What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Jun 15, 2013
9,394
9,946
Red Banks, MS
Name
Kevin
What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

The following is what I have done since March 2011 to get my Tri-Glide cooled down.

I wish I had a TG that did not get overly warm like some have, but that is not the case.

One thing to note, I have never been bothered physically by the heat, my primary concerns were the engine was running to hot for its own good, and my wife was bothered by the heat as a passenger.

The first list below is my experience between when I purchased it and July of 2012 (copied from a previous post).

***************************
Below is a list of what I did to lower my engine temps.

All the dealers in my area say oil temps of 300+ degrees are normal and there is nothing they can do to lower them, I took it into my own hands to get them lower.

Note: I do very little city riding, mostly interstate or country roads. When I first installed my oil temp gauge I was regularly seeing 300+ oil temps at highway riding of 70-80 mph.

1. Removed Lowers the day I got it...just don't like them. When it is too cold I have a pair of soft lowers I use. Since I did this day one I don't know what it would have been like temp wise if I had left them on.

2. Installed a 1.5" Tank Lift with a deluxe option. This is good for up to 20* lower cylinder temps. (I did not have an oil temp gauge at the time, so don't know what/if any affect it had on oil temp, but with the infra red temp gun it showed rear cylinder 20* cooler after 30 minutes on the interstate at 70 mph)

3. Got the oil temp gauge and then got serious about reducing oil temps.

4. Replaced the stock oil cooler with a Jagg fan assisted oil cooler. This was good for a solid 20* drop in oil temps.

5. Removed the cat from the stock headpipe. No lowering of oil temp, but much less heat on the passenger. (If I had it to do over again I would get the fuelmoto catless headpipes)

6. Installed Rush Slip-ons, OUTLAW HiFlow Air Cleaner and PCV with a map from Jamie at Fuelmoto. This was good for another 30*. So now I was done to 250-270*, but that is still too hot and it was not even summer yet.

About this time I thought maybe the ACR's were sticking open a little and had the dealer do a leak down test. Well the ACR's were fine, but the heat had fried the cylinders, heads, rings and valves. All were replaced under warranty.

It should be noted, the bike was running fine, not using/burning oil, my guess is there are a lot of TG's out there in the same condition because of the heat they are subjected to. The degradation in power was over a period of time, so it was not noticed until I got it back with a fresh top end.

7. When I got it back I broke it in and made sure the oil temps never got over 230* (no easy task at this point, and no fun either).

I had about given up on my quest to get the oil temps down without a cam and TTS or Powervision with some serious tuning, but I gave Jamie a call and he suggested a second oil cooler...one that was in the wind instead of tucked behind the front wheel where there is relatively little wind.

So I called over to Jagg and got a downtube mounted 10 row oil cooler and installed it in tandem with the oil cooler I already had in the stock position. A solid 30* drop in oil temps! Now I was getting close to what I considered acceptable.

8. I spent a few hours fine tuning the map on the PCV and got another 10* drop.

9. I relocated my cowbell horn to under the frame that sits under the passenger seat. I rarely use the horn, maybe 1-2 times a year, and it is NOT as loud there. But the reason I did that is because even though the oil temps were down, the rear cylinder head was still reading 30-40* hotter and no amount of mapping I was doing could get it better.

With more air now going over the rear cylinder I got the rear CHT down another 10-15*.

10. I got a K&P oil filter, I cannot say how much it lowered the oil temp because I installed just a day before leaving on the trip, but I am saving money on oil filters and I believe it works better also.

I now have 13k miles on the bike since all the changes listed above, 25k miles total. Depending on the ambient temps I see 180-210 oil temps, with it going to 230 on hot days (95+ degrees). Have only had it spike to 235-240 a couple of times and that was when it was 100+ degrees into a headwind. Those couple of times I slowed down to 68 mph and the oil temp dropped to 220.

The few times I have been in stop and go traffic at high ambient temps my oil temp has NOT gone up, BUT my EITMS has kicked in a few times. If this were any kind of a regular occurrence I would get some sort of parade fan.

*******************************

Fast Forward to May of 2013-

While I was happy with the lowered oil temps made from the list above, I was still not completely satisfied -

Having to slow down in high ambient temps to keep the oil temp below 230*

Having the EITMS kick in when in traffic

These two things motivated me to do some more work.

I got the Wards Parts Werks FCS. After installing that I was able to move my horn back to the stock location, and NO MORE EITMS kicking in. There is plenty written about this system, and I found it all to be true...it is amazing how well it cools down the engine.

I went from the PCV tuner to a Power Vision with the basic auto tune.

Using the Power Vision allowed me to get a better tune than I could with the PCV (without any dyno work), and it also gave me real time data on the engine temp (front CHT) and a variety of other things. Net result is the bike runs stronger, cooler AND my mpg went up.

I removed the left side heat shield. As I mentioned before the heat (even when it was stock and oil temps were 300*+) never physically bothered me. In removing the left side heat shield, I did feel more heat on my left thigh, but it was not uncomfortable. The reason I did this was to give a better flow of air around the back of the rear cylinder.

With the right side shield still in place, it acts like an air scoop pulling air into the space behind the cylinder...but with the left side removed, that air can now exit easily. With both installed, they are essentially two scoops that push air from both sides to collide and swirl, with no real good place for the air to exit.

The bike now has just shy of 50k miles on it...38k on the rebuilt. It is running as strong as ever, and the heat is a total non-issue now.

What I learned in the Process, and what I would do differently-

1. Oil only gets hot because the engine gets hot. Now, I do not focus on oil temps so much as Cylinder Heat Temp. The CHT is the source of the heat, the oil is a result of the heat...and the oil temp changes MUCH more slowly than the Engine temp.

This seems elementary, but I was so focused on oil temp before. Now, with the Power Vision I am able to monitor the source of the heat (CHT) and keep it under control. I still don't want to see oil temps above 230*, but more than that, I really don't want to see CHT above 260*, and by keeping the CHT good, the oil will be fine.

2. Before changing out the stock oil cooler, and certainly before adding the second oil cooler, I would get the Wards Parts Werks FCS fans, and only change the oil cooler set-up if it was needed.

3. I would get the Power Vision first.

4. There is no one magic bullet, it is a combination of a lot of little changes that add up to make the difference.

ie. Just by using the an external breather system that does not feed hot oily air into the intake, this obviously makes for a stronger & cooler running engine, plus one that does not get carbon build up on the pistons which causes more heat and pinging down the road.

The cumulative result is that I am VERY happy with the TG, and can ride it how I want with no concerns of any heat issues.

Now if the crank will just hold up and not twist under the hard riding I do, I'll get a couple hundred thousand miles out of this bike. :D

Kevin
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

I'm glad you posted this Kevin. I'm somewhat new to this site but have read a lot about tikes and getting to hot. This should help those out here with this problem.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Personally, I would have a problem with oil temps at 200 or so. Oil must reach something like 215 or 220 degrees minimum to burn off impurities. That's why oil coolers have thermostats to bypass the cooler until the oil reaches operating temperatures. In addition, oil temps of 300+ are definitely a problem as that is the temp that dino oils start to break down.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Personally, I would have a problem with oil temps at 200 or so. Oil must reach something like 215 or 220 degrees minimum to burn off impurities. That's why oil coolers have thermostats to bypass the cooler until the oil reaches operating temperatures. In addition, oil temps of 300+ are definitely a problem as that is the temp that dino oils start to break down.

The oil temp gauge is NOT reading the oil at it's hottest in the bike...there are plenty of other places in the engine where the oil is warmer than it is at the sensor that is sending the signal to the gauge.

Additionally, water evaporates at temps far below 212, it just evaporates more quickly at 212.

Kevin
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Lizard is in his natural state when working with material dynamics and sensitive calibration equipment. I believe that is what he does for a living, yes Lizard?

Kevin is also correct. When you change the state of ice to water evaporation occurs depending on the surrounding RH levels. Water changes states again at 212* (altitude, containment and purity dependent)
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Kevin is also correct. When you change the state of ice to water evaporation occurs depending on the surrounding RH levels. Water changes states again at 212* (altitude, containment and purity dependent)

When you have water on your driveway (that is 100*, for example) it also will evaporate.

Kevin
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

You are correct Wiz. Although I did use the 212 degree point, it's coincidental that it is the boiling point of water at sea level. I said impurities. Do those impurities contain water? Absolutely. Is that the extent of the impurities that need to be burned off? Nope. In point of fact, due to the impurities, the water in the oil will not boil at 212. The real damaging elements are the acids that build up from the combustion. That's one of the causes of oil breakdown. Getting oil up to the correct operating temperature is critical to burning off the majority of these impurities. In addition, vehicle manufacturers base the recommended viscosity partially on the correct operating temperature. Run consistently lower, and your oil never flows as well as it's designed to, as it will still be too thick.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

These are not the droids you are looking for.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Personally, I would have a problem with oil temps at 200 or so. Oil must reach something like 215 or 220 degrees minimum to burn off impurities. That's why oil coolers have thermostats to bypass the cooler until the oil reaches operating temperatures. In addition, oil temps of 300+ are definitely a problem as that is the temp that dino oils start to break down.

You are correct Wiz. Although I did use the 212 degree point, it's coincidental that it is the boiling point of water at sea level. I said impurities. Do those impurities contain water? Absolutely. Is that the extent of the impurities that need to be burned off? Nope. In point of fact, due to the impurities, the water in the oil will not boil at 212. The real damaging elements are the acids that build up from the combustion. That's one of the causes of oil breakdown. Getting oil up to the correct operating temperature is critical to burning off the majority of these impurities. In addition, vehicle manufacturers base the recommended viscosity partially on the correct operating temperature. Run consistently lower, and your oil never flows as well as it's designed to, as it will still be too thick.

I completely missed that you were not talking about burning off water. I am so used to people talking about burning off condensation/water. :xzqxz:

My apologies for the brain-freeze reply.

I completely agree with you about oil needing to be at the correct operating temperature to work properly. I have not located anywhere in the manual where it says what the correct operating temperature is, but I am confident that 210-230 at the sending unit is hot enough.

btw, I do run soft lowers that cover the second oil cooler when it is cold & during sustained rain, and whether hot or cold ambient temps, my oil temps at the sending unit sit between 210 and 230 after 30 minutes or so of riding, with the only exception being during heavy rain when it is cold.

Consistent with the accepted norm (for correct operating oil temps), Jagg fan operated oil coolers kick the fan on when the oil temp reaches 210 at the oil cooler.

Kevin
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Cars in the 50's and 50's had 160 or 180* thermostats. New cars run 240* thermostats. If you run natural oil 300* could be a problem, I guess that is why they "recommend" synthetic which has a thermal breakdown upwards of 400* Mobil 1 claims 500*

(Mobil 1™ synthetic motor oil provides outstanding high-temperature protection and is proven to protect at engine temperatures up to 500°F. In fact, Mobil 1 synthetic oil provides superior performance versus our other full synthetic and conventional oils when tested for high-temperature deposit formation, as seen below.)

There are lots of folk here that are sure their motorcycle will melt if the oil temps get over 300* If you are running Syn, it won't. Mine is fine at 40,000 miles. My Softail was good at over 100K when I sold her. She got so hot a couple times that I melted the electronic ignition pickup. Motor was fine. Sure wish I hadn't sold her.

Personal opinion, you can do more damage running too cold, that is why they put thermostats in oil coolers. Just my opinion, but you know what they say about opinions ;)
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

210-230 is certainly hot enough to be at proper operating temperature. I frequent multiple forums and i regularly see people posting about going to lengths to keep oul temps at under 200. Besides the expense of just achieving this, i believe they are doing more damage to their engines than if they let them hit 250-275, assuming synthetic. I personally tested my '99 years ago by snaking a thermocouple down into the oil pan and using a very accurate data logger....much more accurate than the oil temp dipsticks or oil gauges most people use. I found that with dino oil, on a warm day, my temps hit close to 300 just on my 30 minute ride home. I changed to synthetic (synth3 before i knew any better) and i saw an immediate 30 degree drop in the same conditions. According to my oil temp dipstick, my Trike sees temps above 250 regularly, highest I've seen about 285. Id like to see those temps about 20 degrees cooler on average, and as soon as i can spend some time tuning, i believe I'll be closer to that goal.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Cars in the 50's and 50's had 160 or 180* thermostats. New cars run 240* thermostats. If you run natural oil 300* could be a problem, I guess that is why they "recommend" synthetic which has a thermal breakdown upwards of 400* Mobil 1 claims 500*

(Mobil 1™ synthetic motor oil provides outstanding high-temperature protection and is proven to protect at engine temperatures up to 500°F. In fact, Mobil 1 synthetic oil provides superior performance versus our other full synthetic and conventional oils when tested for high-temperature deposit formation, as seen below.)

There are lots of folk here that are sure their motorcycle will melt if the oil temps get over 300* If you are running Syn, it won't. Mine is fine at 40,000 miles. My Softail was good at over 100K when I sold her. She got so hot a couple times that I melted the electronic ignition pickup. Motor was fine. Sure wish I hadn't sold her.

Personal opinion, you can do more damage running too cold, that is why they put thermostats in oil coolers. Just my opinion, but you know what they say about opinions ;)

I agree with you screwball, synthetic is the way to go. Seems like a cheaper answer then changing or added other things.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

I guess I'm just lucky, my 2013 is like the day I picked it up at the dealer, It does not run hot, it does not have a oil temp. gauge on it, and I don't know what the eng. temp. is and don't care, my wife has never complained about the heat, I have never had a shoe melt or my rt. leg turn red from the heat. I live in Ga. it gets hot here in the summer, we ride some times in town and some times on the hi-way,.... I just ride and enjoy it, no heat problems here, I guess I'm just having to much fun to notice it ThumbUp.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

i've not had a problem with the heat, nor has my wife. I just feel that controlling engine and oil temp is the best way to prolong engine life, especially when you consider that the EPA has Harley choke these things to minimize emissions.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Iboos, worst mistake I ever made was putting that oil temp gage on our trikes. After a zillion posts about trikes melting I got worried. NOW I spend more time looking at that gage than looking at my wife on the trike in front of me. I've finally convinced myself that my scoot won't blow up, just like the 6 before it, and short of stopping and turning it off there isn't anything I can do.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Thanks, that was a very informative article. I guess I'm lucky in that heat was never a deal breaking problem. I don't have a oil temp gauge (on my list), but I think the Powervision is the single best investment I've bought for my TG. I just wish I knew more about how to use it. Anyway thanks for a great write up.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

I truly wish I had a TG like you guys that don't have a heat issue.

When I got mine and saw how hot it was getting I did the dance with several dealerships...it is normal, just ride it. So I did.

Oil temps were regularly at 300-325* and a few times even higher. It did not melt...but it did warp the heads and the cylinders went egg shaped.

Wire sheathing melted, powder coat finish burned off the heads, etc.

They did replace the warped & burnt components under warranty, but only back to "normal", so the whole cycle would have repeated. That is why I did what I did to get a new normal.

I could have fought them, but the time and $ to do that would have exceeded what I spent to cool it down.

I could have also traded it in for another one in hopes that it was somehow different, like many of yours, but the dealerships in my area say every Tri-Glide they have sold and service all run oil temps in the 300*+ range...so the odds were not in my favor of getting a "good one".

It is still a mystery to me why some run cooler than others.

btw, I do run synthetic.

Anyway, I am Very Happy with it now and look forward to making a lot more memories on it!
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

btw, I use Harley Syn 3 and have since my 1000 mile ck. I do have the "normal heat" that you would expect from an air cooled motorcycle engine, but no where near excessive.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

DK, I have a 2013 TriGlide w/a 120r crate motor that currently runs in the area of 230 degrees and have done/am doing the same tactics as you to maintain my oil temp in this area - I.e. Removed lower fairings and heat shields on both sides,installed Wards Fans, Mobil 1, Wards 160 degree thermostat w/OEM Oil Cooler. My next step (if needed) will be to replace the OEM oil cooler with a twin fan Ultra Cool oil cooler.

It runs awesome and is an adrenalin rush in the Trike!!

Roger
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

who makes the kit to raise the fuel tank? lb p/n, cost
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

DK, I have a 2013 TriGlide w/a 120r crate motor that currently runs in the area of 230 degrees and have done/am doing the same tactics as you to maintain my oil temp in this area - I.e. Removed lower fairings and heat shields on both sides,installed Wards Fans, Mobil 1, Wards 160 degree thermostat w/OEM Oil Cooler. My next step (if needed) will be to replace the OEM oil cooler with a twin fan Ultra Cool oil cooler.

It runs awesome and is an adrenalin rush in the Trike!!

Roger

Man, that thing must really be a blast to ride. When I first got mine and they were having to do the top end rebuild, I seriously flirted with the idea of and S&S. But I am happy now, only thing that may be in the future is a plugged/welded crank...and only if mine twists.

Touring Tank Lift Kits
One of our great sponsors.:wave4:

Thanks man! :)

Kevin
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Yes DK, it is a hoot to ride but I do not run it hard. My other ride is a 2013 V-Rod Muscle and sometime it is a hard choice of which to ride!! Each is fun in their own right, wouldn't want to have to choose which one to sell when that time comes.

Roger
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

I'm with Iboos.

If I had to do all those mods, I'd $hit can the whole thing. Way more trouble then it's worth. Now there's more things that can go wrong.

I completely disagree with getting oil temps below 200*
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

First of all GaryD, you would probably not made the choice to install the 120r Crate motor, which is basically a high compression race motor which produces quite a bit more heat than the stock version that comes in the Trike. Therefore I expected to have do deal with the increased heat characteristics and have gladly made the mods mentioned and have never bitched about the need to do so!

To each his own as they say, and for the joy of riding this Trike I would do it again!! Considerably more fun than riding the stock version which I only put 300 miles on before opting for the motor change!

I hope you are enjoying your ride because I sure am enjoying mine, heat and all!!pepper

Roger
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

I'm with Iboos.

If I had to do all those mods, I'd $hit can the whole thing. Way more trouble then it's worth. Now there's more things that can go wrong.

I completely disagree with getting oil temps below 200*

lol, I know that feeling well!

But now that it is done, am super happy with it. btw, I put some of the hardest miles a TG has ever seen on it...and nothing has gone wrong.

Click HERE for Alaska trip on TG.

I looked back thru this thread, could not find anyone talking about getting oil temps below 200*. ???

Kevin
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Kevin,
Any problem with fuel line length or fuel pump wiring harness length when you put the 1.5" tank lift on?

Ken
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Just a friendly suggestion to those tired of trying to get their TriGlides upgraded with mod after mod.
Get yourselves a 14 model. :)

- - - Updated - - -

lol, I know that feeling well!

But now that it is done, am super happy with it. btw, I put some of the hardest miles a TG has ever seen on it...and nothing has gone wrong.

Click HERE for Alaska trip on TG.

I looked back thru this thread, could not find anyone talking about getting oil temps below 200*. ???

Kevin

So, the truth comes out. You did that whole trip to Alaska to be able to say "I BTDT" so buy this from me?
JK, it's a joke. Please do not wad panties.
 
Re: What I did to get rid of the excessive heat on my 2011 Tri-Glide

Kevin,
Any problem with fuel line length or fuel pump wiring harness length when you put the 1.5" tank lift on?

Ken

No issue at all. Plenty of extra hose/wire for a 1.5" or even a 2"...the real issue is handlebar to tank clearance.

Kevin

- - - Updated - - -

Just a friendly suggestion to those tired of trying to get their TriGlides upgraded with mod after mod.
Get yourselves a 14 model. :)

So, the truth comes out. You did that whole trip to Alaska to be able to say "I BTDT" so buy this from me?
JK, it's a joke. Please do not wad panties.

Believe me...I thought about the 14's when they came out and all the work I had done....water under the bridge now, for me. Plus, I just really don't like the lowers.

Will be interesting to see if/how they "twin-cool" the Street Glides and Road Kings.

:laugh: yeah, well, there were times on the trip I thought for sure the bike was going to tear-up/break. I gotta say that I am VERY impressed with the durability of the the TG chassis...really all part of the TG minus the engine....but I won't own any Twin Cam engine (2 wheels or 3 wheels) without a warranty.
 
Well, it has been a long time since I updated this thread.

Since then I have traded my '11 Tri-Glide for a '14. Not because anything was wrong with the '11 (after I got it straightened out), but the dealership offered me such a good deal on trade-in for the new '14, it just made sense for me.

You can see what I did initially on the '14 at this thread-

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/thre...-lots-of-pics-and-thoughts-on-the-differences


And then what we did with the '14 when it was our "Project Bike" for last year, at this thread-

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/30249-DK-Custom-PROJECT-TRI-GLIDE-Report-w-Lots-of-Pics


Kevin
 

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