Hi Guys, riding on these 30 degree days my legs get real hot from the engine, is this normal ?
Can i redirect the heat or something to make it cooler for my shin's ?
Many Thanks
Maddy xx
2013 zx14r

You're not wearing shorts are you?I hope not.

I never notince any heat unless I'm sitting at a light, and that's mostly coming up from the front of the tank. Moving I don't feel any heat on my legs, but I wear some pretty heavy armored pants.

Mad

You're not wearing shorts are you?I hope not.

On those really hot summer days when I have worn shorts, I have suffered from red skin on my shins. This is the Gen1. These bikes seem to run pretty hot compared to others. My busa runs a lot cooler.

You already have two fans. I don't think you can do much more to cool the engine off unless you want to try something like Engine Ice. A full system made a very noticeable dif for me. Runs about a bar cooler under most conditions. If you are in stop and go traffic, there's no two ways about it, you're going to feel the heat ona warm day.

If you wear shorts your legs will get warm. I found wearing pants and boots actually helped reduce heat on my legs even on hot days. Even a couple times I was dumb enough to wear shorts I didn't feel like it was excessively hot on my shins, but it was noticeable.

Your bike's temp should be around 90-95C max. If it's getting warmer than that something might be wrong.

I wear jeans or kevlar jeans and calf high boots, bike jacket, gloves, shark helmet, I dont compromise on safety. (Never shorts)
lots of heat comes out of the engine / fairing area onto my lower legs when i ride on the freeway, mainly the right side.
Engine temp is always under 100.

I end up putting my feet on the rear pegs to get away from all that heat.

So, i guess it's normal ??

* Last updated by: Maddy on 12/14/2015 @ 6:47 PM *

I think its normal, the big girl gets hot. The Gen 2 runs a bit cooler on the legs than the Gen 1 that's for sure. I ride all summer in kevlar pants or leathers and full boots and you get used to it.

Not that it's dangerously hot but you might check your coolant make sure it's in tip top shape. Might also verify both your fans are working and nothing is blocking your radiator area. BTW if you don't have a radiator guard, every one of us would recommend you get one. People tend to like RadGuard or Cox both are good and will do the job.

If you have done, or do all that, yep just normal. It shouldn't be causing discomfort, if it's getting that hot something's not working right.

Maybe it's time to change out that coolant with some new stuff.

I will be changing mine out in the spring.

Legs can get hot(shins)at low speed and low airflow situations.Just a normal thing really with these big brutes.Long as your temp gauge isn't up near the top while riding at regular speeds...it is what it is.

Grn hows heat on 14R vs H2?

Well...I think(been a while)my 14R runs usually around 145,150ish?The H2 is virtually the same...145-148...something like that.I get no heat on my legs with my H2.Some have complained a bit about the H2...mine is fine.

Might try a product called water weter. Not sure its safe for bikes but I dont see why not. Should drop engine temps 5 degrees or more. Doesnt sound like much but it is. Also make sure your not running lean. If you have pipes and no programmer, bike will run much cooler if AF ratio is correct.

Hey Maddy, A bit off subject I know but, could you tell us what make your pannier frames are please ?
They look tidy & neat. I,m after something like yours to be able to use soft panniers with. To hold the bags off the bodywork.Do yours get used with hard panniers, Thanks John.

Hi John
They are Givi Panier bags, i got them with the bike when i bought it, yes they are real neat.
Im unsure of the price but i really like them for touring ,not good for lane filtering though as they are as wide if not a little wider than my mirrors.

It's a big power plant that makes a lot of HP which makes a lot of heat = Normal.

Thanks Maddy, very useful photos for me researching the bike & luggage options still. Good to know the panniers fit with the original pipes too, should be a little more room with Yoshi,s. & the fact that the Venturer rack fits on there at the same time, bonus. How many litres are your bags. Could I ask one more thing tho, when you've got a spare couple of minutes, a measurement from the bottom of the Givi pannier frames to the top of the pillion seat ? That would then allow me to work out if the soft panniers i,m thinking of would fit the Givi frames.
Wishing everyone on the forum a Happy New Year. Hot one, like 38deg down here, toasty on the legs.
Thanks from a fellow Ozzy rider, Maddy.

All that heat off the radiator and engine has to go somewhere. If you were to do anything to confine or redirect it, excess heat build-up may be the result. The use of Water Wetter or Engine Ice coolant may help some as they improve cooling system efficiency.

I would think ceramic coating the headers would make a difference.

The heat doesn't really bother me, even when 100 degrees + outside since
I always wear full leather, but I am planning (when mc fund builds / list of mods catches up)
to add Akrapovic headers and I will be getting them ceramic coated inside/outside.

When I was riding through 102F in Nevada last summer it was not a pleasant experience. Hottest bike I've owned and I've had a few.

Auron , I agree.
Nice in the cold or rain, but i wish i could turn the heat off in the summer :-)

I just don't get, maybe most people don't ride it long enough in one day. It seems to me like it takes several hours for the oil to get hot enough to really start baking the engine. It hits my ankles the worst, just unbelievable to me they left that area open to scorch you that way. The C14 is completely blocked off from knee to tow, but I've only looked at on of those. Maybey they may had no choice though.

* Last updated by: Auron on 1/17/2016 @ 7:49 AM *

Just got to have your "Man Card" to ride a zx14

I love anything 100 degrees and over is good, usually makes the
mornings around 80 degrees.

Hate riding in this cold weather, like 60's and 70's this time of the year.

Hate having to put extra stuff on. Normally just put leathers on
over my shorts and t-shirt and good to go.

The heat off the bike doesn't really bother me. Are you wearing boots?
What are you wearing for pants, leather?

Leather boots and kevlar pants, I tried roadrace boots, even gluing reflectics heat shielding to the shins of my boots.

You're right it's all mental, but I bought this bike under the impression that it would be better than my Blackbird by pretty much every single review I came across. It's fine for regular riding, in town, even riding up canyons while stuck behind a car, but once it really gets hot inside and out, especially on tour, it's as bad as an ST1300. I took my glove off at about 80mph on a 100F day and felt around for where the hottest air was getting routed. The new fairing is indeed effective, but all I could feel was it getting directed right back on my my legs.

I was expecting far better heat management. It's completely understandable condsidering how much power this bike makes, don't get me wrong, but I don't consider it something Kawasaki should have bragged about.

* Last updated by: Auron on 1/17/2016 @ 10:49 AM *