I live in Vegas and got my Rocket in the summer. First thing I noticed was how hot the bike was in stop and go traffic. That was my only complaint. I also found that if it was moving down the highway there was no problem. I wrapped the headers and then put the shields back on and that helped. Even my V8 bikes are quite a bit cooler. Once the summer was over I didn't notice the heat any more. Good to hear you're ok and you're riding again.