Ducati Monster Forum

My SO has a '09 M696 (like me).  She enjoys the handling, brakes, etc.  What she doesn't like is the heat off the bike.  In the cooler weather, with heavier gear, she is fine.  In the warmer weather, especially with mesh gear, she says the bike cooks her legs.  Are either the Exbox or Boomtubes, or any exhaust system that goes from the cylinder, under the bike and out down low, significantly cooler? 

I want to find some way for her to enjoy the bike.  It is so much easier maintaining two of the same bikes.   [thumbsup]

You could ceramic coat the pipes.

My CF pipes were nice and cool.  Maybe go with some of them? <shrugs>

+1

With CF cans, you'll still be getting all the heat off the header pipes. The cans themselves are cooler to the touch than metal ones, but it doesn't address the couple linear feet of steel tubes before them. I know that I get a lot of my heat on the 900 coming off the vertical Cycls header

Yep.  This is the main heat source on Ducs.  The vert head, and the vert header.

A set of boomtubes gets the heat down low quicker, but still warm. The ceramic coating should help some.

Bellisimoto has a set of carbon fiber subframe covers for 696/1100 which I've seen, and felt, which very much limit the heat, but they are pretty expensive for CF.  

Inall seriousness, the subframe itself carries alot of the heat from the motor.  It's aluminum, which heats up very easily.  A free flowing exhaust, ceramic coated headers are the first suggestion. After that, you can go with a heat resistant coating on the subframe, and possibly those covers.

You could even wrap the exhaust with a thermotec like product, but these tend to be less effective than a good ceramic coating.  Maybe ceramic, then wrapped would help best (thermotec suggest this as the best way to cut heat on headers themselves)

most of the heat is coming from the vert head.  that is the nature of the bike, its always been with all the monsters.

maybe a different exhaust routing will cahnge things but i have  a feeling that after you spend all the time  and money on that you will still have her saying its too hot bc the top vert head just throws off huge heat bc its trapped under there and on a hot day in traffic there is literally nothing you can do but sit there and suffer.

sorry but if it bothers her that much its something she has to deal with or get a different bike.

try to add some heat shielding under the seat and under the tank to deflect the vert cyl heat.

We've done a lot of ceramic coating and wrapping onour project bikes.
I find the wrap to work better than the ceramic coating. I prefer the look of the ceramic coating though.
-M

I think the quality of the wrap job, and the ceramic as well, can provide alternate results.

The main point I was going for, is that the maximum cooling is achieved through using both methods.  A dual surface ceramic jethot coating (inside and outside of pipe), wrapped tightly with quality wrap, and coated with the thermotec coating ontop will make an exhaust you can touch while hot.

A DP ecu or retune/reflash giving more low end fuel will cool down the head/pipe some as well!

Still, between the legs, the burn is going to be coming off the vertical head.

A couple of options:

1) ceramic w/thermal wrap -- it really helps.  Also given the proximity of the fuel pump to the rear header and the 696/1100 leaking problems -- probably a good idea as well.

2) Our BoomTubes/Shotguns or others ala ex-Box -- thus you only deal with the heat from the rear header itself and divorce the exhaust cans and two headers from the underseat equation.  (ceramic coat and thermal wrap helps even more with rear header)

3) For the 696, sometimes I wonder why nobody has done a low-mount or mid-mount twin exhaust can setup ala older doublesided swingarm Monsters.  Nobody ever had a heat issue with those.  Bit of a retro look, but I think it would work on the 696.  Unfortunately with the rear header routing through swingarm location, the older exhausts won't fit correctly nor due to the exhaust port outlet setup.  But it wouldn't be hard for someone to modify a M1000 system to 696 specification with a few cuts/welds in an afternoon -- it could easily be done.  (add a retro headlight to the bike while you are at it!)

I witched to the ExBox myself and love it...it IS cooler, sounds great and certainly is unique however, I can say Its not really worth the price (but are any of them for that matter?), the wait was a true pain in the ass-I waited like 13 weeks...and I'm told it makes the least horse power gain of any exhaust option out there....

Did I mention its cool looking ;D ?

Just as another data point, a riding buddy had issues with the heat on his 1098s so had the pipes ceramic coated.  The difference before and after was minimal at best.  I would try the wrap first...

Nothing is certain, but thanks for the inputs.  Anything to keep her riding!   [thumbsup]

just get her to ride faster!! keep the heat dissipated that way. ;D

You speak the truth!   [beer]  When she is riding at speed the bike is fine.  When the traffic, etc., require low speeds and waiting at lights, that is when she really feels it.

The gear makes a difference, too.  This past Saturday I had my 696 at NJMP for a track day.  I wore a leather suit and I can't recall ever feeling my legs get warm.  On Sunday we went for a ride and I had standard textile gear on -- at several stoplights I could feel my legs warming up.  Nothing that would make me not ride the bike, but it was there.

Picture please  ;D

I remember test riding a 696 in city traffic a few weeks ago and really felt the heat you speak of.  I felt it from under the seat, but mostly coming out on the left side of the engine.  I asked the dealer about it and he said "every person experiences the heat differently... some people feel it on their right leg."  I didn't really buy that and asked what can be done about it, he said pretty much nothing will completely resolve the heat problem, although ceramic coating and/or thermal wraps can help to some extent.  Now that I ordered my dark 796, I'm starting to get concerned cuz I plan to commute on it...  If it gets unbearable, I'll go for a dual surface black-ish ceramic coating.  I'm sure it will help with the looks too.

I commuted in Oklahoma summer heat. it's really not as bad as people are making it. yes it was hot, but no more hot than sitting in a non-airconditioned convertible. when you need to cool off, just spread your legs a bit for some air conditioning. I rode with jeans, leg armor, boots and summer mesh jacket with armor.

OKlahoma, yup that is hot(although, I have been to hotter places). I was out in Lawton(Fort Sill) a few years ago! Good time in OKC [thumbsup]

It also depends on the rider.  I have no issues with my 696.  At times my legs get warm, but nothing to fuss about.  She thinks different.  And she is SWMBO.

I wrapped the right side and now the heat is minimal and even on both sides. I wrapped it all the way back to the exhaust valve and below the valve.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e130/toddgriffin00/007-1.jpg)
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e130/toddgriffin00/008-2.jpg)