Hey, has anyone found the need to add heat shields to their Terra? I haven't had a problem yet, but I'm about to add soft bags and the rear half of the pipes seems pretty exposed and extremely hot. Should I just go for it, better safe than sorry? Let me know if anyone has had a problem or "near miss." Thanks!
I have read of some people having problems. In particular, I remember someone having their factory plastic heat shield melting because the rubber bumpers underneath can fall out easily.
That was me who melted the plastic shield onto the pipe, because the rubber bumper had gone, and also because I was using a giant loop bag which strapped on very tight at the very point where the rubber bumper should have been keeping the shield off the pipe. These pipes can get very hot after running all day. I would not strap soft luggage on the bike which might come in contact with the pipes. Most people have bought or engineered some sort of rack to mount their luggage on.
That's really helpful. I use a GL Great Basin bag too, but haven't used it on this bike yet. I think I'll follow up with additional heat shields and double check where the load lands.
The rubber bumpers on both of my exhausts broke off. I reckon about 30% of the bikes I have seen in the wild have one or both of them missing. I got some bolts about 4mm small enough to go through the same hole in the exhaust bracket that the rubber bumpers use, used them in place of the rubbers with a couple of nuts on either side of the bracket to maintan the 5-10mm gap to the plastic heat shields and all loctited on. the actual contact patch between the head of the bolt and the plastic shield is so small that heat transfer isn't an issue there. ( don't use that bag on this bike any more as I have soft panniers and pannier frames now.
Smart solution. I'll see what kind of futzing I might have to do. I'm considering panniers too, found a used inexpensive pair of Wolfman Expedition so I may just get the rack... Thanks!
