Love the bike. Hate the heat. I would like to find out how many of 1190 owners are literally being burned by the heat coming through the seat of your 1190. Background: ° Purchased the bike new in early February. ° 7000+ Miles on the clock to date. ° 1300 Mile trip down the West Coast (26°F much of day one) ° 2 1000+ mile rides across the Sonoran desert (100+°F 3/4 of trip #2) I am able to endure considerable discomfort. That said the last ride across the desert (8 hours in the saddle) left me quite literally with first degree burns on my posterior where it contacts the saddle. For reference, I wear cycling shorts with a synthetic chamois under Rev-it motorcycle pants. Photos of the burns are not appropriate for this site, they may however be appropriate for KTM. In general the seat becomes incredibly hot in traffic when the temperature is above the mid 70s. Mid 80s and up, even at speed, and the seat also becomes incredibly hot. So hot that any ride over an hour and a half becomes painful. Is the rear head of my 1190 running hotter than normal? H2O temperature is not appreciably high. Looking forward to hearing from others having this experience. Solutions welcome! THX PS: My old 690 SM also ran pretty hot. Never more than mildly annoying even during a multi-day 1500+ mile backroads ride across the Pacific North West during August.
I live in the Sonoran desert... It's the only place I ride. It gets hot for me everyday, especially this time of year. Combo of wings, cat removal, and jet coating appears to help according to other inmates.
Appreciate your thoughts. Running an Akra presently. Jet coating the header alone? Are you aware if the cat removal requires any electronic voodoo?
I have 5500 miles on mine down in Texas where the triple-digit heat has just begun. I'm experiencing no real heat issues from the bike although I am using a custom Daylong saddle. --hellcreep
I have 4000 mi on my bike now and yes the heat has been an issue, but not in the saddle only on my thigh's. Like being slow cooked. I put some plastic shields over the rear cylinder area attached to the frame with zip ties and the problem is reduced by 80%. Still too warm, but acceptable. My saddle has a thick layer of heat resistant materiel covered in heavy foil that is from the factory. My bike is a 2014. The seat is warm but not hot.
Heat bothered me a lot on my standard (with foil shield). I measured seat at 130f (k-type thermocouple and an accurate instrument) after getting off the bike one day ... I raised the seat to the high position and it got much better but, have not re-measured temps. It is still uncomfortable in traffic on hot days but no longer a roaster. Still have not yet bought heat shields but, I should.
Yeah mine still burns my arse. Its the heat coming out just under the LHS of the seat where my thigh sits.
Some folks have coated all the way back to the can. I don't know about post cat removal. There was some posts on it though if you search. Mine is bone stock and I'm just riding it. Hot at times yes, but nothing like you have experienced.
Hoping more folks with solutions chime in! My 1190R is also a 14' with the insulation under seat. Heat from under the seat is less than ideal not the deal breaker that roasted rump delivers. I'll keep this post updated as I work through a number of solutions. Failures and successes will be shared. So much more fun than the other bikes in the category. Only wish the mad Austrians tested the bike somewhere warm.
Take a look at these threads may be some help to you. I have the Wings heat shields and insulating "cloth" pricey but helps a lot. Also removed cat. http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=972201 http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=973000
Mine is far too hot for comfort. Pillion is the same. I have the ergo seats but have never had to switch the heater on. I'm afraid it's a deal breaker for me and the bike is going to be traded. Really hacked off about it as I love everything else about the bike.
I haven't noticed anything with the seat, but if I'm under 20MPH it is hot on my legs. at speed I don't notice anything?
£10 for a sheet of self adhesive heat shield off eBay. And also some plastic card tie wrapped to the frame:-
I don't really notice the heat. I mean, yes... I know I'm riding a motorcycle with a 1200 cc engine directly under my as*, so I expect there will be some heat generated. But all bikes generate some heat. Some more than others, I guess. It may help that my seat is in the 'tall' position. I wonder if all the guys worried about seat heat are short? (kidding) A remember my old 650 Dakar would get hot too sometimes. But nothing to worry about.
Just finished a ride back to Norcal from Seattle. I was in a hurry so I rode I-5 from Medford to Sac. Temps were 100-105 degrees most of the way. I now have first degree burns on my ass. I've tried several fixes including adding more adhesive insulation material under the seat. Also added heat deflectors like the wings ones but quickly removed them due to a higher concentration of heat under the seat. Next, I'm going to ride to Corbin to see if they can fix this issue for me.
Sit in Houston rush hour traffic and yes is does get hot. I ride mine to work every day possible. Put on the Wings system and no longer have an issue. Was used to riding a Harley Ultra which gets really hot in rush hour traffic. KTM is totally enjoyable now.
Pizza Boy- Thank you for the links. Others are apparently experiencing a simile challenge. I'll track down other inmates to better understand how successful they've been. Sleepy Owl- I'm with you unless I can resolve the heat issue. Problem is, this bike is amazing on so many other levels. As nice as the 1200 GS is (KTM learn how to finish your plastics) it's not my cuppa. No where near as engaging / fun to ride. Lack of front end feel is criminal. Fit and finish are great, don't hear about any burned a$$es on them. Tough call. For me fun is at the top of my moto wish list. For shorter rides the heat is only inconvenient. For rides over 1-1.5 hours I too consider this a deal breaker. My commute (all days) is 45 minutes. On a warm day the cooking of meat begins right at the end of my ride. KTM will have the photos of my burned backside lavished upon them. In the mean time I'll try to remedy the issue.
JetdocX- Sounds like you've encountered the effect of concentrated (moderate) heat over a longer period of time as I have. There is a legitimate concern about neurological and tissue damage. While Ill endure a little discomfort on a bike, I am not willing to damage myself for the pleasure of longer days in the saddle. It is an adventure bike after all. The intended use of the bike is for multi day rides. The severity of my burns prevented me from riding for several days. Had I been on the road, in a remote place, this would have proven problematic and potentially dangerous. Perhaps it's letter writing time.