My tourer is an 02 Ultra and it has non vented lower fairings. They are great when the air temp is 69 or less, but if the air temp is any higher the heat reflected is really bad, which is why it's unbolted in the summer. Recently I've been looking at getting some vented lowers but wondering if they are really worth it. In my area the high temps in the summer get in the nineties. In the spring and fall, you can have morning temps in the fifties and afternoon temps in the seventies. Obviously vented lowers would be better, but would they work good enough to leave them on all year round? Or am I just going to be unbolting them anyway in the summer?

 

....... yes
.... some folks remove the vent slider to get a little more air flow as season dictates

 

 

 

Maybe look into finding a kit to add venting to your fairing lowers? Something like the Hoppe Industries Airmax Vents AMX2. I'm not even sure these are still available.

https://www.powersportparts.net/i-25...%7Cyear%3D2011

http://www.directcycleparts.com/tour...yABEgISifD_BwE

https://www.dragspecialties.com/prod...umber=23500008

 

I've never had non-vented lowers, so my only comparison is vents open versus vents closed.

Which makes a little difference (but just a little). When it gets hot here, the lowers come off and hang in the garage until fall. YMMV.

 

I've found benefits to be subtle in hot weather. I've been riding for hours in hot weather with the vents inadvertently closed and gotten slightly better cooling by opening the vents. However, while it may seem counter-intuitive, the most effective relief I [and my passenger wife] have gotten was when the day turns cooler [such as after the sun goes down in early Fall - if you slightly crack open the vents, the air blown over the engine will actually provide a little warm to your legs and lower body.

 

Is that a hard thing to do? Or harder than just unbolting the entire lowers?

They don't work very well for me if the temp gets above 70. I hate to imagine what it would feel like at 90 or above.

I looked into that, and the cost is about the same as buying aftermarket replacement vented lowers.

yeah, if I'm going to have to unbolt them anyway why waste the money on vented ones. Thanks everyone for the info.