Help on heat generated from older to newer Tri-glides

[Offroadmaniac]

I am wanting to know from some who have owned the older Tri-Glides and now the 14 or 15 Tri-Glides. I am wanting to get a new one mainly for the cooling system on the 14's and 15's but do you really notice much of a difference on heat generated while riding from the older ones to the new ones? Also do the older ones overheat and cause you to have to shut down? I am wanting to make the best decision I can but money does not grow on trees or I would get a 15 today. Thanks for your input.

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I am wanting to know from some who have owned the older Tri-Glides and now the 14 or 15 Tri-Glides. I am wanting to get a new one mainly for the cooling system on the 14's and 15's but do you really notice much of a difference on heat generated while riding from the older ones to the new ones? Also do the older ones overheat and cause you to have to shut down? I am wanting to make the best decision I can but money does not grow on trees or I would get a 15 today. Thanks for your input.

My 15 is my first ... but I've got no heat ... yet

 

[Keystone]

Having ridden both a 2009 and a 2014 I would buy the 2014/15 for more than just the lower felt heat. Cam difference and front forks along with the new breaks are a huge improvement on the 2009-2013 trikes IMO.

 

[KJB]

My 15 is my first ... but I've got no heat ... yet

I hear ya Fuzzy. We are still waiting for the heat in Wisconsin too.

 

[Livin2Ride]

I am wanting to know from some who have owned the older Tri-Glides and now the 14 or 15 Tri-Glides. I am wanting to get a new one mainly for the cooling system on the 14's and 15's but do you really notice much of a difference on heat generated while riding from the older ones to the new ones? Also do the older ones overheat and cause you to have to shut down? I am wanting to make the best decision I can but money does not grow on trees or I would get a 15 today. Thanks for your input.

I had a '12 went to a '15 and the 15 is cooler, but it could be for and number of reasons from the tune to the new heads. I never had to shut down the 12, but it was warmer on the legs in slow traffic than the 15. After making the change I would do it again just to get the new frontend and the better brakes. Also, the 15 seemed cooler right out of the dealers door and had I not wanted to make some changes for a bit more pulling power I would have left it stock and rode the snot out of it.

 

[hogcowboy]

Guy in the Legion has a 13 and according to him it gets quite warm so maybe just make sure you stay away from the 13. He also said he took a 14 out and wishes he would have waited. Just food for thought even though you never mentioned 13 models. Sometimes a price can be tempting.

 

[Beorn of Ga]

I had 2011 and spent a small fortune trying to get rid of the heat on my legs. I changed the entire exhaust system, eliminated the catalytic converter, installed a tuner, and installed heat shields. I now have stock 2014 and it"s cooler on my legs than the modified 2011. On the 2011 I also changed the seat and installed a Legends air suspension to improve the ride. My stock 2014 rides better than the modified 2011. I do recommend installing the DK rear lift. I had the lift on the 2011 and now on my 2014. In both cases it improved the handling and provided more clearance for the muffler tips. I don't know why HD doesn't make a design change and include the additional lift with stock Trikes. The only complaint I have is the lousy GPS system provided with the 2014 / 15 Triglides.

 

[DK Custom Products]

I am wanting to know from some who have owned the older Tri-Glides and now the 14 or 15 Tri-Glides. I am wanting to get a new one mainly for the cooling system on the 14's and 15's but do you really notice much of a difference on heat generated while riding from the older ones to the new ones? Also do the older ones overheat and cause you to have to shut down? I am wanting to make the best decision I can but money does not grow on trees or I would get a 15 today. Thanks for your input.

I've owned a 2011 TG, and now own a 2014 TG. After I did some mods to the 2011 I ws very happy with it. Did not trade it for any reason other than the Dealership gave me a deal that was too good to pass up. The link below is to a thread of what I did to get rid of the excessive heat on the 2011.

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/thre...ve-heat-on-my-2011-Tri-Glide?highlight=Cooler


This link below is about the 2014 and the differences between it and the non-waterheads.


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

Kevin

 

[msocko3]

I am wanting to know from some who have owned the older Tri-Glides and now the 14 or 15 Tri-Glides. I am wanting to get a new one mainly for the cooling system on the 14's and 15's but do you really notice much of a difference on heat generated while riding from the older ones to the new ones? Also do the older ones overheat and cause you to have to shut down? I am wanting to make the best decision I can but money does not grow on trees or I would get a 15 today. Thanks for your input.

I've been meaning to ride a 14 or 15, just haven't gotten around to it. I can tell you that any air cooled engine can be overheated, even one with some liquid cooling around the exhaust valves like the 14 and later Triglide.

This past summer my dad and I got caught in some nasty stop and go traffic on I90 through Chicago, the ambient temp was 95 and it was humid. In order to keep the engine cool you need to be able to maintain at least 30 mph, if you only get a little creep at 10 - 15 and then sit for a couple minutes and do it all over again, it's going to get hotter than a popcorn fart.

In my dads case, all the kings horses and all the kings men, including Harley Davidsons EIMTS couldn't keep things from getting ugly. His 09 Triglide lasted about 30 minutes in this before it started pinging, bucking and belching some smoke from the air cleaner. He ended sitting along side the road for a good hour before it got cool enough to go on his way. It ended up loosening the bolts for his derby causing it to leak, ruined the primary fluid, and finished ruining the rear cylinder requiring the top end to be re-done.


Now some of my thoughts on the 14 and later. At the end of the day it is still an air cooled engine. All Harley Davidson did was cool the area around the Exhaust valve, this was to help rider comfort and help the valve live a little longer. You still have no water cooled cylinders, cases or primary, friction is your enemy. If you expose a 14 and later to the same abuse my dads 09 suffered, the end result will be about the same. The only difference is the 14 and later may last just a touch longer before they melt down.

Now this is an extreme example, most people go for nice rides in the country, they tool around home. If you put a lot of miles on traveling through big cities, this can happen since your at the mercy of the traffic.

You have options which will work on all Triglides and the Freewheeler. You can improve the oil cooling by going to a larger oil cooler with a fan on the 09-13 Triglides and Freewheeler, on the 14 and later Triglide you'd have to find a place to mount a cooler since the water pump is in the same location Harley places the oil cooler on non liquid cooler engines. You can invest in fans which blow from the left side of the engine across the heads, they make them in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. The fan blowing across the heads will make your right leg a touch uncomfortable, but your engine will survive the knarly traffic jam without a whole lot of damage.

If the stop and go is too aggressive you might get the clutch pretty hot, not much you can do for it except replace it once it gives up the ghost.

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

This past summer my dad and I got caught in some nasty stop and go traffic on I90 through Chicago, the ambient temp was 95 and it was humid. In order to keep the engine cool you need to be able to maintain at least 30 mph, if you only get a little creep at 10 - 15 and then sit for a couple minutes and do it all over again, it's going to get hotter than a popcorn fart.

That is some nasty traffic .. was in that on my way to wing dings in 04 ... my 04 wing overheated ... fortunately, just spewed coolant .. pulled over, waited ... got off the highway ... found more coolant

 

[Moe55]

I was stuck in traffic for about half an hour last summer in 90 degree heat on my 14 trike. Was it warm yes but not uncomfortable. Had an 05 Ultra stock before the trike 10 minutes of traffic and felt like my pants were going to catch fire.

 

[msocko3]

That is some nasty traffic .. was in that on my way to wing dings in 04 ... my 04 wing overheated ... fortunately, just spewed coolant .. pulled over, waited ... got off the highway ... found more coolant

My 2012 Wing never got warmer than the nomal area of the temp gauge. The only time mine started to get warm was when the traffic would hold a constant 10 - 15 mph, not enough air over the radiators to cool it. When the traffic would stop my temp gauge would drop like a rock, I only once got kind of concerned when the gauge was 3/4 of the way up.

 

[woodmnctry]

Recommendations for oil cooler?

 

[msocko3]

Recommendations for oil cooler?

I've had good luck with Jagg oil coolers http://www.jagg.com/, the best prices I've found is from Direct Cycle Parts http://www.directcycleparts.com/adv...7455b2736cc4450f4fc77e845&image.x=0&image.y=0.

If your riding a 09-13 Triglide 15 Freewheeler you choices are quite broad, if your riding a 14 and later Triglide you are limited due to the water pump being placed where the oil cooler normally goes. On those who can't use the normal mounting place they could check with Oil Bud for fitment https://harleyoilcoolers.com/product-category/touring-aftermarket-ready/.

 

[woodmnctry]

Cooler would be for the wife's 2011 --- I was also looking at the Bud's version --- has anyone tried that unit?

 

[DK Custom Products]

Cooler would be for the wife's 2011 --- I was also looking at the Bud's version --- has anyone tried that unit?

I have on a waterhead. It is expensive and does not work very well because the water pump blocks most of the air that would flow over the cooler.

I just wrote about in this thread-

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threa...e-Today/page36

For the 2011, you already have a low mount oil cooler...that is also going to block a good bit of the air that would normally flow over the oil bud oil cooler.

I think you would do better to replace the stock factory oil cooler with this one-

Jagg Fan Assisted Oil Cooler

OR

Leave the stock one on and add a 2nd oil cooler to the downtube or under the body.

You can see what I did with my 2011 in this thread-

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threa...ghlight=Cooler

Kevin

 

[msocko3]

Cooler would be for the wife's 2011 --- I was also looking at the Bud's version --- has anyone tried that unit?

I've never used it, I've read only good things about it. The Jagg low mount with the fan is a nice upgrade, even a swap to the Jagg low mount 10 row is an upgrade over the factory installed oil cooler.

 

[woodmnctry]

Thanks for the info -- I will look into the Jag unit

 

[screwball]

Wife rode an '09, '11, and now has a '14. I rode an '09, now a '15 Freewheeler. All were stock, all had the Cat intact, all had original headers with slip-on mufflers. The only changes we made to any of them was floor board extenders. Wife says none of her trikes were hotter or cooler than her Deluxe or her Nightrain. She did burn her leg on her Sportie a very long time ago, but it was parked, and she backed into the hot pipe. Any bike will get hot in traffic or idling for a long time. Engine blocks radiate heat, the best thing you can do is keep your legs away from the motor. I doubt if there is any doo-dad you can bolt on that will lower the heat when stuck in traffic. Fans will just blow the heat on your legs.

Super oil coolers will lower the oil temp about 30*. So now the head temp will be 370* instead of 400*. Removing the cat will not cool down the 1200* exhaust gas in the head pipe. When all else fails, move your leg

Good Luck