what's cookin'?

While researching the Ulysses, I heard stories of the seat getting hot and right legs being roasted.  During my test ride, I didn't notice it all.  I was wearing my AGV Telluride pants (McMark and I both have them) with a pair of jeans squeezed under them.  I could have been so distracted by the newness of the experience that the heat didn't register.  Also, I didn't get stuck in any slow speed situations.  However, during my spirited ride in southern Indiana, my arse and surrounding areas got uncomfortably warm, while my right thigh felt like it was up against our woodstove.  Not fun.  So, I started to look into how other Ulysses owners dealt with this issue.

There are few heat solutions out there ranging from the Spec Ops heat blanket, products from DEI and home brew solutions using aluminum tape and some sort of heat barrier.  This project is the later.

Using an old Kevlar vest I had laying around the garage, what doesn't everyone have old body armor in their shop?  I cut out the panels and removed all the stitching so I could use individual layers of kevlar.

Using the weird plastic sheeting that was sandwiched with the Kevlar, I made a very rough template.  I wanted it to cover the gap between the frame, seat and airbox on the right hand side.  This is were a good amount of heat escapes and cooks your thigh.

While I was tinkering with the heat blanket, I also used two layers of Kevlar and some tape to cover the top of the RHS air deflector.  This is rumored to help pull air away from the RHS of the rear cylinder and keep it off your leg.  

Trying to do everything I can to keep my personal areas at a reasonable temperature, I added a few layers of the tape to the bottom of the seat pan. 

Some of the other heat blankets go all the to the back of the underseat area.  I didn't want to cover my ECM, battery and fuse box with the blanket and cook them to a slow death, so I stopped just after the fan shroud.  With my template ready, I drug out the sewing machine and got to work.  Using 4 layers of Kevlar and some Kevlar thread I purchased from Fly Masters, got to work cranking out my homebrew version of a heat blanket.  The sewing machine did well, almost better than it has on other fabrics.

After a quick test fit, I wrapped it in the aluminum tape.  I had planned to only wrap the side facing the engine but I wasn't paying attention and started on the wrong side.  Oops.  

It's not pretty but it was basically free!  Seems to close off all the gaps but I did have to fold the RHS tab that goes down by the rear cylinder.  It was too close and I don't want my heat barrier to turn into a heat sink. 

I'll put some miles on and report back.   Hopefully this will solve my burning issue or else my next project will be liquid cooled pants.