Should I get radiator protector covers

Welll….

The question should really be why don’t manufacturers fit the radiator guards they sell in their parts catalogue :nenau

Well……

I guess because:

A. They are probably not really needed.

B. They chase published weight figures downwards.

C. They can sting bods for something that actually fits properly.
 
alesupper, you might be wondering how you can practice using your new puncture repair kit, without making a hole in your (or your neighbour’s) tyre?

Easy….

Go along to any local motorcycle tyre fitting place and ask them if they’ll let you have an old tyre. Alternatively, just wait until you yourself need new tyres and ask for one of your old tyres back.

Take it home and drill a hole in it. It doesn’t need to be huge. Then practice using the device, the advantage being that you can see the inside of the loose tyre, so you can see how it works.

Not least, try out your new air pump by pumping up your tyres. Why? Just to make sure that it doesn’t trip your canbus limit and fail. It is best to discover this now, rather than later. Simply running it doesn’t test it, you need to put it under load ie. Pumping pressure into a tyre. If yiu find it does trip, re[rt back here for a cure…. Or take a foot pump.

If it’s any comfort. When I ran Wapping’s Wanders, covering 10’s of thousands of man miles in Europe, we had only two tyre leaks. One was a proper puncture (repaired on the side of the road) and the other was a slowly deflating tyre, caused by the locking nut on the valve being loose. We also repaired one third party’s bod’s tyre, when we found him sitting forlornly in a car park. Two, maybe three, tyre problems in thousands of miles. It doesn’t mean it can’t happen though, simply that it’s (possibly) unlikely. Best to be ready.
 
I would buy the plastic BMW radiator covers, they're good enough if you're not doing heavy off road stuff. Also check that the Canbus will run the 12v pump. I have two pumps that the Canbus won't run so I fitted an Optimate fitting to the pump and then plug it into the Optimate lead on the battery, so it bypasses the Canbus.
 
is typing on HUNGSer.com

wap you git :D that made me laugh

i know youve done the deed but id say on road no off road yes

more important would be a headlight protector - if its a roundy 7 inch jobbie then fine - many cheap and bodgeable but if a modern led or hid get damaged then £££ - in an awful lot of miles in 30 years not happened but as with possible punctures you might do 100k without one then get 3 in a week - carry tyre goo and snakes also

mine for humda was 20 quid for a circa 500 quid light (yeah i fell over too)

might never happen but ya never know - most things you can bodge but no lights is game over
 
The same could be said about coolant.

Trust me, hearing air hissing from a puncture is a minor annoyance, watching coolant squirting out of a hole in your radiator had me reach for a beer and consider buying 20 Marlboro. To put a positive spin on it I did catch a train from Kecskemet into Budapest and revisit all the bars I used to frequent when crew changing through there when my KTM was laid up :beerjug:
 
Driving 4x4s around Southern Africa, if we ever had issues it was almost always caused by an aftermarket part someone had fitted to a vehicle to 'improve' it.

Enough people seem to have fitted guards without problem so. Am sure you don't need to worry, but if I was sitting in Barcelona traffic on a stinking hot day, I'd prefer not to have anything potentially restricting air flow around my radiator.
 
Had Evotech radiator guards on the last 10 years of bikes, don't know if they were needed but seeing the cost of a new radiator, it works for me
Never had an issue with air flow with hot days in Europe on the GS or the XR. The fan comes on
Got a headlight guard too as I am risk aversive
It's a choice
 
Am sure you don't need to worry, but if I was sitting in Barcelona traffic on a stinking hot day, I'd prefer not to have anything potentially restricting air flow around my radiator.
Did exactly that this year in August. Two R1250gs exclusive bikes, one fitted with Evotech rad guards, one unadorned. Both bike’s radiator fans kick in practically in unison and run for the same duration. I can’t speak for any other brands - particularly the Aliexpress copies, but I believe the Evotech website claims that they consider the size of holes etc to avoid restricting air flow.
Alan R
 
I damaged the radiator on my tractor a couple of years ago, managed to roll it but thats another story, and took the rad into a guy in Dundee. He fixed it fine, but I was astonished to see the number of bike rads he had in for repair. I promptly put guards on my 12 hunnert.
 
I put one on a previous ST1300 when a mate holed his in Central London, then rode it home at low speeds hoping he’d get away with it… he didn’t. I was surprised just how many dinks there were on the guard when I sold the bike.

So when I changed to an RT I asked on another forum if they were needed as the rads are far smaller and fairly tucked out of the way, the response was a warning that the bike would overheat. I duly fitted them and last June in 45c roasting temps rode 2-up with luggage in France, absolutely no problem, temp gauge rocky steady at normal.
 
Don’t have a GS, but I do sleep easier with a big radiator guard on my bike.

I’ve no idea how many stones have or have not pinged off it in 40K miles, but I’ve not suffered a leaking rad.

Now punctures are another story ……………..
 
100%. I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Until a stone gets caught between it and the radiator and wears a hole in the radiator. Happened to a friend of mine on a fireblade. :D
 


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