a trike ! Or even a bagger. So what's the problem. Do you know how many more bikes they'd sell with a water cooled motor!! I know there's the older crowd that loves the old style bikes. But lets move into the 21 century. They could still build both. And have sales hit the roof. And they need to get off their &^% and get busy and stop going on their rides. Tha'ThumbUpts for us I'm thinking real hard about just getting a 2 wheeler again this yr. ( not new) And then next yr do the conversion thing. By then I'll know more then I do NOW! Thanks MSOCKO3 ThumbUp
John Luciano
One Of The Origionals
They did VRod. That should have been the TriGulide. Or TriRod.
yeah. I'd like to see a V Rod bagger (A.K.A. Dresser) Water cooled should be a little cooler then they are now.
T
TheBobs
Screwballs post sounds like I wrote it.
My somewaht mods are. H-D Screaming Eagle A/C, H-D Fatshotz slip ons and H-D Screaming Eagle tuner.
Other stuff I've done is to get a custom made Crotch Cooler and added floor board extenders
I also still have my lowers on because my woofer are in them.
Also I think I have a higher tolerance for heat and I don't ride around in shorts. The only time I have a passenger is when I do charity rides and they ask me to ride one of the recipients. So far no one has complained about the heat even when we ride in a parade.
All three of your mods reduce (directly and indirectly) engine heat. Looks like we are all on the same page. I knew this was a harmonious forum
T
TheBobs
Ya, that's normal. I routinely check to see when mine turns on and shuts off with my TTS Datamaster. I've had my thermo switch in for almost a year now. Just checked on/off temp yesterday: 219/209. When you park it, the heat from the lower cylinder will soak the top of the head and the fans will cycle back on. For me after several miles in 100+ outside temps, FCS will come back on 3 more times after I park it. I also switch my JAGG manually. When I putt around town (under 40 mph) I flick the JAGG fan on and it keeps the oil temps in check. I won't even run the fan if the oil temp isn't at least 200 deg.
DK Custom Products
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Hey Buddy!
I opted for the manual control instead of the thermal switch. I pretty much turn them on within 5-10 minutes of starting up, only time I turn them off is if it is raining. Not because they have a problem with the rain, but because with the rain hitting the engine and oil cooler, they are just not needed.
Yes, with the thermal switch it is normal for them to shut down a bit after the engine is shut off...then to come back on. This is because they are reading the cylinder head temp. It cools down, they switch off...but then as the heat normalizes the cylinder head gets a bit warmer, so they switch back on for a bit.
Hi Kevin,
Glad to hear from you and TheBobs that the FCS fans are working the way they are supposed to be. You and Mary must sure be giving them a workout on your trip I'll bet. Got my tank lift kit installed and also wired my Jagg to a lighted toggle switch that I mounted on the fairing at the same time. I do not switch it on unless I need to. Have a safe trip home and I'm enjoying your photo posts.
Buddy.....
Bud: Sent you a pm this morning
Got it, and back atcha. If you need more info let me know.
Buddy....
Buddy....
Here is a thought for you. When I logged in the Computer said there were 578 viewing this forum. There are 50 responding to your heat question, less than 10% Either the other 528 people don't post, or they don't have a problem with heat.......
Good Luck, don't get scared away because others have a problem, drop the bucks and rent a Harley for the day. THAT will tell you if you have a heat tolerance or not.
Good Luck, don't get scared away because others have a problem, drop the bucks and rent a Harley for the day. THAT will tell you if you have a heat tolerance or not.
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