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[Randy C]

I just completed the addition of vented lowers to my 09 SERG,changed all the brackets and had them painted to match.I don't know if I am  going to keep them or not .It seems to make the bike run much hotter even with the vents open and takes away some of the performance.I also have a problem seeing through the windshield as it changed the height or angle with the new brackets.I have Vance and Himes x pipe with a powerer commander 5 installed.A tuner told me that if I had the bike retuned with the lowers on it would help.Any thoughts would be appreciated

[HOGMIKE]

You can remove the doors, it helps a little.
A GOOD tune will help a bunch.
 

[Midnight Rider]

There is kind of an ongoing debate about whether the lowers make the ENGINE acutally run hotter, or if the rider's perception of added heat is the thing.  Certainly, the lowers block air flow to the rider...that's their purpose.  But whether they actually reduce cooling to the engine is debatable, IMO.  I have yet to see any hard proof that engine temps rise with lowers installed.  Rider comfort?  That's a different question.

I leave mine on year round, and I live in Alabama, where it's hot as Hades in the Summer.  But everyone's tolerance to heat is different.  I've gotten where I just don't like riding when the temps get much over 90 degrees...old age, I guess.  Sweat running down my butt crack is not something enjoyable to me any longer.

Windshield height can be changed pretty easily by taking it to a glass shop and having them cut it down some...or just get a different windshield.  Heat management can certainly be helped with a proper tune as well.

[Randy C]

Thanks for the info and laugh I can really feel the heat especially on my feet and my wife says she notices a big difference.I noticed the oil is running hotter with them on also.I don't want to change my tune ,Chris from cycle solutions did my last two bikes and did a great job but I haven't talked to anyone that can actually say they can tune it with the lowers installed and make the bike run cooler  and how much performance I will lose. I spent a lot of money changing everything over so I could run lowers but not sure what to do from here

[dartman]

Randy Ran lowers on both my 110's and never had a problem, I had the standard non vented lowers on my SERG and and it actually felt like more air was funneled to the engine, Michigan seldom get higher then 90 degrees, I can see where southern climes might feel the heat more.

[10SE5]

I take mine off in the spring, summer and fall.

[Johnnie Nap]

lets see a pic.was it hard to get the paint to match ?

[timo482]

i read once - "somewhere" from some guy claiming hd development work at some time in the past. that lowers actually make the engine cool better - but make the rider hotter - ie they concentrate more air on the cylinders so the air carries off more heat and the rider feels that removed heat

no idea if its true or some story - but - i leave mine on - but i live in minnesota and last friday it was 44 on the way to work.

to

[chaos901]

I leave mine all year too, and I live in the South too.  I have alsway felt that it was just directing the air over the engine better and then onto you that makes it seem hotter.  Of course this is just my opinion. 

[Midnight Rider]

One thing is true for sure...Putting a given amount of air through a smaller opening increases it's velocity.  Whether that increased velocity is beneficial or not is another question.  There's a lot of things that dictate how much heat transfer occurs on a finned surface with X amount of air flowing over the fins as opposed to Y.  Whether HD actually did R&D on what effect lower design has on engine cooling is yet another question.  One would think they did, but it is HD after all, whose research often consists of "Let's put this on there, or change this, and see if anything breaks or if people bitch more than is a tolerable level.  And if they do, we'll just have a new 'that's normal' ".   

[Bike30]

Do a test. Monitor your oil pressure (and oil temp if you've got one) at a steady engine load and speed. Change the lower vents (in-out), or remove the lowers, and note the gauge changes. Normally higher engine temps = higher oil temps and lower oil pressure at a constant engine load, road speed, and similar air temp.

I find that the lowers tend to circulate hot engine air around the rider's legs more than with them off (makes sense, that's what they're for). I've not noted the effects of decreased engine cooling with them installed. One setting of the adjustable lower vents might provide the best engine cooling at the expense of increased rider heat.

[Sledge]

The vented lowers have a leading edge that still sticks out when they are retracted.  It causes turbulence and decreases the laminar flow back to the engine.  If you take off the vents it corrects that problem but defeats the purpose of having them there to close in the winter (as short as it is down here).  I have seen a pair where the edge was shaved off and the guy said they are much cooler and will direct air onto the engine a lot better.  I haven't done that since I like the feel of no lowers in the hottest days of summer and it's definitely cooler but it's an interesting option.  I would like to hear from anyone who shaves off that leading edge to see how it works out for them. 

You can get a quick detach kit for the lowers at the dealer, take lowers off in the summer, put back on in the fall/winter.  Don't really need the kit but it's a bit easier to get 'em off.  Only 3 bolts per lower but on mine you have to take out the glove box liners.

Sledge

[dayne66]

 Only 3 bolts per lower but on mine you have to take out the glove box liners.

Sledge

With the quick detach kit (http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524448771257&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302287249&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302287249&locale=en_CA&bmUID=1338858932471&bmLocale=en_CA)  you end up having the "knob" in your glove box...and having to drill a hole in the liner....did it on the '08. If you do do this....be careful how you put something like a phone with a screen in there...don't ask!

[Sledge]

With the quick detach kit you end up having the "knob" in your glove box...and having to drill a hole in the liner....did it on the '08. If you do do this....be careful how you put something like a phone with a screen in there...don't ask!

Didn't know that.  Thanks for the heads up about the knob.

Sledge

[michaelbmenaker]

With the quick detach kit you end up having the "knob" in your glove box...and having to drill a hole in the liner....did it on the '08. If you do do this....be careful how you put something like a phone with a screen in there...don't ask!

I didn't have to drill a hole in my liner. I do have to pull out the liner to get to the knob. That's not an issue.