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Glendale, AZ United States | I was coming home from work on Friday and noticed 114 degrees as being the outside temp. It was 113 right after I pulled into the garage. By 9am it was 95 degrees. Welcome to the desert I guess. The bike did fine so no issues there. I'm sure there have been other posts regarding this topic, but I thought I would revisit since there may be new products out there people have tried recently they can recommend 
I don't know about the rest of you, but I will take 40 degree temps with the appropriate gear vs 114 degrees with all the appropriate gear. My personal record is 118 degrees last year. It seems the older I get the less tolerant of the heat I become. With nice weather, which for me is 60-80 degrees, I can be on the ol gal all day, but anything over 90 degrees consistently and I'm just draggin ars. Looks like the Clearwater fork lights planned as a Xmas present are going to be coming early this year, since riding during the day may become almost unbearable for me this summer.
Any pointers on how to stay cool out there? I make sure to drink plenty of water every time I stop, mesh jacket, haven't had much success with the cooling vests, but I welcome any pointers and links any of you may have that have worked for you as opposed to calling it a day and starting happy hour early or worse blacking out and having a heat stroke on the interstate somewhere.
Vlad.
(114 degree day (Medium).jpg)
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 13
Goodyear, AZ United States | Vlad,
I'm just a few miles away from you. On my last bike, I rode with (and still have, a mesh jacket). It certainly was no hotter than the long sleeve polyester (spf 50) very light, shirts I wear lately. The gauge told me it was 121 a couple of summers ago. I always figure the asphalt is adding about 5 or so but it still sucks. I finally bought a cool vest that you soak in ice water then put the mesh jacket over. It worked well but only for 90 mins max. It would get me to Payson and cooler weather anyway. I also re-soaked it at Camp Verde when coming back into the valley. I haven't pulled it out yet. I'm retired full time now so I'm riding early these mornings and back in the garage by 0900 or so. That vest was the only thing that's help me with AZ summers so far. I've heard that the chemical cool vests aren't that great. Other than that, you seem to be doing all the normally advised things to avoid the interstate stroke. |
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Glendale, AZ United States | Iron_Horse - 2014-06-01 9:34 PM
Vlad,
I'm just a few miles away from you. On my last bike, I rode with (and still have, a mesh jacket). It certainly was no hotter than the long sleeve polyester (spf 50) very light, shirts I wear lately. The gauge told me it was 121 a couple of summers ago. I always figure the asphalt is adding about 5 or so but it still sucks. I finally bought a cool vest that you soak in ice water then put the mesh jacket over. It worked well but only for 90 mins max. It would get me to Payson and cooler weather anyway. I also re-soaked it at Camp Verde when coming back into the valley. I haven't pulled it out yet. I'm retired full time now so I'm riding early these mornings and back in the garage by 0900 or so. That vest was the only thing that's help me with AZ summers so far. I've heard that the chemical cool vests aren't that great. Other than that, you seem to be doing all the normally advised things to avoid the interstate stroke.
Did a quick breakfast run with a friend to the Oak Room at Cave Creek this morning. By the time we were coming back, which was 9am, it was 97 degrees and heating up rapidly. Last weekend I wanted to see what was going on with the Sedona fire, so rode up through Yarnell, Prescott, and stayed on 89 since 89A was closed through Chino Valley and took highway 40 into Flagstaff for lunch at Beaver Street brewery. I saw nothing, but smoke coming down Lake Mary road, but nice weather in the 70s. I needed to make up some time so went the camp verde route and then highway 17 home. By the time I stopped at Camp Verde it was in the triple digits during a course of 30 miles!! This settles it for me and will head north to get out of the heat from here on out through the summer.
I'm looking at what some of these riders are wearing in the AZ summer some of which includes a leather jacket and dew rags and I don't personally know how they can stand it. From my standpoint, one of the benefits with wearing a modular helmet is that I don't have to worry about applying sun block to my face, which sooner then later gets into your eyes. Been there and done that as I am sure is the case with all of us.
I have a First Gear high visibility mesh jacket I wear in the summer. It works great, but I have to apply sun block to the back of my neck consistently since it is exposed. Does anybody know or can recommend a mesh jacket with the high collars to protect the back of my neck that is reasonably priced like you see with some of the aerostich brand jackets?
Iron, keep me in mind if you plan on doing any up north riding this summer. My VV in all its glory and with the aftermarket muffler bearings can be seen at Gordon Biersh in Westage usually on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays at 3pm. Come by and say Hi if you are in the area. The bar staff know me by name, since the VV is hard to miss and I commute on it as well Thanks for the pointers, Vlad.
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | I miss Arizona. I would love to ride year 'round again; without having to contend with salt and snow.
How about wrapping one of these around your neck.... get the blood flowing through those large veins and arteries cooled a little... ward off the sunburn on the neck and stay a little cooler?
http://www.thewarmingstore.com/chill-its-evaporative-cooling-band.h... |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 13
Goodyear, AZ United States | Vlad,
Will look for you for sure. I'll definitely be escaping north regularly. Westgate at 3 pm.....that's too hot to be on two wheels this time of year. I rode daily when working also. It was my primary transport for 4 years before retiring. Best place to live (8 months a year) if you ride. The other 4 is the price we pay for that luxury. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | How to say cool? Speedo's and flip-flops.
Be sure you stay hydrated, all the times, sweating is good. Faster is not cooler with temps over 100 or so, so you could slow down some. My main concern is being delirious for heat stroke. I wore a heavy white shirt when riding in the desert, seemed to help me... |
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Glendale, AZ United States | Iron_Horse - 2014-06-02 5:41 AM
Vlad,
Will look for you for sure. I'll definitely be escaping north regularly. Westgate at 3 pm.....that's too hot to be on two wheels this time of year. I rode daily when working also. It was my primary transport for 4 years before retiring. Best place to live (8 months a year) if you ride. The other 4 is the price we pay for that luxury.
3pm is when I wrap it up from work. It's been hot the last couple of weeks coming home. Thanks for your response. |
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Glendale, AZ United States | varyder - 2014-06-02 5:59 AM
How to say cool? Speedo's and flip-flops.
Be sure you stay hydrated, all the times, sweating is good. Faster is not cooler with temps over 100 or so, so you could slow down some. My main concern is being delirious for heat stroke. I wore a heavy white shirt when riding in the desert, seemed to help me...
Nobody would want to see my fat ARS in a speedo Might try the flip flops though |
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Tourer
Posts: 482
Beer Collins, Colorado (there is no fort) | Here's what I have that works great for me-it's a 16oz personal mister that has a small rubber coated clamp that holds the spray nozzle on the edge of the windshield. Fill with water-add ice if want, pump it up put it in a handlebar cup holder, then give yourself a blast of cool mist every few minutes-it's an instant 20 degree temperature drop and feels fabulous. I bought mine from a vendor in Sturgis 15 years ago & haven't seen motorcycle specific ones around but any of the misters available can easily be adapted. Stay cool
something like this(no longer in business)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfAPJpHMdJ0 |
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Cruiser
Posts: 53
Gotha, FL | Vlad,
I ride in Florida and for the back of the neck I just use a neck gator from Bass Pro. Wet it down and it stays pretty cool for a while. |
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Tourer
Posts: 366
Albuquerque, NM | + 1 on the mister. Problem with using the mister on the bike anywhere front of you is that it got on my sunglasses and dried. Spray your shirt and pants and it gets kinda chilly till it dries. Heard distilled water does not leave water spots on the bike. |
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Glendale, AZ United States | EGA44 - 2014-06-02 4:04 PM
Vlad,
I ride in Florida and for the back of the neck I just use a neck gator from Bass Pro. Wet it down and it stays pretty cool for a while.
Will check it out..Thanks, Vlad. |
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Glendale, AZ United States | nailer - 2014-06-02 4:31 PM
+ 1 on the mister. Problem with using the mister on the bike anywhere front of you is that it got on my sunglasses and dried. Spray your shirt and pants and it gets kinda chilly till it dries. Heard distilled water does not leave water spots on the bike.
Hmm. Mister system in a bottle. Genius! No offense to anybody, but out here we call that Mexican air conditioning About 6 years ago or so when the market went south there were some drastic changes here at the house. My wife and I decided to hell with it and canceled the TV cable and newspaper subscription. It's worked out well and we have a lot more time on our hands to do productive stuff instead of watching the tube and our 22 month-old is an outdoor lover for that simple fact alone, which is great.
Ignorance is bliss, but if anybody wants to grab some pitch forks and march to Washington count me in The only thing I miss is the sports though I had a old Honda Civic at the time that needed repairs so I decided to sell it and throw the money into my BMW K1200LT I had at the time and it was my primary form of transport until I sold it last year prior to buying my 09 VV, which has taken over the LT duties for the past year. So I guess I am stuck with grinning and bearing it.
Guess what, a brisk 119 today coming home from work I think the R & D on the engine and drive train is rock solid on the VV, but not too sure about how the electrical system will handle this hot temps consistently. When stopped at a red light today and in first gear I noticed my display was going a little bonkers and flipping between first and second. I'm not sure what that's all about, but we will have to see in time I guess, Vlad.
Edited by Vladezip 2014-06-02 8:29 PM
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 13
Goodyear, AZ United States | Vladezip - 2014-06-02 2:42 PM
varyder - 2014-06-02 5:59 AM
How to say cool? Speedo's and flip-flops.
Be sure you stay hydrated, all the times, sweating is good. Faster is not cooler with temps over 100 or so, so you could slow down some. My main concern is being delirious for heat stroke. I wore a heavy white shirt when riding in the desert, seemed to help me...
Nobody would want to see my fat ARS in a speedo Might try the flip flops though
Never tried to attach a photo but if it works....here's a pic of what happens when flip flops are worn on a bike! BTW Vlad, I traded in a K1200LT on the Vision also...from one fairly rare bike to another.
** Didn't work. Got the jpg to 70kb but won't attach. It's a foot with all skin peeled back showing bone and muscle only **
Edited by Iron_Horse 2014-06-03 12:09 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1228
Rancho Cucamonga, CA | I carry an ice chest on my rack with icewater. When I stop for whatever reason, I take my mesh jacket and dunk it in. Works a whole lot better than my cooling vest ever did. |
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Glendale, AZ United States | Iron_Horse - 2014-06-03 11:01 AM
Vladezip - 2014-06-02 2:42 PM
varyder - 2014-06-02 5:59 AM
How to say cool? Speedo's and flip-flops.
Be sure you stay hydrated, all the times, sweating is good. Faster is not cooler with temps over 100 or so, so you could slow down some. My main concern is being delirious for heat stroke. I wore a heavy white shirt when riding in the desert, seemed to help me...
Nobody would want to see my fat ARS in a speedo Might try the flip flops though
Never tried to attach a photo but if it works....here's a pic of what happens when flip flops are worn on a bike! BTW Vlad, I traded in a K1200LT on the Vision also...from one fairly rare bike to another.
** Didn't work. Got the jpg to 70kb but won't attach. It's a foot with all skin peeled back showing bone and muscle only **
Yeah, there are not many of us out there who have flown the BMW coop. My reason was financial and still think BMW makes a great motorcycle. With that being said, I love the VV as well and for different reasons. Vlad. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 122
Westchester Co., NY | I soak my T-shirt in cold water when it gets hot. It seems to work fairly well. I know some long distance riders that swear that when it gets above 95 F the best thing to do is wear a non-mesh jacket with the vents closed. I assume the reasoning is that once the thermometer goes above your body temp all a mesh jacket is doing is letting in air hotter then what your body produces. Also, a mesh jacket will let the air wick away your sweat. In hot temperatures you want sweat on your skin. It may be a little stinky but it is better to be safe and smelly rather then dehydrated. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | The main thing is to know your limitations. Kansas was brutal trying to stay hydrated and rollin' 80mph in 103degree temps all day long. I could kill a gatoraid and water, about 2 liters in the two hours between stops using my camelbak. I was wearing just my white long sleeve shirt, jeans and boots with helmet. I did have one episode where I was on the edge of heat exhaustion and became very concern when I finally made my stop. I had ran out of juice about a half hour before and was feeling parched immediately, but I pressed on. I will never do that again. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 31
Great Mills, MD | I think that this site may offer what you are looking for:
http://www.veskimo.com/
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Glendale, AZ United States | DarthMonolith - 2014-06-05 11:32 AM
I think that this site may offer what you are looking for:
http://www.veskimo.com/
Thanks for the website. I checked it out and the cooling unit costs about 400 bucks. From your experience is this worth the price tag? Thanks, Vlad. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 166
Bullhead City, AZ | I have the lowers on the bike and as long as you are moving they help. I wear a dry weave shirt like Under Armour then a cool vest and a mesh jacket over the top. I also just bought a dry weave head piece at Lowes that you can wet and wear under the helmet. We ride a lot in the heat and up to 110 I am OK after that it just gets miserable. I do not know the hottest temp I have ridden in but did you know that the vision Thermometer starts flashing at 125. Kind of like the bike saying get off the road dummy!
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Cruiser
Posts: 180
Georgia On My Mind.... United States | Good reading.................
http://www.ironbutt.com/ibmagazine/IronButt_1002_62-66_Hot.pdf |
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Tourer
Posts: 366
Albuquerque, NM | Has anybody tried the new Enduracool Multi Cool head wrap seen on TV and sold at Lowes? Advertises a 30 degrees below avg body cooling temp drop. Cooling supposidly lasts 2 hrs. Comes in blue, camel, and black for $19.98. I just may be replacing my do-rag.
Edited by nailer 2014-06-06 1:11 PM
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Glendale, AZ United States | loren2 - 2014-06-05 6:32 PM
I have the lowers on the bike and as long as you are moving they help. I wear a dry weave shirt like Under Armour then a cool vest and a mesh jacket over the top. I also just bought a dry weave head piece at Lowes that you can wet and wear under the helmet. We ride a lot in the heat and up to 110 I am OK after that it just gets miserable. I do not know the hottest temp I have ridden in but did you know that the vision Thermometer starts flashing at 125. Kind of like the bike saying get off the road dummy!
I broke down and spent the 270 out the door for the lowers. I followed the directions precisely and used the provided templates to mount on the bike. I am 6 feet two inches tall and wear a size 13 boot. I should have paid better attention to on pics is that I now lost out on the tip over perch and I am no longer able to stretch out my legs due to the lowers in the way. Anybody else have the same problem. Will have to invest in the highway pegs in the future, which I am not very excited about considering the tip over perch worked just fine. Wear a summer head cover under the helmet that helps wick some of the moisture, but still have to wash the helmet inserts once every six weeks or so due to me being a funky guy I am, hahaha. Will take a look at Lowes today. Have to head out that way anyway. Vlad |
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Cruiser
Posts: 233
flagstaff, AZ | Vladezip - 2014-06-07 12:11 PM
loren2 - 2014-06-05 6:32 PM
I have the lowers on the bike and as long as you are moving they help. I wear a dry weave shirt like Under Armour then a cool vest and a mesh jacket over the top. I also just bought a dry weave head piece at Lowes that you can wet and wear under the helmet. We ride a lot in the heat and up to 110 I am OK after that it just gets miserable. I do not know the hottest temp I have ridden in but did you know that the vision Thermometer starts flashing at 125. Kind of like the bike saying get off the road dummy!
I broke down and spent the 270 out the door for the lowers. I followed the directions precisely and used the provided templates to mount on the bike. I am 6 feet two inches tall and wear a size 13 boot. I should have paid better attention to on pics is that I now lost out on the tip over perch and I am no longer able to stretch out my legs due to the lowers in the way. Anybody else have the same problem. Will have to invest in the highway pegs in the future, which I am not very excited about considering the tip over perch worked just fine. Wear a summer head cover under the helmet that helps wick some of the moisture, but still have to wash the helmet inserts once every six weeks or so due to me being a funky guy I am, hahaha. Will take a look at Lowes today. Have to head out that way anyway. Vlad
yes, 6'2or3 with 13's but with the lowers folded in "to cool" I have no interference. |
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114 Degree Day. Any Pointers on How to Stay Cool?
