Savage_Greg wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:


Greg_650, first i should say thank you for continuing to humor yourself with me and my challenge! Same style jeans, areas were just approx. 1/2inch apart.  I do not think I want my jeans to touch it at 400 degrees! It has been 85-90 degrees and so humid you can barely breathe around here lately. Bike seems to run right, except occassionally gears not engaging on first attempt during downshifting.

Paula71 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:


Ah, Humor, a wonderful thing....but I'm not doing this at your expense.  Really.  And trust me, this isn't just a challenge for you...we're all in this one

Don't get me wrong, but if I don't ask what seems to be the silliest, strangest or the most redundant of questions for things that are rather inconceiveable and outrageous anyway, we'll never figure it out.  After all, I'm pretty sure that "Jeans on Fire" is not listed in the troubleshooting section of the manual.  Okay?

Never realized the actual temperature of the engine parts, did you?  Most people don't either.  We're all too used to watching a water temp gage in a car and worrying if it gets up to boiling.  So the idea of temps like that can be surprising.  Just remember this is an air cooled engine just like your lawnmower....

The head/cylinder metal can easily reach those temps; especially near the exhaust port.  The temps inside your exhaust header pipe are even higher than that, as there is pretty close to an open flame going on there.

Oh, did I mention that the cooling fins on the engine do work?  Way out on the edges, it isn't nearly as hot as it is at the bottom of those fins....heat is dissipated into the air and water (and clothing) that comes in contact with them....so they are most likely not actually 400.

You aren't mad at me, are you?  I am trying to help.  

So, let me ask, do you iron your jeans?

8)

Paula71 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:


Do you have a digital camera?  Maybe you could sit on the bike and have someone shoot a picture of your leg with your foot on the peg.....an idea....

Savage_Greg wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:


Sometimes it works , sometimes it doesn't (the camera). It is an idea though.

Maybe it was answered and I missed it but someone asked about the fabric of the jeans.  That could play a part.  I mean, I wear basic cotton jeans but my wife likes so-called stretch denim which has a lot of synthetic content.  It's just a possibility.

Here's a bandaid.
Leather Legs

I wear them but not for heat protection.  Although there is a slight shiny spot on the leather of my right one where I appear to have touched the exhaust once.

Well, I left the Leather Legs at home this morning so I could check this out a little more.  It was 79 F on the ride in so it was too cool to tell anything.  It'll be better when it's 97 F this evening.  I'm not sure it'll be a decent comparison though, since I'm still wearing boots and my header still has that ugly-ass wrap on it.  I really need to take that stuff off.  It insulates well but I think it's just plain unsightly.

Yeah, I think someone mentioned the possibility of a different grade of oil earlier but I don't recall a response.  I was curious too.

If you feel that much heat and even suspect the oil is too thin/light weight, I'd change it.  I am very satisfied with Maxum 4 Extra synthetic and don't get clutch slippage.  However, to make it as simple and easy as possible, just get a plain old 15w50 dino oil and replace yours.  Then see if you have the same symptoms.  I don't know about anyone else, but that's what I'd do.