[blue cheer]

Been reading online many owners of '11 and '12 Ninja 1000s have severe heat issues. Quite a few people are saying they get a lot of heat when stopped at lights from the cats underneath the bike and transfers heat to the frame.

Just wondering if any older Ninja 1000 owners can confirm, or any new Ninja 1000 owners can chip in yay or nay. Interested in what Kawi has or hasn't done to rectify...

 

[stayup]

its a real issue.
people have tried to wrap the pipes there. it makes a little bit of a difference. a custom fit heatshield would do a better job

this issue isnt exclusive to the ninja 1000 though..
lots of motorcycles have this problem to some degree.

 

[blue cheer]

its a real issue.
people have tried to wrap the pipes there. it makes a little bit of a difference. a custom fit heatshield would do a better job

this issue isnt exclusive to the ninja 1000 though..
lots of motorcycles have this problem to some degree.

yea absolutely not a Ninja specific problem, it will happen with any Liter bike, The thread I was reading earlier the guy was talking how the entire frame was heating up and staying hot even after exhaust had cooled down...

 

[Cpt. Joe]

Is it more of a problem because of the effect it can have on the bike or because it makes the bike too hot to ride? Whats the best way to deal with it?

 

[stayup]

its more of an issue to the rider than the motorcycle

its just bothersome and even painful if the heat gets to your body. especially when sitting in traffic on a hot day.

 

[-VOID-]

"painful?" that sounds terrible. the only thing you can do to protect against that would be to wear thicker leathers. While that would not stop your leg from heating up, it might stop it from burning at least.

Is this a common issue with the Ninja 1000?

 

[blue cheer]

"painful?" that sounds terrible. the only thing you can do to protect against that would be to wear thicker leathers. While that would not stop your leg from heating up, it might stop it from burning at least.

Is this a common issue with the Ninja 1000?

I'm not entirely sure, thats primarily what I was trying to find out. It could simply be the individual was too sensitive or he could of had an exhaust leak or a cat issue.

All liter bikes will get hot, thats a given but its a question of how hot is too hot...

 

[KawiRider]

I'm not entirely sure, thats primarily what I was trying to find out. It could simply be the individual was too sensitive or he could of had an exhaust leak or a cat issue.

All liter bikes will get hot, thats a given but its a question of how hot is too hot...

when it's hot enough that you can't do your regular riding or commuting then it's an issue. might even be better to get it looked at when it's at it's mild stages before it gets worse.

 

[stayup]

"painful?" that sounds terrible. the only thing you can do to protect against that would be to wear thicker leathers. While that would not stop your leg from heating up, it might stop it from burning at least.

Is this a common issue with the Ninja 1000?

wearing more gear might stop you from actually getting a burn but it is still going to be insanely hot. and you just put more layers on! lol

 

[KawiRider]

wearing more gear might stop you from actually getting a burn but it is still going to be insanely hot. and you just put more layers on! lol

exactly, more layers will only help for so long. but it helps, which matters a lot depending on how long your commute is.

 

[stayup]

just never stop moving. hehe.

THE SOLUTION

 

[KawiRider]

just never stop moving. hehe.

THE SOLUTION

haha, if you must, ride on the sidewalks, shoulder of road/highway, anything to avoid the heat build up!

 

[stayup]

yep! in all seriousness just looking at the photos it doesnt really seem like it'll be a huge deal.

at least not as bad some as some ducatis I've ridden where the pipes were right beside your leg/

 

[beally55]

Just bought a 2013 Ninja 1000 , and found the heat really bad even with boots and draggin jeans.It has been stinkin hot here in Adelaide and on the test ride it was nearly a deal breaker.Was suggested that if you remove the cats it will help.It worked...the heat is tolerable now.
I have still got the oem system with the big muffler underneath and it is a little louder than stock but not much.
The only side effect is the occaisonal backfire ,particularly when it is cold.

 

[ToNY97]

So removing the catalytic will decrease heat and increase decibels?

Do slip ons affect heat displacement?

 

[SailorJack]

I rode my 1000 daily last summer here in NC and VA. Sometimes stuck in traffic (stop and go) for an hour with temps in the 90's. The heat is there and the right frame area does get hot but not any hotter than any other bike I've had.

My VFR and Buell I had in the past would burn you and come close to overheating. The ninja isnt as bad as those.

 

[rcannon409]

I think heat issues started when style meant wrapping the engine in plastic fairings. My Ninja is no problem in heat. My Concours 14 is brutal.

Replacing the ninja exhaust, and remitting the cat made my issue disappear.

In my mind, though, the heat issue got much better as the bike broke in.

Still, at 105 degrees, on the bone stock bike, I remember noticing my right foot was hot. Not GET ME TO THE BURN UNIT hot, more of a "this sucks".

If you think your Ninja has heat issues, please ride a 2009 r1 with underseat exhaust. Or my Concours 14. I had signed up for a vasectomy. Never needed one after riding the c14. Unless the fuel tank is FULL, the tank gets hot enough to be painful.

 

[ydo]

I do not agree with the general sense of this tread. My bike does not run that uncomfortably hot as is implied here. I ride all day in 100 deg weather with no issues. I had an FZ1 which ran about the same temp as the Ninja 1000.

I test rode a Yamaha R1 last year and that bike does have a heat issue. After about 20 miles my right thigh was burning from the exhaust being routed close to my leg.

Catalytic converters run hot by design to do their job but its well isolated so that the frame doesn't heat up that bad.

I just rode about 40 miles and changed the oil about 5 minutes later with no heat issues. I even removed the oil filter by hand and it wasn't that hot.

 

[rcannon409]

YDO, is this the right thread? One guy mentioned a heat issue on the stock bike, and five others said its no big deal???? Anyone reading the thread SHOULD see its not much of an issue, I'd hope anyway.

If anyone woudl like a demo of a heat issue, they are welcome to try my Concours 14. At anything above 85 degrees, the fuel tank itself is almost uncomfortable to touch. Its bad enough to make a person want to take a car instead. The Ninja is NOT in that category, I promise...

 

[rcannon409]

An update..Ninja 1000 heat issue..shut up.

Please fly over to my house and ride the concours 14 and we'll talk about heat issues.

I part it next to my Ninja 1000. I believe the c14 removes heat from the Ninja, saves, it, and pays it back on the next ride. You'd swear the radiator was empty...its THAT bad, and anyone who sold one due to this heat has my full support.

The bike is fast, but your hesitant to use the speed due to the radiant heat afterwards.