Hello COG!
I love my 93 Connie w/103K, purchased in '14 with 62K. Joined COG, and much appreciate it. New to forums. This is 1st post. Usual J-box issues when I got her, but she ran great otherwise, and I started touring. Just the usual maintenance. However, I just couldn't stand the heat in July and August. Not much help from the stock plastic scoops on the sides. She cooked me from boots to upper legs.
Tried sealing more inside, around the engine, hoping to make the big side vents more efficient, but no luck. Left side almost no hot air at all exiting the vent, and the right side had a little, that just slid back along the side panel, and onto my leg. The vents weren't working much, probably due to shape of the fairing itself. Too high of pressure in the vent at normal riding. Heat coming out of her everywhere. Considered air wings and heat shields, but neither appealed much, or did anything to make the vents themselves function better. Thinking about the cooling flaps that I'd seen on aircraft engines, which are opened to help cooling while taxiing, I decided to try something similar. Vent flaps..
Made several sizes and shapes, and finally settled on 9" high, sticking out 4", and attached by two screws each, into blocks with T-nuts behind the side panel, for quick install/removal. Have had them on through last summer, and just installed them again. They work. Above 35 mph. At speed, there is now a bunch of hot air coming out of both vents, into the flap pressure shadow. 150 degF air stream ends up passing 2" outside of my leg (except in strong crosswind). Why they stick out 4". Boots, ankles, shins, thighs get air slightly above ambient temp, flowing back-to-front behind the fairing and my cut down CBailey screen. Nothing but cool air down at the carbs, with the vent flaps on. And they help in the rain, too. In winter, vent flaps off, she is still really warm, but I carry the flaps in the side cases in case I go south. 5 minutes to put them on when crossing the Florida line...
Have added bar risers, and a few other small farkles, but nothing that improves my summer riding like the vent flaps. $10 of 0.025" aluminum from Lowes. Pretty homely looking, but cool at last, and riding all summer. Will try to attach photos....
DaveSz
I love my 93 Connie w/103K, purchased in '14 with 62K. Joined COG, and much appreciate it. New to forums. This is 1st post. Usual J-box issues when I got her, but she ran great otherwise, and I started touring. Just the usual maintenance. However, I just couldn't stand the heat in July and August. Not much help from the stock plastic scoops on the sides. She cooked me from boots to upper legs.
Tried sealing more inside, around the engine, hoping to make the big side vents more efficient, but no luck. Left side almost no hot air at all exiting the vent, and the right side had a little, that just slid back along the side panel, and onto my leg. The vents weren't working much, probably due to shape of the fairing itself. Too high of pressure in the vent at normal riding. Heat coming out of her everywhere. Considered air wings and heat shields, but neither appealed much, or did anything to make the vents themselves function better. Thinking about the cooling flaps that I'd seen on aircraft engines, which are opened to help cooling while taxiing, I decided to try something similar. Vent flaps..
Made several sizes and shapes, and finally settled on 9" high, sticking out 4", and attached by two screws each, into blocks with T-nuts behind the side panel, for quick install/removal. Have had them on through last summer, and just installed them again. They work. Above 35 mph. At speed, there is now a bunch of hot air coming out of both vents, into the flap pressure shadow. 150 degF air stream ends up passing 2" outside of my leg (except in strong crosswind). Why they stick out 4". Boots, ankles, shins, thighs get air slightly above ambient temp, flowing back-to-front behind the fairing and my cut down CBailey screen. Nothing but cool air down at the carbs, with the vent flaps on. And they help in the rain, too. In winter, vent flaps off, she is still really warm, but I carry the flaps in the side cases in case I go south. 5 minutes to put them on when crossing the Florida line...
Have added bar risers, and a few other small farkles, but nothing that improves my summer riding like the vent flaps. $10 of 0.025" aluminum from Lowes. Pretty homely looking, but cool at last, and riding all summer. Will try to attach photos....
DaveSz