I also removed the covers, but did it for looks mostly. After it, I found the heat gets spread out more evenly instead of focused in one area. In my experience, the stock V4 does a great job at keeping heat away from the ass/legs, especially compared to previous panigales. Where it is absolutely miserable is once I tried to put a foot down at stops when temps were high. Felt like a stream of molten lava shooting at my calves. Would have to do this dance were I bounced from side to side to keep them from getting burnt.
Removing the covers eliminated that issue. More heat around my butt and legs, but less at the calves. Overall, much more tolerable. The 1199/1299s I rode before had me cooking while in motion in less than 30 minutes. The V4 only ever cooked me at stops.