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Summer arrived with a vengeance today. 121 degrees F (approx. 49* C).

I discovered very quickly that riding with gloves is highly preferable to riding without. The air temperature is not a problem, it's the heat coming off the asphalt that wanted to fry my fingers. Even so, I put about 100 miles behind me, joy riding without gloves. I've been sand-blasted and hit with rocks and bugs bare-fisted before, so I do understand the risks. I might eventually add hand shields. I've been looking at them for a while.

A full helmet will be necessary as well, with the visor opened up a little to allow the oven heat to circulate. No helmet, is my favorite way to ride (yes, I am old enough and smart enough to know it's a stupid move, but hey, I love freedom even if it might kill me). Even so, the boil off the asphalt is a problem. With the wind at my back it's fine, but a headwind just pushes the asphalt blaze right on top of me. Not fun with an exposed face. So, like it or not, a full helmet will join the gloves in my Easy-Bake Oven scooting adventures.

Other than that, riding in 120* + is fine. The only real trick is plenty of sunscreen in the storage bin, and a block of ice in the CamelBak (partially fill it then freeze it the night before, and top it off with refrigerated water before heading out). Refill the CamelBak at fuel stops.

The engine heat from the exposed distributor area behind the main tank is only a mild annoyance. Riding with half-chaps aka "gators" heats the shins a hair, but it sure beats an accidental header rub when applying the foot brake. Nearly all of my pants have holes in them from the days before I wore gators and before I installed a 5 inch brake peg. The one that was on the trike was only 2 inches long.

A reflective automotive sun shield with Zip-Ties poked through it (to wrap around the pegs and gear shift) helps keep the fuel cool when parked in direct sunlight.

I will eventually buy a taller wind screen. The one that's on it is way too short and very nearly pointless. I can go up one more size and still have it slightly below eye level. I keep the existing one because it looks good, and because it has rescued me from an insane bird or two and some flying debris.

The big test is not necessarily with the elements, but with the trike's endurance. If it survives the next 30 days without need of any kind of repair I will be shocked. That said, a few of the LED's on one of its original tail lights have burned out. At least there are plenty others that still work.

Life in the armpit of civilization, the back door to hell.

Don't know how this thread posted twice.

Anyhow, as much as I would love to visit Death Valley, it will NOT happen in the summer, no matter how prepared I am for heat.

So far my engine coolant temperature has not exceeded 220* F though it has been hitting it regularly.

Our commercial flights have been grounded. They cannot produce enough lift in the heat. I'm glad Hoss can still "fly" in it!

Wow!, that's a lot to contend with, and here in England we are wilting in 31/32C (a mere 89F). Yesterday on the motorway I really felt the heat - riding around Birmingham city was hot but bearable but I was forced to stop on the motorway (bad van wreck) and stand for 40 minutes in full leathers. The 6 of us bikers at the front of the closed motorway were all roasting with as much gear as we could take off and dropped on the road but we were all soaking in sweat.

I know I couldn't have coped in the 120s on that tarmac for 5 minutes.

On the other hand my teeth rattle riding in the 50's or lower. I will eventually learn to bundle up correctly in the cool weather, but my thin blood is just too well adjusted to the furnace.

The ride to work this morning was in the high 80's. It felt HEAVENLY!

And correction on the coolant temperature: it hits 210* F, not 220 (2700 RPM's @ 70 MPH).

Aaaah, the 50s yes we are accustomed to that and have special fillings for our UK teeth that can cope

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

Extraterrestrials have been slowly increasing our Planets temperature so it will be easier for them to take over....

I've decided to try out some Red Line Water Wetter. See if that helps the Hoss run a tad cooler.

Water wetter looks interesting... do you have to drain your old 50:50 and then just add water (deionised?) plus the necessary capfuls of water wetter?

What if some of the old glycol/water is still in the block? any problems?

GordonBH wrote:Water wetter looks interesting... do you have to drain your old 50:50 and then just add water (deionised?) plus the necessary capfuls of water wetter?

What if some of the old glycol/water is still in the block? any problems?

I'm thinking I'll have to drain it. I've posted my observations in the Tech section in the Water Wetter thread.

According to the label, it is safe to use with all coolants/anti-freezes. It's just more effective the less there is in the mix, according to others who have used it.

Gordon, there is no cap fulls, you just pour in
the whole darn bottle. I've always just dumped
it into what ever else is in the rad.
I'm thinking a good rad flush would be a good idea, IMHO.

Paul H

Yeah, I was trying to avoid that, only because of the effort required in this heat. Vicious Catch-22. I reckon I'd better anyhow.

Some weird starting and running problems I had attributed to hot gasoline and borderline vapor lock problems, might not have been what I had thought. I've posted a new thread in the Tech section.

Confirmed: there were no hot fuel/mild vapor lock problems. It was a busted fuse housing and a floppy fuse making intermittent contact. It has been replaced. Starts and runs just fine in 120* heat.

I still need to strap the automotive sunshield across the tank when letting it sit outside, though, to keep the tank cool. I burned my legs on the tank on the way home. Nothing serious, but then it wasn't pleasant either. Oven-baked through my pants. Grumble, grumble, grumble...