R1100RT Heating tubes

[Edgar]

Is there any downside to removing the plastic heat tubes from the back side of the oil cooler on to the vents in the dash? By removing the ineffective hand warmers I'll gain a lot of space behind the dashboard.

[AviP]

And what do you plan to do with this space?

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Is there any downside to removing the plastic heat tubes from the back side of the oil cooler on to the vents in the dash? By removing the ineffective hand warmers I'll gain a lot of space behind the dashboard.

 

As hand heaters, they don't really work worth a darn. I think you'd be fine getting rid of them.

 

And yes, what are you gonna put in their stead?

[Edgar]

The bike is apart with the gearbox out so I've got time to change wiring and tidy things up. I have a pair of Fiams under there as well as a permanent temperature controller for the Girbing's sticking backward out of the dash into the tube. I was looking for a space to conveniently mount a ballast for HID's, and if I get ambiguous, an auxiliary fuse box.

[rahbert]

as long as you're being ambigous, why not a car stereo with

mega-bass...?

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

as long as you're being ambigous, why not a car stereo with

mega-bass...?

 

Several years ago I saw a series of photos of an R1100RT that had been fitted with a serious car stereo. Among other things, the top-trunk had been converted into a subwoofer. Also had a neon underbody lighting kit. Not sure I'd want to own it, but it was interested to see.

[outpost22]

as long as you're being ambigous, why not a car stereo with

mega-bass...?

 

Several years ago I saw a series of photos of an R1100RT that had been fitted with a serious car stereo. Among other things, the top-trunk had been converted into a subwoofer. Also had a neon underbody lighting kit. Not sure I'd want to own it, but it was interested to see.

 

That guy obviously hasn't read the BMW handbook, nor does he know the secret handshake.

[smiller]

As mentioned the vents are ineffective as warmers but ironically they can have a beneficial effect in the opposite direction by channeling heat from the oil cooler off to the side and away from the rider.

[Edgar]

As mentioned the vents are ineffective as warmers but ironically than can have a beneficial effect in the opposite direction by channeling heat from the oil cooler off to the side and away from the rider.

 

That's certainly is a down side to removing them, although I've never felt any heat at any time from them. Have you ridden without the tubes? Do you think that the tube behind the oil cooler is sufficiently wide enough to disburse the heat? I don't want to have everything relocated under there and find out that the heat is oppressive.

[Tony_K]

Do not remove those tubes! If you want to know how effective they are put your hand at the exhaust vent when it is in its normal setting (not hand warmer)

 

Just try to leave your hand there more than 20 seconds. You will need to pull over and rip your glove off!

 

That is where you can warm your hands when need be no reason to move to the other position. A few seconds there and it will warm up quick.

 

The heat removal they perform is one of the best things about the 1100RT.

[smiller]

As mentioned the vents are ineffective as warmers but ironically than can have a beneficial effect in the opposite direction by channeling heat from the oil cooler off to the side and away from the rider.

 

That's certainly is a down side to removing them, although I've never felt any heat at any time from them. Have you ridden without the tubes? Do you think that the tube behind the oil cooler is sufficiently wide enough to disburse the heat? I don't want to have everything relocated under there and find out that the heat is oppressive.

Quite a bit of heat does come out of the vents. They're not nearly close enough to your hands to work as a warmer as BMW intended, but they divert a fair amount of heat nonetheless. But I don't know if removing the ducts would make a difference as far as what the rider would feel coming from under the fairing. I would guess none in colder weather, but it might be noticeable in hot weather. I don't know for sure one way or the other, just mentioning the potential. If you remove them... let us know...

 

[Boffin]

As mentioned the vents are ineffective as warmers but ironically than can have a beneficial effect in the opposite direction by channeling heat from the oil cooler off to the side and away from the rider.

 

That's certainly is a down side to removing them, although I've never felt any heat at any time from them. Have you ridden without the tubes? Do you think that the tube behind the oil cooler is sufficiently wide enough to disburse the heat? I don't want to have everything relocated under there and find out that the heat is oppressive.

Quite a bit of heat does come out of the vents. They're not nearly close enough to your hands to work as a warmer as BMW intended, but they divert a fair amount of heat nonetheless. But I don't know if removing the ducts would make a difference as far as what the rider would feel coming from under the fairing. I would guess none in colder weather, but it might be noticeable in hot weather. I don't know for sure one way or the other, just mentioning the potential. If you remove them... let us know...

The 1150 doesn't have the ducts but is otherwise the same layout. No problem here in England and I do not recall anyone from hot climates complaining about heat from their 1150RT.

 

Andy

[ESokoloff]

[The 1150 doesn't have the ducts but is otherwise the same layout. No problem here in England and I do not recall anyone from hot climates complaining about heat from their 1150RT.

 

Andy

 

 

 

let me be the first

[Clive Liddell]

And I will very definitely second you - here in our HOT HUMID climate I take the R1100RT in preference to my Roadster just to keep cooler. I am sensitive to this so I notice complaints being directed at the newer RT's for being hot in very hot weather which many blame on too large an aftermarket windshield.

 

Another point not mentioned is that the hot air exits on the sides of the bike are situated in a low pressure area which boosts the flow through the oil cooler AS WELL as increases rider comfort as mentioned above.

 

Apart from the whizzie brakes, crazy 6th gear ratio, this duct was probably the reason I have happily stayed with my 1100...

[kiwiaudio]

I've had mine removed for about 10 K now with no adverse effects whatsoever. I installed solid speaker baffles that required this room. Initially I took her for a long run without the speaker baffles installed to see how hot the wiring harness became that is directly behind the oil cooler. It never got hotter than it did before removing the tubes.

The RID does not display temperature any differently than it did before either.

In my opinion, there is so much air flowing around and through the radiator at speed that it is not a problem removing these useless tubes.

[steveg]

I beg to differ! I get alot of use out of them , its not like you feel a blast of heat on you but instead it raises the temp about five degree's and takes the chill off and enables you to ride in fourty degree weather without gloves on. every body seems to think that its gonna be like sitting in front of a blast furnace or something.

steve