| Author | Message | ||
     Bdrag |
Hey all, Need an informed opinion please. I finally got my comfort kit in the mail. Its freaking hot here and my garage is almost unberable at 100 plus with a fan running. So I strip down to a pair of undies and go out and get started. Reading on the install sheet about the shroud around the shock I threw my hands up and said SCREW IT! I have the Heat Barrier Blanket that Special Ops Odie makes. It looks to me like it will basically do almost as much or maybe as much good as that OMG SOMDABITCH to install plastic part. I went ahead with the install of the heat shield and the scoop. Seems to me that with the Scoop, Shield and Blanket that 90% of the air will flow down and away as designed even without the plastic shock shield. Now with that said, what good does the reflash do as far as helping cool or knock the hot air off the rider? Is the fan slowed or cut off to allow more naturally funneled air to pass through the fan as opposed to it spinning to fast and blocking the airs exit due to accesive air flow or volume? Get technical on me boyzzzzz. HAhahaaaaaa. Not re flashing gonna hurt the way it works especially with my bastardized set up? BDRAG | ||
| Whisperstealth |
You might still want the cowling. It'll make life real nice. On the other hand, come winter, you can take off the blanket, and have a warmer seat. The cowling is not that hard to put on. EG came up with an easy want to do it. You take off the seat frame rails. | ||
| Hughlysses |
The shroud is worth the trouble to install. One thing it does that Odie's heat shield doesn't is to keep hot air off the ECM. | ||
| Tk052 |
Bdrag, Installation of that shroud is not difficult, but does take a bit of patience. It is a slight pain in the ass but better than a hot one! I noticed a big difference. Last but not least, You in the garage in your undies.... Lets not go there! | ||
| Itileman |
The comfort kit install at your dealer should be 2 - 3 hrs. You'd be much cooler in a thong. Have been riding in the 90's (temps, not speed) and the kit is worth every penny. | ||
| Bdrag |
Tk052 In my compression shorts anyway but undies sounded better! HAHahahaaaaaa. I have a 9 foot tall sliding gate across the driveway so do not think the neighbors were in shock if they drove down the alley way. HAHahaaaaaaaaaaa. BDRAG | ||
| Bdrag |
Hey all, Rode for over an hour in temps in the mid 90's this mornin. Man does the partial kit and Special ops blanket work! Not even an issue at all with heat. So don't know for sure now if I will do the under seat shroud since whats installed works so well. Keep the comments comming though because I am still not sure about the ECM flash thing. BDRAG | ||
| Rwven |
The underseat shroud is the best part of the kit. Keeps a load of heat out of the underseat area. The fan reprogram is a real plus also, heck Erik Buell Racing even uses it on their race ECM. | ||
| Bdrag |
Rwven So what exactly changes in the fan operation? The fan reprogram. Why is it better? How is it better maybe a better question? BDRAG | ||
| Dio |
The fan is going to run more - alot more, with the reflash. I have 2 RCKs installed - on my Uly and Lightning Long, without the fan shroud, and have no plans to install either one. I have heat shields similar to the front section of Odie's 2 piece long, that I routed under the ECM to keep it cooler. Any one need a fan shroud from the RCK? I have 2 for sale. | ||
| Itileman |
From what I've experienced, it runs most if not all the time while riding, keeping the engine cooler to start with. It will run after the bike is shut off if it's really hot. No impact on performance (running straight stock bike) - would do it again. | ||
| Idaho_buelly |
Bdrag, I guess the idea of the fan reprogram is that the fan runs as soon as the speed gets to 15mph and faster,as soon as the speed comes back down to 15mph and lower it stops,I have had it come on at a stop light when really hot out,not very often tho,and I've never had it come on after shut down(for me)..It removes the heat thru the "plastic shroud" to exit near the shock area not allowing the heat to go under the seat where the ECM is..My right side frame still gets hot on a hot(95-100 deg)day from the rear cyl.I look at it as just the nature of the beast!..To me,the fan reprogram does help w/the other pieces as well.Some people claim that below a certain temp. there is a possibility of losing the shock seal,I think it's in the owners manual too I think it was below 55 deg.?..Anyhow,w/the shroud on, it's blowing hot air off the engine on to the shock keeping it warmer and not losing the seals??I've rode mine in the 30's and never had issues..Just a thought.Haha...Hope this helps you..Good luck!....Tim  | ||
| Ratbuell |
Hm. Any of you folks who aren't using the underseat duct...I need one. Mine's cracked from a too-cold install.  | ||
| Sanchez |
The shroud install looks really daunting, but it isn't that bad once you get started. > the fan runs as soon as the speed gets to 15mph and faster That actually sounds really nice. Is there a fan reflash for 06-07? I think I read somewhere that it's only for 08+ | ||
| Hughlysses |
Sanchez- yep, the re-flash is available only for 08-09's. The 2010's come that way from the factory. | ||
| Mnrider |
My fan should last forever cause it only comes on at shutdown or hot days 2 up. The shroud just takes time but it's worth it. 100 mile ride in the 85 degrees 2 up this weekend and the fan only came on at shutdown. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
I installed my shroud the 'not recommended' way of just forcing it in without removing much of anything (other than the ecm). Took less than 15 minutes, and worked like a charm. I was against the flash for a long time, making the fan run 100 times more will surely make it fail earlier... But in the end, I read reports that the engine runs noticeably cooler, and therefor doesn't lose near as much power when the going gets hot, so I went ahead and had it flashed. I haven't read of a toasted fan on any of the newer models, so I assume they've upgraded it since years past when there were fan failures. I'd do it again the same way again. | ||
| Uly_dude |
I second what MNrider says. I hooked up my right side scoop and the underseat shroud, no reflash. The fan runs only half as much as it used to, which tells me the new plastic is doing what it should be, keeping things cool. It takes alot of work for the fan to come on while it's rolling down the road. Hey Ratbuell, I have an extra shroud for you. I'll PM you. | ||
| Tankhead |
Uly_dude if you or any others have any extra shrouds please pm me. tanks | ||
| Gambito |
I'm bothered by the extra heat directed at the shock. While out for a long ride on a hot day, it almost feels like the damper is shot. Rebound control gets weak... Haven't been out since, but I hope it was only due to heat. | ||
| Blasterd |
-second in line if anyone has an extra underseat shroud. I bought a RSS when I bought the bike, should have got the whole darn kit. Riding in Florida the Uly gets very hot... I have not had the reflash, didn't figure it would do any good without the shroud. | ||
| Blasterd |
replied to the PM Dio... | ||
| Hughlysses |
Once you see what the underseat shroud does, you can probably figure out a way to rig something to serve the same function. You just want to force the air from the fan to exit down and around the rear shock. You might be able to use sheet metal (RTV in place), adhesive backed aluminum HVAC tape, etc. | ||
| Hotrod54 |
installed mine in about 4 hours, had to read and reread the installation instructions, however its very worth it. probably the best money I've spent with the exception of my palmer windshield brackets. | ||
| Griffmeister |
Just got my kit in the mail yesterday,woohoo.Just looked at the instructions,ewww!Now I see why everyone's forcing the deflector in under the seat.Remove half the bike,install deflector,reinstall half the bike,refer to service manual.Yeah right.This weekend looks good,guess I'll leave the plastic in the sun to soften up. | ||
| Tankhead |
I replied also to your PM Dio. I am interested (Message edited by tankhead on August 06, 2010) | ||
| Sanchez |
The real question here is "Does the comfort kit eliminate right leg heat?" And the answer is no, it does not. It reduces the heat, but it doesn't eliminate it. I just got exasperated and put some tape over the gap between the seat and the frame on that side, and that made a big improvement. I was hoping the reflash would be available for 06 models, since running the fan fixes the leg burn. | ||
| Hughlysses |
The real question here is "Does the comfort kit eliminate right leg heat?" And the answer is no, it does not. It reduces the heat, but it doesn't eliminate it. I just got exasperated and put some tape over the gap between the seat and the frame on that side, and that made a big improvement. That is very true. In many cases, installing the comfort kit will actually make right leg heat WORSE until the fan kicks on. The right side scoop pressurizes the frame and this heated air will blow out of the openings in the top of the frame above the rear cylinder head and out of the gap between the bottom of the seat and the right hand frame rail, roasting your inner thigh. Once the fan kicks on, it draws all this hot air out of the frame and stops the blast furnace coming out on your right thigh. I initially used weather stripping on the frame to seal this gap and that works pretty well. The only drawback to this is you still have a significant amount of hot air blowing under the seat, heating the bottom of the seat, the ECM and battery, etc. I recently went back and replaced that with adhesive backed aluminum foil HVAC tape to close off the frame openings on both sides which will hopefully keep EVERYTHING under the seat cooler. If you really want the fan to run, you might look into the mod some of the guys have done to elminate "skip spark" issues by adding a manual switch to force the fan to run. There's at least a thread or two here on the subject. (Message edited by Hughlysses on August 06, 2010) | ||
| Romanrider |
I just installed my comfort kit; took me about 4 hours taking my time and not always having the perfect tool to get at some of the fasteners. I removed the frame rails like EG suggested and I still ended up removing the trunk pan and everything. I don't know I it was really necessary to shorten the vent hose by the shock. Time to schedule my 1000 mi service & have them do the reflash. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Ulydude - I did get your PM, sorry for the delay. No spare header heat shield though, sorry.... |
