Heat from the engine

[Draggon Rider]

Before I bought my 05 FJR I read as many reviews as I could find on the internet.

I knew about the engine heat but didn't realize it was as bad as it is.

There is a guy on E-Bay selling a thermal kit to block the heat from the fuel tank.

In his add he is talking about the fuel tank exploding. I find this hard to believe because

if that were true Yamaha would have had recalls for the problem. And I couldn't find anything

on the Internet regarding exploding fuel tanks. So has anyone ever heard of this?

In 100 degree heat my inner thighs were burning, the heat penetrating my jeans made the ride most uncomfortable.

This is what brought to mind the guys add, the lower sides of the fuel tank were extreemly hot.

The other thing is; is there a modification to reduce the heat reaching the rider?

 

[Geezer]

Before I bought my 05 FJR I read as many reviews as I could find on the internet.I knew about the engine heat but didn't realize it was as bad as it is.

There is a guy on E-Bay selling a thermal kit to block the heat from the fuel tank.

In his add he is talking about the fuel tank exploding. I find this hard to believe because

if that were true Yamaha would have had recalls for the problem. And I couldn't find anything

on the Internet regarding exploding fuel tanks. So has anyone ever heard of this?

In 100 degree heat my inner thighs were burning, the heat penetrating my jeans made the ride most uncomfortable.

This is what brought to mind the guys add, the lower sides of the fuel tank were extreemly hot.

The other thing is; is there a modification to reduce the heat reaching the rider?

I have never heard of an FJR tank exploding. Period.

Heat on the rider has been discussed here many times and you'll find various ways to remediate the problem depending on how much you want to do or spend. Personally, I always ride with riding pants and they help keep the hot tank from burning my legs. I have not insulated the bottom of my tank, but many people have. You can buy a piece of insulation at a Home Depot or a hardware store and cut it yourself.

I slip a piece of pipe insulation onto the rear edge of the fairing on both sides. This doesn't keep the tank from heating up but it does keep the hot air from the engine from blowing on my legs.

 

[WBill]

Home Depot has aluminum/plastic bubble insulation for RV's, water tanks and the like. You can get more than you will need for a couple of bucks. I bought a sheet, cut it out properly and slipped it under the fuel tank of my '05, through the space created by lifting the tank's front end. It really went a long way toward mitigating the heat. I cut it long, so it is pinched by the tab at the front of the tank and the frame and held in place. Later, I added little bits of the stuff behind the side panels and around the back of the tank where the seat abuts.

As for the tank "blowing up," the closest mine came to that was while refueling out in the Dakota-Montana plains, with the air temperature in the triple digits. Fuel would boil out of the filler cap when the cool, fresh gasoline hit the hot stuff inside. It was quite a surprise, but quit happening after I installed the insulation back home.

Fuel injected engines heat up the fuel because it circulates through the system. On top of that, the sun warms up that tank pretty much. Just lay your bare hand on the tank, next time you leave it out in the sun while you have lunch.

The fix that checks the most heat on this rider is the little "CromeIt" metal piece that I fabricated myself and installed behind the upper left corner of the radiator, using instructions gleaned on the internet. I did that one first, using metal roof flashing. Just search for it by name.

Now, there is still heat coming from the engine, but it doesn't bother me. It wasn't particularly unpleasant in Death Valley this year, riding two-up in 118 heat! Of course, everything was unpleasant, except the scenery, out there, then, so the engine heat didn't stand out.

Big motorcycle engines are hot when they run. I don't think my FJR appreciably hotter than my old K-75 Beemer that had about half its displacement and about half its power, or my old naked Sporty.

 

[ngarider]

Wear pants - like, motorcycling pants. Helps keep the heat off your legs and crotch, and, as a bonus, protects you if you pull a Scab/keithaba/etc,etc.

Also, sliding back on the seat just a little, and riding with the ball of your foot on the peg should fix the majority. Whats left is the result of nearly 1.3L of sportbike motor living underneath plastic.

 

[Bustanut joker]

There is a guy on E-Bay selling a thermal kit to block the heat from the fuel tank.In his add he is talking about the fuel tank exploding.

Dood must be a complete tool!! Exploding!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! Thats rich!

:jester:

 

[Maxhunter]

For some strange reason on my 07 FJR there is no heat problem on the r. side, but the left side literally is cooking my ankle. Anybody have the same problem?

 

[RTSR1/FJR]

Do the complete cromeit fix! The heat will be gone!

 

[Knifemaker]

For some strange reason on my 07 FJR there is no heat problem on the r. side, but the left side literally is cooking my ankle. Anybody have the same problem?

I just wear those calf high cotton socks and fold them down so I have two layers around my ankles.. seems to work fine for me.

KM

 

[user 213]

In 100 degree heat my inner thighs were burning, the heat penetrating my jeans made the ride most uncomfortable.This is what brought to mind the guys add, the lower sides of the fuel tank were extreemly hot.

The other thing is; is there a modification to reduce the heat reaching the rider?

DING, DING, DING! Ditch the jeans. Real riding pants have armor, and often heat shielding in the inside of the legs. Joe Rocket Alter Ego pants come to mind, along with VENTING. No FJR tanks have exploded. One that I'm aware of did vacuum crush due to a messed up vent system, (replaced under warranty, IIRC).

And yes, there are mods you can do, along with the blanket under the tank which most seem to think helps. An easy, cheap and reversible mod is to remove the black plastic panels inside the nose. Some swear by this and remove them each Summer, replace them each Fall.

 

[SkooterG]

Dude. Don't listen to all the ATGATT Nazis. Sure, full riding gear will help, and of course that's the *best* option, but in the real world I wear jeans all the time too. And in 100+ temps.

Are you vertically challenged? Do you sit right up on the tank? That's a recipe for disaster.

There are several home grown 'heat fixes' out there (including insulating the bottom of the tank). Do your research and try them. Some may help. Some may not. Also, installing a Power Commander *may* help significantly.

If possible, sit with a 1-2 inch gap between you and the tank.

And remember, riding in 100+ heat just ain't ever going to be comfortable.

 

[Calimus]

I have on 05' as well and do exactly as Skooter has suggested. The only time I end up with nutz a broiling is after sitting at a long light or when traffic slows to a crawl. Once moving, it might take a few miles, but it cools off and skooting the boys away from the tank is the right idea.

I've been a bit concerned about adding the "heat blanket" as to me, that would trap extra heat around a lot of the wires and cook them more. Could be wrong, but it's just how I see it. Come winter, you will love the added heat. If I would grow a brain and get at least a stock windsheild (have the ceebaily sport) even my below 30 winter rides to work would be very comfy.

 

[Riderjohn]

For Max Hunter with left ankle heat on 07 - I have an 08 with 7k miles on it. It doesn't get a lot hotter than here - Death Valley excluded of course. I could not figure out what people were talking about with gen 2 bikes being hot. I always rode with boots and jeans over the boot tops and never experienced heat out on the road; maybe in the city at stop lights.

Today I was riding along in cool weather (90 degrees) with low cut shoes and jeans that exposed the ankles. Soon I was uncomfortable on my left ankle. I rode maybe 15 miles like that and I was constantly moving the foot trying to get that heat away from my ankle. Having never experienced this before, I remember your question of did anyone else experience this. I stopped the bike to turn around and I noticed there was a some wind that had been at my back. I drove the 15 miles back against the wind and my left ankle was perfect. I changed nothing but directions.

That leads me to one conclusion and one thought. Wear boots with jeans over the boots as others have suggested and that will solve a lot of the heat issues on the Gen2 bikes. My thought was that the wind to my back made some kind of a difference which heated up my left foot. The wind was the only variable in my ride. Heat conditions, speed, etc were constant. It would be interesting to know if your ride had wind to your back.

 

[LAGO RUNNER]

Before I bought my 05 FJR I read as many reviews as I could find on the internet.I knew about the engine heat but didn't realize it was as bad as it is.

There is a guy on E-Bay selling a thermal kit to block the heat from the fuel tank.

In his add he is talking about the fuel tank exploding. I find this hard to believe because

if that were true Yamaha would have had recalls for the problem. And I couldn't find anything

on the Internet regarding exploding fuel tanks. So has anyone ever heard of this?

In 100 degree heat my inner thighs were burning, the heat penetrating my jeans made the ride most uncomfortable.

This is what brought to mind the guys add, the lower sides of the fuel tank were extreemly hot.

The other thing is; is there a modification to reduce the heat reaching the rider?

In LA, thats just the dry heat