How hot is too hot?

[henzilla]

Welcome to the forum RL

The liquid cooled bikes fair way better in hot stop-n-go than the oil/air cooled models...or should!
What generation K1200? A failing fan may not show up in codes.

 

[nelliott]

Then there's those of us in the Pacific Northwet where we can and do ride year around. But I have to admit that 80F is getting almost too hot for me.

Here...this will cool you down.

View attachment 56713

Chris

Amen to all of that!

 

[ka5ysy]

Those in the south ask how can we stand to have 3 months every winter we can't ride, when they have 4 months they can't either.

We Swamp People in south Louisiana routinely get mid 90's with 60-80% humidity which give heat indexes into the 115-120 range most afternoons 2-7PM or so. We get used to riding in a sauna and dress appropriately (lots of mesh gear) and hydration packs to replace the lost liquids. Moving on the bike is not really a problem as we have plenty of evaporation to cool us. What becomes problematic for those of us who teach motorcycle classes is the range areas get into the 115 degree real temperatures and heat indexes to the dangerous level. This year we made the decision that there will only be morning riding starting 0730 so we can avoid the afternoon heat blast. It is not fun having students going into heat exhaustion or sometime early heat stroke which happens with frightening speed if not watched closely. Trying to ride in any kind of gear darker than light weight white, bright yellow or orange, or light khaki will cause problems very quickly.

One thing I did add to the RT for the heat is the RT-P cooling fan. Keeps the engine cool and happy. It sounds cool too. Kind of like a turbine whine that mystifies the HD crowd wondering what the heck it is.


Much prefer heat and warm to shoveling snow and freezing. Got that T-shirt in the Army in Europe and west Asia.

 

[RYD1WD]

I always take articles that recommend a specific product with a grain of salt. Although I do agree with the points about mesh gear and evaporative cooling, I just don't like the recommending a specific product even when they say....or similar....

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Marc, I use that article as reference for a larger presentation I do on managing core temp health... and I make reference to Klim gear because it's what I use and know... I wouldn't expect anyone to reference gear that they haven't used enough to apply some relatively objective metrics to, and frankly wouldn't lend that approach much credibility.

 

[bob_m]

June 14th, about 6" of snow fell at Timberline Lodge. Slush at pass elevations.

 

[saddleman]

It's never been to hot for me. I ride every day regardless of the weather. A motorcycle is just transportation for me.

 

[greenwald]

It's never been to hot for me. I ride every day regardless of the weather. A motorcycle is just transportation for me.

Lucky you!

Wisconsin weather not so accommodating.

At the Vintage Motorcycle Event (ARMA) last weekend at Road America, hundreds of BMW's from all era's present, but those K1200LT's are, IMHO, still some of the prettiest BMW's off the line.

 

[advenbob]

Expecing 119-122 this weekend in Southern and Southwester Az. Could go higher in the desert between Phx and the Calif border. Cranking up the a/c and don't think I.ll be riding the bike this weekend

 

[rockbottom]

I did a multiday VA-WV ride a few years back where it was triple digits by 10 AM every day including one 550 mile day. I was fine in a mesh jacket and Draggin jeans. I just had to be particularly careful to stay hydrated.

 

[shortythorne]

Wisconsin weather not so accommodating.

Kevin,

Was at Road America for the MotoAmerica races on the 3rd-5, and nearly froze my arse off! Then warmed up on Sunday, and had to open all my vents on my riding jacket. Also, rode through two awful storms while trying to leave Wisconsin! Was starting to think this Southerner wasn't welcome .

 

[greenwald]

Kevin,

Was at Road America for the MotoAmerica races on the 3rd-5, and nearly froze my arse off! Then warmed up on Sunday, and had to open all my vents on my riding jacket. Also, rode through two awful storms while trying to leave Wisconsin! Was starting to think this Southerner wasn't welcome .

You southern folks always welcome!

Was there for that one too - saw some nice races.

Unbelievable how fast those super-bikes move along the straightaway and then lean into Turn One!

 

[shortythorne]

You southern folks always welcome!

Was there for that one too - saw some nice races.

Unbelievable how fast those super-bikes move along the straightaway and then lean into Turn One!

I absolutely love Wisconsin, and if I wasn't a wuss and could stand the winters, I'd move up there.

 

[saddleman]

Lucky you!

Wisconsin weather not so accommodating.

At the Vintage Motorcycle Event (ARMA) last weekend at Road America, hundreds of BMW's from all era's present, but those K1200LT's are, IMHO, still some of the prettiest BMW's off the line.

I rode year round when I lived in Michigan. Riding to work in Michigan some days my feet never left the ground for 20 miles.

 

[mwatrous]

Today my bikes thermometer was showing 110 on my lunch ride. I work 10 miles from my house so while its hot that is not too bad. The problem comes in trying to ride longer distances, anything over 105 is pretty miserable for me. Last year it was 100 so I'm making progress.

I wear a full face helmet, gloves, mesh jacket and boots plus my work attire witch includes a tie.

 

[ricochetrider]

I ride purely for recreation with the occasional commute. No matter the temps, I definitely ride in gear; if not full ATTGAT, at least long pants, boots, gloves, and helmet. With that said, I've got a low and high temp cut-off- unless I happen to be traveling by bike, then whatever the weather is doing is of no or little consequence.
This varies by bike- my older Brit bikes have no fairing, so I'll go hotter on them. My BMWs have fairings and heated grips, so I'll ride colder on them.

I agree with the acclimatiztion theorists, but I often work outdoors in summertime. In the entertainment industry, that can mean long strenuous hours at any hour of day and night, sometimes darn near around the clock. Since I mostly ride for fun, generally if I'm working long hard hours outdoors, I don't then hop on the bike on my first day off in summertime! I am fully, 100% acclimatized to heat during this period.

I also agree that this is largely subjective, as in everybody has their own threshold. I rode a couple hundred miles today for the pure heck of it. Temps were in the mid-high 80s (F). LOTS of bikes out, everywhere I went, even a few BMWs! I gotta say, the guys in "wife-beater" Ts with apehangers are probably getting rapid cooling, and that's not to say I think they are "cool".

Hydration is important always, more so in hot weather, as is keeping the electrolytes up. I know stuff happens quickly, but I'll never understand folks who let themselves get overheated, after ignoring a stream of warning signals from their bodies.

 

[henzilla]

We went for a bike ride into town for breakfast this morning (pedals included) , came home right before noon and this readout shortly after. Unusually hot already with high heat indexes.



Pretty much inside until sundown!

 

[ItsPhilD]

We went for a bike ride into town for breakfast this morning (pedals included) , came home right before noon and this readout shortly after. Unusually hot already with high heat indexes.

View attachment 56942

Pretty much inside until sundown!

Saw 108 on my RT this morning at about 11:30. Just when you thought you got out early enough for a breakfast ride you discover that you didn't.

 

[markaz]

Official high in Phoenix today was 111F. That's at the airport. It was 106 at our place. We're about 25 miles from the airport out away from the so-called heat islands so it's usually 5 or 6 deg cooler out here, year round. At 8:00 PM it's still over 100 at the airport, about 96 here. Humidity is <10%. Forecast is 118 for tomorrow so we'll probably see 112 or so at our place. Way too hot to ride, for me anyway, altho I was out yesterday in about 100 deg test riding my Honda CT90 that I'm finishing up an engine rebuild on.

 

[SeabeckS]

Official high in Phoenix today was 111F. That's at the airport. It was 106 at our place. We're about 25 miles from the airport out away from the so-called heat islands so it's usually 5 or 6 deg cooler out here, year round. At 8:00 PM it's still over 100 at the airport, about 96 here. Humidity is <10%. Forecast is 118 for tomorrow so we'll probably see 112 or so at our place. Way too hot to ride, for me anyway, altho I was out yesterday in about 100 deg test riding my Honda CT90 that I'm finishing up an engine rebuild on.

Even though we lived in Nevada, hottest ride ever was leaving Phoenix westbound on the 10 in October, 1981. Before getting on the freeway I noticed a temperature sign on a bank, which indicated 108 degrees. Shortly after getting on the road, there must have been an accident up ahead. Stop and go traffic seemed to last forever. My Suzi 850 was pinging like crazy, but I was afraid to shut it off. Most miserable afternoon I'd ever had on a bike. Think that heat fried the regulator/rectifier in the bike, next morning in San Bernadino the bike would not start. Pushed the bike to a service station and talked them into putting a full charge on the battery, and after disconnecting the headlight, managed to make it home to northern Nevada before sundown.

Happy to live in the Pacific Northwet these days! When people here complain about the weather...I just laugh.

PS. A toasty 63 on the Hood Canal this afternoon.

 

[Ponch1]

Today my bikes thermometer was showing 110 on my lunch ride. I work 10 miles from my house so while its hot that is not too bad. The problem comes in trying to ride longer distances, anything over 105 is pretty miserable for me. Last year it was 100 so I'm making progress.

I wear a full face helmet, gloves, mesh jacket and boots plus my work attire witch includes a tie.

I've seen 119 on the 202 a Couple years back.