The lower wind deflectors work great and the highway pegs are also a big help as they allow you to get your legs and feet further away from the engine heat. I ride my bike to work a lot wearing dress slacks and dress shoes which I don't think I could do without the wind deflectors and highway pegs. Wearing heavy jeans, tall boots and heavy socks works great for me even on long rides in 100 degree plus temps in Texas. There have been a couple of days in the 104 to 107 range with high humidity that were really hot just standing.

I have ridden the Gold Wing and Harley Ultra in these temps and the Gold Wing is about the same as the Vision and the Harley is a lot hotter.

I would not modify the fairing piece at all. I talked to a Vision engineer and he said you would not believe all the wind tunnel and simulation testing that went into the airflow design of the Vision.

The lower wind deflectors work great in hot or cold weather.

exharleyrider - 2008-08-14 9:47 PMi'm looking for some way to get gore tex and nylon off the pipes. and can anyone tell me if they make a fire proof rain suit?

Here is a demonstration of a suit that will keep the rain off you and protect you from direct flames.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl_H68zhp_Q 

okthenbye - 2008-08-15 9:09 PM Cutting the swoosh does not appeal to me but installing a closable vent does. I would like to cut a 2" X 10" vent in either side that can open and close. It seems it would direct the air exactly where it is needed especially if the vent door acted as a deflector.

OTB I think you are on to something, it seems it may be a viable solution if done in good taste. However, I guess my ignorance of not riding for twenty years makes me more tolerant of the heat. I always wear long pants, denim, with boots, and even at 100 degrees here in Va. the heat has not been a distractor or a concern. What is interesting is that 100 degrees is hot, period, so if I ride in that, why would a few more degrees bother me. I just don't understand why this is such a hot topic, no pun intended. Next folks will be fed up because they have to put their feet down at a stop light.

Teach - 2008-08-15 12:11 AM ...Victory may have wind tunneled their butts off but they missed the boat in several respects. First cosmetics took priority over function. .... Secondly get behind any vehicle that makes considerable wash and the bike feels like its riding on marbles. So while they ran wind over the bike they forgot to account for traffic turbulence. Of course these issues can be overcome and/or you get use to them......

First, my opinion, and of cours we know about them, is that cutting the swoosh and the results are yet to be determined. If it works, fine, it seems it might in the short term. And of course, a new one can always be order to replace it if proves to be unbenificial.

As to the traffic wash I wish I could understand what anyone is trying to get out of riding a motorcycle. Traffic wash is part of riding if you ride anywhere there is traffic. My assesment of what you said Teach is that we indeed have to get use to it because I think the Vision rides different, but better. To me the ride is superior to anyother bike I've ridden and that is limited. But I will say that it rides superior to any bike out there, just my opinion. When I first rode the Vision and experienced the wash it did feel like marbles as you stated, but my body was not in tune with the way this bike handles. I was trying to ride and anticipate the old way on a less sophisticated bike. Now that my body is in tune, I think I would be a little scared to ride any other bike because it would be like going back to the horse and buggy days on any other bike. Today, when I ride, traffic wash, high winds and other surprises do not give me the concern as it once did, and amazingly they are hardly noticeable because of the way this bike takes them.

I met a couple at my dealership last week who were from Bakersfield, CA.  Just bought their Vision last month and were on a cross-country shakedown and had come in for the 2,500 mile service.  I asked how they like the bike and he said it was great except for the intense heat.  I told him that it was a popular topic on this website (he had never heard of Vision-Riders) and that it was more noticeable to some but not others.  He proceeded to roll up his left pants leg and peel away a 3" bandage on his left calf that was covering a 2nd degree blister.  I took a double take and said "Your left leg!?  The pipes are on the right, how did that happen?"  He said they had a right crosswind going through Arizona for 5 hours and all of the heat just cooked his leg.  He had to wrap his lower leg in an ace bandage just to ride for any length of time. 

He was about 5'7" tall and had the highway pegs but not the lower wind deflectors.  I told him he needed to put the lower deflectors on, it would change his life.  (Black bike, perfect match.)  He had never heard of the deflectors and I asked the sales guy to grab a set to show him.  He was blown away that his dealer back home had not said a word about them.  He immediately made arrangements to leave the bike and rent a car while the deflectors were installed and allowed to cure for 24hrs.  I left the dealership and I never did find out how they liked them but it was a pretty graphic example of why some people are willing to go to great lengths for relief.

Nah.  Summer's basically over and I've been able to keep my long legs in front of the heat.  Hottest day was 107 on the dash gauge and I caught a looooong coal train.  Ultra driver pulled up next to me and we just shut off the bikes, put them on the kickstands (traffic was backed up way behind us) and walked over under a tree and shot the breeze for about 5 minutes.  My oil-temp dipstick showed 220 that day (normally about 190) and he said that he had a digital gauge on his that once showed 295 when it was stock.  Aftermarket pipes and fuel controller brought it down to around 260.   Yowza!

pollolittle - 2008-08-18 11:00 AM Me, I think mine hit 106. Funny it didn't crap out once it got to 100 degrees, like it does when it gets down to 32 or lower. Consistency, instead of breaking or going crazy at that temp, the programmer should have wrote a line across the screen at 32 degrees, something like, "It is too damn cold to ride and if you read this please send note to Victory to have your plaque sent to you as an inductee to the Polar Bear Motorcyclist Club! We know you are not human!" at 100 degrees, "You do realize it is hot, eggs cook on concrete at this temp, why are you reading this! Grab a boat, some bikini clad ladies and cool down." I installed them they look alright, gonna paint the plexi black so it will match and probably the winglets too. I put the highway pegs on and that helped tremendously, but the wind deflectors bring it right to ya, which is what I liked. An added benefit is that they manage to direct wind right next to your leg, but then alot of air also gets directed back up around the chest area, really cooling down the bubble your riding in. VERY NICE! They should come in handy this winter also.

I'm like IRR, didn't know about the heat issue or you weren't suppose to ride when it was too hot or too cold until I read this forum. Where is this rule book for motorcycle riding? I need to read up on it because I'm missing out on a lot of things here. I picked up my Vision last November and took to the folks in the mountain for Thanksgiving. When I left that Friday morning the dash thermo was all freaked out and read -3. It was actually 19 degrees. Being all proud of myself with heated seats and grips, long-johns on and the coveralls, I head out on my 180 mile trek. However, before I got too far away, I passed a dude on a sportster with long beard and googles, no windshield and a big grin waving at me. I was humbled. I guess he hasn't read the rule book either.