Being new to Buell, but not to motorcycling, I am curious if it is common for Buells to throw off a lot of heat on the drivers legs and thighs. It was great in the spring but not so comfortable in the summer. I also seem to be having a charging problem. I thought that perhaps it was riding short distances, stopping, the fan going, and not getting enough juice in the battery. but I checked with a volt meter and there is no sign of a charge.
Yea they get pretty hot, alot of owners put insulation between the frame and engine and under the seat pan etc. I use the tank insulators "gripster pads" they help alot in my opinion.
As for your charging, Theres several threads on how to check your voltage regulator and stator to chase down that problem.
And Welcome! :D
You think a buells heat is bad? Try riding a zx10r. The gauge very rarely see's anything below 210. Plus an underslung exhaust exits right under the pillion seat. Wear good riding pants, boots, and don't ride at peak heat hours if at all possible. Also choose the paths least traveled. Maybe install race maps too. That has seemed to help me in the past.
Always rode old Triumphs, the Meriden build ones. Never a problem with heat. In fact I had a couple of old Sportsters and don't remember any heat. I appreciate the response and now I know that it is not an unusual occurrence. Now, after an overnight charge of the battery I found it was putting off a 13.5 Volt charge this morning. I suspect that short trips and the draw of the fan must wear down the battery where the stator can't produce enough volts to recharge. Easy solution, trickle charge! Anybody else have this problem?
How short of trips are we talking? That really shouldnt draw that much on the battery. I put a onboard volt meter on my bike and it always reads 12.7-13.8 (12.7 with the fan running at idle when hot)
Leo, welcome to fun!
And as all have stated, the heat is one price for all of the fun.
I installed a rider comfort kit this winter and it has helped quite a bit. Some only install the right air scoop and pipe heat shield, but I slipped the underseat panel in too as it made a lot of sense to route all that hot air out the back rather than under my arse. It is not easy to get in, but it can be done.
Good luck and enjoy the bike! :D
Odiehawk tank and seat heat shield!
heat management on a ulysses: install the right side inner and outer cooling scoop from the ulysses riders comfort kit and the rear header heat shield. helps immensely with both rider comfort and rear cylinder cooling.
voltage: with fully charged battery you should consistently see between 13.1 and 14.8 volts at 1500rpm and above. this is ball-park range of voltage charging. not in that range? do the simplest 2 things first which are:
1-check battery cables and connections. they must be tight and flawlessly clean.
2-remove front pulley cover and check the large charging system connector commonly referred to as the 77 connector. check it carefully. it must be pristine to work properly. if not pull the connector apart and check and clean.
I don't know if that guy is even alive anymore. No one seems to be able to get a hold of him. After a year of trying, I gave up. I hear they work great and I want one badly.Odiehawk tank and seat heat shield!
Charging problem was the rectifier. Had a hard time locating one and I suspect the heat might be the culprit.
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