Question: Heat from bikes riding in Thailand

[H1w4yR1da]

Once water-cooled big bikes reach a certain temperature, usually in traffic, the fans kick in, blowing hot air away from the engine. Not pleasant but in a tropical country, it's something one has to put up with.

You have to choose. If you find it unbearable, stick to smaller capacity bikes.

Like wearing full perforated leathers here it's not ideal heat-wise but one can get used to it.

Some will put up with a certain level of discomfort in order to ride these bikes. After a while, the discomfort becomes minimal.

[In the jungle]

On an air cooled Monster your nuts are going to fry if you ride it in town.

You will look cool but you are unlikely to have any more children.

[eisfeld]

foodieontour, have you checked the new Ducati Scrambler? It got more punch than the Versys but doesn't produce as much heat as the Hyper. At least I didn't feel uncomfortable after about 25min on a 39C day and giving it the beans. Although you might feel cramped on it.

It does get hot a bit but like said before all big bikes do. Though there can be big differences in how much you will feal the heat.

Also to consider is the Honda CB650F. Doesn't grill you and has totally upright sitting position. Nice handling.

[Carol Jadzia]

The question of engine heat across different bikes is really not that much. Watercooled bikes all will get up to around 100 degrees C before the fans click in to cool the bike.

So really comes down to how the bike has been ridden. If it's not really hot due to either use or climate then the fans have no need to click in.

I used to ride air cooled big bikes like my Z1 Kawasaki. Legendary big 1000 cc four. Lovely bike to ride. But if I blasted up the motorway from home to london (130 mikes) then went from motorway to city traffic I would have to stop and let the engine cool as I would start loosing clutch and the engine would over heat. Let it cool, go and have a cuppa. Then it would be fine and able to deal with the city traffic.

I think the big thing is that all your choices are water cooled. When I started we did not have that choice

[JonnyF]

... the owner of an MT-09 also mentioned that they can feel the heat from the bike in traffic ..

That would be me. Don't notice it when you're moving but on a hot day, in bad traffic, it's noticeable when you're not moving and geared up.

But frankly I'd say a) any bike with a big engine is going to produce a lot of radiant heat when stationary and if you're wearing full gear, airflow textiles or not, then being outside in the sun in 90 degree heat is never going to feel good. I must confess to, occasionally, riding my bike in town with all the gear except a jacket (i.e. modular helmet, kevlar jeans, shorty gloves, Gaerne boots and a T-shirt). No problems with the heat then.

BTW I'd choose Hypermotard over Versys.

I would agree. I've heard a few posts where posters claim their big bike of choice doesn't make them hot/gives them a back rub at the lights etc. but I take it with a pinch of salt.

If you put on a full face helmet, leather jacket (perforated or not), gloves and jeans and sat on a pushbike for 5 minutes at a Bangkok red light at 2pm, you'd still be sweating your ass off. Never mind a 100+hp motorbike. It's hot, if you don't like it you can always sit for hours in the traffic in a car.

I spend about 8 hours a week in my car and the frustration of traffic is way worse than the heat of any of my bikes.

That said, choose the correct tool for the job. If commuting in Bangkok, a low cc bike is cheaper to buy, maintain and repair. Easier to park, filter, and takes less energy to ride. If riding for fun at the weekend, forget all that and buy the bike that you really want...

[macknife]

At least on my bike, my experience is that it's hot very quickly blowing hot air on my legs but once the fan kicks in it's not a problem anymore. You may find that the heat you've been experiencing will cool down after a while.

If you have the money then get the Ducati, I mean come on, how bad can it be!!!

[guzzi850m2]

Agree on the stock Versys exhaust.....lame. Quick fix as there are countless aftermarket slip ons available which give a way better sound and drop a few kilos from the stock setup.

You can also pick up a really decent used Versys for about 200,000, ride it for a while and basically sell it for the same as you bought it for once you are sure of what you want.

Good luck!

On the new 2015 Versys the pipes are welded on the exhaust can, so a slip on is not really an option (unless you cut the pipes off just before the can).

You will need a whole new exhaust system if you want to keep the original system intact.

For me it doesn't matter, I intend to run the bike pretty much as is and keeping the original exhaust which the factory mapping is set up to run with anyway. Also in Pattaya the police often stops bikes running after market exhausts and I don't want to pay 1000 bath each time, that could easily be 5-10.000 per year in fines.

After I owned a HD, I got feed up with changing this and then that.

If you go for a Duke, I would get the Hyperstrada, the little windscreen makes high speeds more tolerable and the side bags are very handy too. If you buy that for a Hypermotard it will cost much more than 50k baht.

I hope poster Nikster will chip in with his experiences with his Hypermotard, he also owned both bikes you are interested in.

One poster mentioned buying a newer 2nd hand Versys which is an excellent idea, good deals to be had, if you can live with the look of one.

I don't know if Yahama MT09 Tracher comes to Thailand, it's a very interesting bike with about same hp as the Dukes.

[Hili]

How can you compare a versys with a hypermotard? 2 completely different purposes. The hyper is a fun bike and not at all designed for longer touring. The hyperstrada is more close to the versys but its kinda gay. So ask yourself do you want fun or touring?

[jonnyscot]

I was also out of touch on the bikes but for a bit longer (20 years plus), bought a 2012 versys and very happy with my purchase, no heat issues in my opinion, only small grumble id have is im finding a lot of wind resistance after i hit 130km or so, although i think some adjustment to the screen will hopefully help out, but i much prefer the upright riding position so guess j have to give some sacrifice to this, but still delighted with my purchase

[WheresWaldo]

Nobody said much about parts and service -- a big deal here. I thought about a Beemer, but opted for a Kawasaki when I learned that the only Beemer shops (at the time) were in BKK. Since then, after I noticed the so called "techs" servicing my bike never used a torque wrench or locktite, I do all service and repair myself.

I can't speak for the Ducati shop. But I have not heard ANYTHING good about ANY bike service in this country.

And if you are on a ride up north somewhere and need a part for some reason, will you be able to get it without waiting for a shop in BKK to fly it up to you? If you ride around BKK, none of this is an issue. but if you like to get out and ride far and wide, these are things to think about. I mean, who wouldn't rather have the Ducati? But here? Not so sure I would want it.

[In the jungle]

On an air cooled Monster your nuts are going to fry if you ride it in town.

You will look cool but you are unlikely to have any more children.

Maybe I should clarify that.

The Monster is particularly bad because:

1. It is air cooled

2. The engine configuration places the rear cylinder head right between your thighs

3. The under seat exhaust places places the silencers and catalysts under your butt.

[chudless]

Swerve both bikes and go for Suzuki V-strom 650...awesome bikes.

[AllanB]

My old NV is old and only has a manual fan, which isn't needed in the winter months at all, which is great, but when the weather gets hot there is a fair bit if heat from the engine after a few minutes. So, unless I know I will have a clear run I use the Wave for town trips in this weather and even then dress like a Bedouin. I do feel the heat, so do my riding very early morning, or at night, then park the NV for the rest of the day.

I can't imagine riding a big bike through the town in the heat of the day, well I can and don't. They say "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun", so who rides a big bike too, just to go one up from that? Masochist, is the word that springs to mind, but not sure how safe they are, given that the brain works much less efficiently in the extreme heat.

It seems to me Thailand isn't a place to have only one bike.

Edited March 6, 2015 by AllanB

[foodieontour]

foodieontour, have you checked the new Ducati Scrambler? It got more punch than the Versys but doesn't produce as much heat as the Hyper. At least I didn't feel uncomfortable after about 25min on a 39C day and giving it the beans. Although you might feel cramped on it.

It does get hot a bit but like said before all big bikes do. Though there can be big differences in how much you will feal the heat.

Also to consider is the Honda CB650F. Doesn't grill you and has totally upright sitting position. Nice handling.

Good point. I'm not much into retro bike although they have something cool to them. The upright riding position would work for me on a scrambler, just the height not. I'm looking ridiculous on it folding me legs around somehow. The fame with the Kawasaki street version of the Versys, er6 or so. Can't remember the name.

Honda. Yes. After many recommendations and me seeing a CB500X in the street, I might give it a look. The engine will not excite though I have the feeling. The price and Honda reliability is something to consider though.

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[foodieontour]

...

I can't imagine riding a big bike through the town in the heat of the day, well I can and don't. They say "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun", so who rides a big bike too, just to go one up from that? Masochist, is the word that springs to mind, but not sure how safe they are, given that the brain works much less efficiently in the extreme heat.

It seems to me Thailand isn't a place to have only one bike.

Great point. And I'll consider that.

Any excuse for myself to get the Hypermotard might work at this point. Damn, the whole thing gets out of hand... Kinda...

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[joesanunu]

Apparently the KTM Duke 390 was getting lots of heat complaints so they recalled them and set the radiator fan to blow forward when stopped at red lights.

[Hili]

On an air cooled Monster your nuts are going to fry if you ride it in town.

You will look cool but you are unlikely to have any more children.

Maybe I should clarify that.

The Monster is particularly bad because:

1. It is air cooled

2. The engine configuration places the rear cylinder head right between your thighs

3. The under seat exhaust places places the silencers and catalysts under your butt.

This is totally bs; i ride a 796 nearly every day through bkk and there are no heat issues which makes it uncomfortable. Compared to any water cooled bike i have ridden so far this is the less hottest bike in traffic (compared to S4R, R6 and 899) and i guess the Hyper getting hotter as the Monster as well! Point is becasue the Moster motor is runnig really ambient with its ~800ccm and only ~80hp its not a high performance motor like the others - more hp -> more stress -> hotter!

Please post first hand experience only, rumors belong somewhere else

[BB24]

Apples and Oranges - you cant compare them - they are both fruits, but they are both very different.

If you can afford it, keep the Honda for around town on weekdays, and get the Ducati for some weekend fun.

If you want one bike to do both, then forget the Ducati - in fact forget any sportsbikes or variations on a sportsbike like 'sports tourers' (all Ducatis are sportsbikes really). All sportsbikes are based on racing bikes and performance is their main design factor. They are not at all designed for city/slow traffic and they are all very hot to ride when going slow. In my day I have owned a 996 and an S1000RR - beautiful bikes - above 80kms - hot and clumsy below. Get yourself a decent twin cylinder bike that performs well - The Versys or VStrom are good and will cope with traffic and still be fun on those longer rides. Maybe as someone said, a water-cooled twin bike would be better over here. Just dont get a sportsbike for both - unless you live up north and there is little traffic.

Sorry - but you cant grow both apples and oranges on the same tree - no such thing.

[In the jungle]

It is first hand experience.

I owned a 795 and initially rode it on Bangkok trips. After a while I used another bike for BKK because of the heat.

My bike had the stock exhaust with catalytic converters.

Does your 796 have a different exhaust? The reason I ask is that my feeling is that it may be the stock cats that are the source of much of the problem.

[ToddinChonburi]

I will just add that I went from a PCX 150 to the Forza, I really like the bigger bike on the open road but miss the PCX while just running around the city. Keep your PCX if you can and for heat well, welcome to the big bike world. Water cooled should be fine but the big bike will not be able to slide in between cars as well . Just plan your riding.

[Nickymaster]

It is first hand experience.

I owned a 795 and initially rode it on Bangkok trips. After a while I used another bike for BKK because of the heat.

My bike had the stock exhaust with catalytic converters.

Does your 796 have a different exhaust? The reason I ask is that my feeling is that it may be the stock cats that are the source of much of the problem.

I had a monster 1100 evo. When i installed the termi exhaust (decat) the bike ran about 20% cooler.

[TomYumpoochai]

Love my Versy.

Easier to maintain than a Ducati and a whole lot more comfortable. Goes like snot and super stable. Easier to get touring gear if that is in your future.

Never heard a single bad word about the Versys.

Heres a few bad words then. Snapped valve.

My mates 2011 versys has just dropped a valve. Another guy on a 650 ninja had the forks snap off as he was riding along beside me....they just snapped!

And i almost resigned myself to buying a hypermotard when yamaha brought in the FZ09....thank the motorcycle gods for that!

I moved to the mountains now so i can fry the tyres on a daily basis. No heat issues with the FZ.

Edited March 6, 2015 by TomYumpoochai

[Lucky33]

Apples and Oranges - you cant compare them - they are both fruits, but they are both very different.

If you can afford it, keep the Honda for around town on weekdays, and get the Ducati for some weekend fun.

If you want one bike to do both, then forget the Ducati - in fact forget any sportsbikes or variations on a sportsbike like 'sports tourers' (all Ducatis are sportsbikes really). All sportsbikes are based on racing bikes and performance is their main design factor. They are not at all designed for city/slow traffic and they are all very hot to ride when going slow. In my day I have owned a 996 and an S1000RR - beautiful bikes - above 80kms - hot and clumsy below. Get yourself a decent twin cylinder bike that performs well - The Versys or VStrom are good and will cope with traffic and still be fun on those longer rides. Maybe as someone said, a water-cooled twin bike would be better over here. Just dont get a sportsbike for both - unless you live up north and there is little traffic.

Sorry - but you cant grow both apples and oranges on the same tree - no such thing.

I agree 100% BB24. I'm a Ducati owner and lover but they are not made for puttering around town, you will be miserable doing it. The Versys would be much better. I have a Honda CB500F that is a good all around bike that I enjoy riding around town and on short trips. The Ducati for having a blast out on the open road.

[WheresWaldo]

Love my Versy.

Easier to maintain than a Ducati and a whole lot more comfortable. Goes like snot and super stable. Easier to get touring gear if that is in your future.

Never heard a single bad word about the Versys.

Heres a few bad words then. Snapped valve.

My mates 2011 versys has just dropped a valve. Another guy on a 650 ninja had the forks snap off as he was riding along beside me....they just snapped!

And i almost resigned myself to buying a hypermotard when yamaha brought in the FZ09....thank the motorcycle gods for that!

I moved to the mountains now so i can fry the tyres on a daily basis. No heat issues with the FZ.

I can understand the dropped valve -- you probably let a Thai "mechanic" work on it. But snapped forks? For no particular reason? Now that's scary.

[AllanB]

Apparently the KTM Duke 390 was getting lots of heat complaints so they recalled them and set the radiator fan to blow forward when stopped at red lights.

Wow, that is a great idea, I wonder how it is switched, but anyway it gives me an idea. I have a manual switch on my old bike and only really need the fan when I am stopped, so since it is a DC motor should be able to swap the wires and reverse it, even have a 2 position switch.

At the moment it heats my trousers up like a fan heater when I run it.

I think blow through is more efficient the suck through too, if you will pardon the expression.

Edited March 6, 2015 by AllanB

[Carol Jadzia]

Heres a few bad words then. Snapped valve.

My mates 2011 versys has just dropped a valve. Another guy on a 650 ninja had the forks snap off as he was riding along beside me....they just snapped!

And i almost resigned myself to buying a hypermotard when yamaha brought in the FZ09....thank the motorcycle gods for that!

I moved to the mountains now so i can fry the tyres on a daily basis. No heat issues with the FZ.

Sorry Tom, I don't know what happened to your mates bike. But forks just don't snap on Japanese bikes. I have seen many bent fork legs in my years. Head stocks ripped off in accidents.

But fork legs just don't snap. They could have possibly been damaged previously, possibly loads of wheelies or a previous accident?

Or maybe a chinese bike?

[eisfeld]

Do wheelies really put more stress on the forks than bumps and potholes? If wheelies can crack a fork, I'd be extremely worried...

Lucky33: I think the Scrambler is actually quite good for around town.

To come back on topic though: with my CBR500R it makes a huge difference in terms of heat on my leg depending on how I sit on the bike. If I move really to the front of the seat my legs get a lot of heat but where I normally sit (at the end of the seat), I get not much more than a warm breeze. It might be similar with other bikes, hence why different people experience heat levels differently than others for the same bike.

[RedQualia]

Love my Versy.

Easier to maintain than a Ducati and a whole lot more comfortable. Goes like snot and super stable. Easier to get touring gear if that is in your future.

Never heard a single bad word about the Versys.

Everyone has an opinion, or so I'm told. Here are my thoughts/experiences:

Have owned a Ninja 650 for several years. Have ridden it all over Thailand, save down in the panhandle area. Love the way it handles. Love the riding position. But seeing as how it's getting to be a bit old, thought maybe I should update. 650 Kawasakis seem like "the bike for me," here, anyway, so I bought a Versys second hand with 17KM on the odo. I couldn't stand that thing! Big, awkward, tricky at spliting lanes, handled like crap. Very tall. And then there was that "sidestand shuffle" thing to deal with. Stop it on a hill by the road, put the sidestand down, step away and all of a sudden, the dang thing leans over another 15 degrees. Sure... I could get one of those big flat foot things for the sidestand. But why would I want to do that? It handled like crap and was quirky, IMO, and putting big metal boxes, top boxes and all that touring crap on it would only make it worse. The Versys was a very far cry from the low, light and nimble Ninja. The Versys is an "adventure bike?" Really??? I'd be far more likely to go up the weird, steep, changing radius swtichbacks on the backside of Doi Inthanon on the Ninja, or even on a Honda Wave, then I ever would be on a Versys. And much happier on the streets of Bangkok with a Ninja as well. So I sold the Versys. Nothing wrong with the Ninja, other than it has lots of KMs. And in fact, never had a =mechanical= problem with either the Ninja or the Versys (other than that weird and apparently universal sidestand issue, to the degree that might be called "mechanical").

These things said -- bike buyers here should probably consider the ability to get their bike serviced at least as much as any other single factor. It is not uncommon to hear of someone with a semi-exotic (read "not made in Thailand?") bike who has no end of trouble getting it fixed. A brand new Yamaha Tenna 1200, for example, down for six months because he can't get parts. Or the (hearsay!) story of the guy with the BMW who is somewhat content to wait six months for parts to arrive, but then sees that the parts that arrived are wrong. Or the guy touring on the V-strom (on a time schedule) who was flying from Vientiane to Kuala Lumpur to pick up parts shipped to him from Australia so "the best mechanic in Vientiane (who also doesn't own a torque wrench?) could install.

I do quite a bit of touring, and so yes, the ability to get service is quite important to me. More so than all the sexiness of this or that big bike that may have just debuted in LOS. My assessment of the service situation here (please feel free to disagree!):

- Kawasaki has been selling "big bikes" here longer than any other manufacturer. They've got an adequate service center in virtually every province. I've only used the ones in Chiang Mai and Udon Thani (where I decided to have brake pads replaced). Have never had a complaint with Kawasaki service, personally.

- Honda might have the second longest record of selling big bikes in Thailand, day in and day out. But in fact, they haven't been doing it all that long. Mind you -- I have never owned a Honda in Thailand! But I continue to hear bad things about their service centers and mechanics. At least several people have asked where they can get their Honda serviced, 'cause the local "big bike" Honda shops can't be trusted. I do think I actually like the new CB 650s, quite a bit, and sometimes think I might like to have one. I mean, cheap and powerful. What's not to like? Two things maybe... If Honda service centers aren't any good, well, that's not good. And the second thing is just that Thai people like that word "Honda" quite a bit. I would expect the Honda 650s to be about as common as dirt before too much longer.

- Yamaha seems to have a pretty iffy commitment to selling big bikes in Thailand, with the Chiang Mai shop stocking big bikes for a while, then selling only scooters for a long time. Lately, it seems they're selling big bikes again. No idea what local service is like, and even less of an idea of what it's like in other provinces.

- Triumph. Last time I visited the local Triumph shop, they had about zero bikes to sell in the showroom, and a whole big bunch of bikes getting serviced in the back. Didn't have a really great feeling when I left there, and gave up on the idea of a Street Triple with great ease. No idea how many Triumph dealers there might be in Thailand, nor in what provinces.

- Suzuki has historically had pretty much zero commitment to their little motorbikes here in LOS, let alone to their big bikes. I've owned several Suzukis in the past, but wouldn't think about buying one here for at least another five years, until they can get a service network (with a decent reputation) in place.

- No Ducatis were being sold in Thailand when I first moved here, and I can remember well when the rumors of a Ducati Monster being made here first started to fly. And sure enough, a year or two later and a Ducati shop appeared in Udon Thani. And another in Chiang Mai, maybe a year after that. I surely loved the Ducati I had back in the world, and miss it greatly. But Monsters and MotardThings are nothing like the Ducati I owned, and I can't afford a Palingale (which is a bit similar to what I had). Haven't had a Ducati in Thailand, but it's interesting to hear what different people and shops have had to say. One is that the bottom of the used Ducati market will fall out soon, when all the young guys who bought them and can't pay for them start dumping them. (Has that happened? I dunno.) Another comment is that the cost of Ducati parts and service here in Thailand is way out of line with what it should be. Much more expensive. Such comments give me pause when thinking about buying a Duc, and I'm afraid I've never made it to the matter of considering how many dealerships/service centers there might be here. Clearly "some." Enough? I dunno.

I do not personally know of any other brands that have an adequate presence in Thailand for me to even consider. Not Harley, even if I were a Harley guy (I'm not). Not BMW. Not Benelli. Oh...Maybe KTM. I haven't heard a great deal about KTMs, but all that I have heard has been uniformly positive. Otherwise, don't know much about them. Except that they seem a bit pricey.

Having said all this, I have no specific recommendations for the OP with regard to what bike to buy. I'm sure there are people out there who hate the Ninja 650 that I love so much, and that others will feel insulted that I didn't love the Versys. Honda riders will remain loyal Honda riders and detest Kawasakis (well, except for those who hate Honda service centers, maybe). Surely those with big Yamahas wouldn't be caught dead on either a Kawasaki or Honda! With Ducati riders looking down on the entire lot.

But think about service, as well as reliabilty. Think hard.

[BSJ]

Whatever you choose it will be hot out there in summer. One way to avoid getting lower body heat related problems is to buy 2 pair of plastic pants. But both pair on, tie then at the ankles then head into 711 for a few bags of ice. Put the ice in between the 2 layers of plastic pants and lower body temp will be cool. If you tie the bottoms outside your boots the melt water will drain away onto the road. And you will have hours of pleasant riding in the extreme heat.

Want to know how to keep you upper body cool?

[AllanB]

Whatever you choose it will be hot out there in summer. One way to avoid getting lower body heat related problems is to buy 2 pair of plastic pants. But both pair on, tie then at the ankles then head into 711 for a few bags of ice. Put the ice in between the 2 layers of plastic pants and lower body temp will be cool. If you tie the bottoms outside your boots the melt water will drain away onto the road. And you will have hours of pleasant riding in the extreme heat.

Want to know how to keep you upper body cool?

I hope I don't meet you outside 711, incontinence pants and ice cubes up you jacksy.........Gross man!