CSC and Dust under seat area

[flynng]

I posted this under the conversion forum, but thought it might get a little more visibility here.


I have a CSC Daytona kit on an 08 FLHTCU and was wondering what the rest of you do about the debris and dust blowing up under the seat and under the tourpack. On my trike, this area is wide open. The body is cut out around the tour pack mounts and with the original fender removed, it is open through to the road. Would be a mess in the rain.

Do the rest of you have this issue. Rode with Patriot Guard on escort for a funeral down a dirt road. Went to put away helmet, and the tourpack had a layer of dust in it, passsenger seat was coverer and the small padded backrest that hangs below the tourpack rest was covered in dust.

This is not the first time, but was horrible after that short run down a dirt rode.

Do you close in that area, or ????

Thanks

[Mr.Wizard]

Nature of the beast you may say.

HD, being air cooled, must have air passage ways to keep air moving from the rear of the motor. Trikes are vulnerable due to the atmospheric bubble effect the fenders add. So, they get hot easier than two wheels.

Just behind your rear cylinder and under the seat is the mid frame plate. Notice the hole(s) in the frame plate. That's where the dust is pushed to get under your seat and inside your side covers. That hole can't be blocked as it also adds air movement across the battery, electrical components and the ECM. To the ABS unit too if you have one.

If you have HD mid frame deflectors the gathering of air and or the redirection of air if forced to hit the frame and pushed under the seat even more drastically. That's great in winter when you need a heated seat.

An aftermarket deflector such as No More Fried Thighs will not scoop and pack the air, it will redirect it to the sides and down. It does a much better job of keeping the rear cylinder cool and the heat from the rider as well as reducing the dust and dirt from under your seat.

[flynng]

Thanks for the reply

It does have the pan under the middle, what I am talking about is at the top, where the seat sits on the frame and the tourpak sits on the frame, The body kit is cut out around these two areas basically the body is shaped like a U with the center open around the upper frame and the original tour pack mounting rails. Is this normal? I have closed up the opening under the tourpak with 1/8 high den. foam rubber and am considering closing up the area between the frame members where the seat rests. This is the area where the orginal fender would have been.

Thoughts, suggestions, anything?

Thanks

[Mr.Wizard]

This is all normal. If you close it up then you will effect air flow from the motor and more so from the rear cylinder. It's best to leave it open. I see you are from TX. Hot days now and more ahead.

An engineer friend of mine was working on a scoop and electric fans to pull the air across the battery area and the seat to the rear axle. This would be a good idea but not practical or needed IMO.

With my PGR missions I had somewhat the same issue with the Motor Trike body. It's open as you say in the rear. Roads aren't as dusty in Atlanta but it just became normal maintenance for me to remove everything and blow it out with compressed air then windex it to a shine.

[flynng]

Thanks again for responding. I question this because several of the kits retain the original center fender, such as Roadsmith, etc. Some shorten the fender instead of removing it. I don't see how closing up the area under the seat and tourpak would affect air flow across the motor as the original design had this area occupied by the rear tire and fender. Just my thinking. Makes no sense to me that this area needs to be open.

Thanks

[Mr.Wizard]

It's fun to think about why and to simply analyze the mfg reasoning though isn't it.

Motor Trike must cut the rear fender just behind the seat retaining bolt. The rest of the rear fender will get in the way of their rear end design and mounts. I assume CSC is the same way.

As for air flow, the changes are due to the addition of the rear fenders. I tried to explain this a little in the first few paragraphs here. http://www.triketalk.com/forum/harle...-heat-b-c.html

[flynng]

I agree with your comments about heat and adding body, fenders, etc and the affect. My questions and comments concern the open area under the seat and further back. This area is blocked by the seat and the tourpak, although some air is flowing or there would be no dust. As you mentioned, some conversions have part of the fender removed, some all, some none. This is what makes me question the need for the area where the top frame rails are (seat rests on these) on back to the tourpak needing to be open to the ground. Looking down through the area, I see the CSC belt drive unit, lower pan, etc. I am thinking that closing the area up, to make it look more like it did when the center fender was there would have no down side. If Mototrike, Roadsmith, and other leave all or part of the fender, what do I loose by doing similar by closing the area? I am just looking for feed back and other's thoughts on this, and I thank you for yours. I think I will close off the area under the tourpak with HD sheet foam and test, then work forward. Right now, it is still 100+ every day, so not much riding for me. This is a good time for mods.