Voyager air flow and hot weather
 

Hoping Voyager owners from the southern tier of states can help me with this question. Summers in Austin are brutal, and commuting on the bike, I deal with triple digits for up to 4 months. I can handle it on my partially faired Suzuki Bandit with mesh gear and full-face helmet, but after having test ridden an Indian Roadmaster in my non-mesh textile gear in 70 degree weather, I was roasting due to lack of airflow. This made me wonder if any fully-faired bike allows for sufficient airflow to allow mesh gear to work. I know the '12+ models have the vent in the lowers that can be opened, but doubt they provide any real cooling to the upper body.

Do any of you hot climate Voyager owners commute and ride halfway comfortably in full mesh gear in the summer? I wear an evaporative cooling vest, but am not sure it would work without decent airflow. I wouldn't mind returning to a 3/4 helmet, but can't give up having at least some protection like mesh gear with CE armor at the shoulders, elbows, and knees.

Forgot to clarify I don't currently own a Voyager but am considering getting one.

Toku57, I live in Round Rock and ride in the heavy Austin traffic at 110 degs and at slow speeds and stop lights it is brutal on my 2013 Voyager. However this Saturday going to the Dallas IMS in the rain it was a fantastic ride. I did not even have to stop and put on rain gear. Just got a little wet on the knees. However the Voyager was no worse than the Road Star I road 12 years in Austin.

The main reason to buy a bike with a full fairing is to block the wind, it also has the added benefit of blocking rain from getting on you as well. There’s a theme here, and that theme is blocking and protection.

There isn’t much you can do to get airflow on you besides either getting a vented windshield, which from reading many reviews, they aren’t that great or get a low windshield for those warm weather months to get more air onto your upper body and if opening the lower vents isn’t enough for you, you could always remove the lowers completely during that time.

I’ve seen many pictures of people with short windshields and removed lowers, I assume it is because they live in environments like yours.

Thanks TX1700 - Yeah, the tradeoff with the fairing is the wind and rain protection. Nice to know you can get by without rain gear unless it's really pouring I suppose. When it's really pouring I'd probably find shelter until it blew over for safety anyway when possible.

Do you wear gear in the summer, or find it too hot for gear?

I imagine the wind protection allows for riding in colder temps than on an unfaired bike, correct? I don't have any heated gear, so while I can commute on those rare days when it gets down in the 20s, I can't comfortably do any longer rides below 35. Maybe a faired bike would lower this threshold a bit.


Yes, I've heard of lowers being removed in the summer, so that might be an option.

When riding in the rain, how does a windshield compare to a helmet face shield visibility-wise in the rain - better, worse, about the same?

Did you know recognized that the Indian Roadmaster got an electric windshield which you could get up and down via the switch on the left handlebar ?

Not on the voyager, but you could change out the windshield with a shorter one or even the small one of the Vaquero.

In my opinion, get a half helmet/braincap and good sunglasses for such hot days.


Cu,
Sven

Been riding back and forth to work in Dallas for a really long time. Finally got a mesh jacket for the mornings when it was cool. Some low spots by lakes and rivers the temp could drop 5-10º and it be really cool. Figured it would be too hot for the ride home in the summer when it's 100º. The jacket itself flows air really well. I can wear it when it's that hot out. But where the pads are, there is no air flow. Those are the places you'll sweat when you get stuck in traffic. A lot. Once you get going, the air flows over, or under I guess, the pads and it's not so bad, but you're already wet.

Having come off a bike before and not landing on the jacket area (flat on my ass), I decided if it happens again, I might not be so lucky. So when I get home in the summer, a nice shower or dip in the pool is in order.

Yeah, I did try the adjusting the Roadmaster's windshield, but it didn't make much difference cooling-wise. A shorter windshield might be a good idea if they're easy to switch.

Thanks Scoot - good to know.

5 bolts and the windshield is off. Should take you all of about 3 minutes to swap windshields.

Good to know! Sounds like the hard part would be figuring out where to store the one I'm not using in my already cluttered garage!

I have vintage VW parts and keyboards under my bed, you can probably put your windshield under yours.

What about this windshield :

http://www.baggershield.com/baggersh...able-p-87.html

No storage problem.


Cu,
Sven

Thanks Sven - that might the way to go. Supposedly stronger than the OEM one, and a pretty good price too.

My Voyager came (used) with a tall shield. I bought a med. shield and cut the tall one down to make a short screen. It definitely improves the summer air flow with the short shield. It's still not as cool as a bike with no fairing or an aftermarket fairing, but it does help.

You did not mention what year your Voyager is. If it does not have the KAMS system installed (it became standard after 2012 I think), adding the KAMS would help, too.

Correct, forgot about the KAMS, cauz mine is a 2015 with the KAMS installed since new from the factory. Even if his bike got the KAMS, this will reduce the heat even more :

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F320948328339

Cu,
Sven