Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: martin_14 on January 24, 2012, 12:04:26 PM
-
well, can't help but ask: is it really necessary to fit a radiator guard? I drive 100% on-road and never in 20 years have had a radiator damage, except once on my Fiat Uno when a duck took off from the side of the road and decided to dive into the front grill in the last second.
I found this piece of kit (http://www.ebay.de/itm/120697183158?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649) and was reflecting about getting it or not. Yeah, I know, a radiator costs way more but, what are the chances of anything ever happening?
Please note that I am not judging those who do buy it. It's just that I never felt the need for it and I'm getting cold feet. Thanks!
-
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=6335.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=6335.0)
-
Then don't buy one, Martin.
-
I have seen it happen 3 times, all on group rides, one was a track day. A radiator puncture has not happened to me but I do get occasionally hit by rocks when following another rider.
-
I added one because I didn't like the color and looks of the radiator, the guard that covers it is black and looks much better IMO! 8)
The added protection is just a plus... :)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00394-20110713-1744.jpg)
-
Ride behind anyone with even slightly sticky tires and you will change your mind.
Sport tires sling a LOT of gravel.
-
The price of a guard is a lot cheaper than a new radiator. With it right out in the open it's in a good place to get hit.
-
I put them on all my bikes... it's cheap insurance. I noticed some very large divots in the connie one when I put the R&G one on.. wish I had put it on when it was new(waited till ~5k miles) and haven't had any issues in the 25k since.
-
I have a fendo extendo, and no rad guard.
-
No, no need for a rad. guard Martin. There is a very slight risk of getting radiator damage from road debris of course, and a rad. guard reduces that risk somewhat but they are certainly not necessary.
I have one on my C-14 only because I have been involved in some timed rides and any delay for something like radiator damage would end the ride for me. The downside to having a guard is that I find my bike rises in operating temperature much more quickly and cools down a lot slower then it used to before the guard was installed.
Funny thing though is that if a motorcycle radiator is damaged and repaired, it leaves an unsightly scar usually right in the lower part of the middle of the radiator. That leads to an interesting result- you almost <have> to install a radiator guard then because the radiator looks so bad it needs to be hidden. So in a sort of backwards way, it is almost easier to install the guard first and avoid the repair altogether. None of that applies to those who replace a damaged radiator with a brand new one of course but I would go the repair route simply due to cost.
Brian
well, can't help but ask: is it really necessary to fit a radiator guard? I drive 100% on-road and never in 20 years have had a radiator damage, except once on my Fiat Uno when a duck took off from the side of the road and decided to dive into the front grill in the last second.
I found this piece of kit (http://www.ebay.de/itm/120697183158?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649) and was reflecting about getting it or not. Yeah, I know, a radiator costs way more but, what are the chances of anything ever happening?
Please note that I am not judging those who do buy it. It's just that I never felt the need for it and I'm getting cold feet. Thanks!
-
I added one because I didn't like the color and looks of the radiator, the guard that covers it is black and looks much better IMO! 8)
The added protection is just a plus... :)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00394-20110713-1744.jpg)
Damn ZG Those pipes ever seen any heat?
-
Or road grime?
Those pipes actually look polished. Maybe when people call up and ask him what he is doing, and he responds 'just polishing my pipes', he really IS?
;D ;D
My headers look exactly like that but they are protected by a thick layer of road grime. ::)
Brian
Damn ZG Those pipes ever seen any heat?
-
well, can't help but ask: is it really necessary to fit a radiator guard? I drive 100% on-road and never in 20 years have had a radiator damage, except once on my Fiat Uno when a duck took off from the side of the road and decided to dive into the front grill in the last second.
I found this piece of kit (http://www.ebay.de/itm/120697183158?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649) and was reflecting about getting it or not. Yeah, I know, a radiator costs way more but, what are the chances of anything ever happening?
Please note that I am not judging those who do buy it. It's just that I never felt the need for it and I'm getting cold feet. Thanks!
Martin,
Getting a hole poked in the radiator is a bit of a longshot that is comparable to getting a nail in a tire. You might be able to ride a zillion miles without experiencing either. Then again you could have the opposite experience and find a hole in your radiator or a nail in a tire on successive days. It's a case of "luck of the draw", if you're lucky, you won't ever see a hole or pick up a nail and if luck fails you, then you'll wish you had protected the radiator. Insurance against a nail in a tire does not exist, so you just have to take your chances there.
I personally don't care for the radiator guards but prefer the long fender extender offered by Larry Teows in Canada, http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=128.0. (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=128.0.) I specify his fender extender because it offers greater protection than the very similar but shorter fender extenders offered by Murph and others. My choice is a bit of a compromise though as the fender extender only protects against objects thrown by your own front tire but not by objects from other vehicles that pass the front tire and reach the sides of the radiator not protected by the tire. Using both is the best insurance because the addition of the fender extender will prevent all the crap thrown up by the front tire when riding in wet or otherwise unsavory conditions from being able to reach the radiator. Without the fender extender this stuff will penetrate the radiator guard and lodge in the radiator even though it is very unlikely to do any damage. Just the same, it's still debris that one would rather not have lodged in the radiator's fins. Another consideration is the fact the radiator will not be as efficient due to the added obstacle the airflow must penetrate. This won't make any difference in cooler weather but I expect the bike will not run as cool when riding at a slower pace within city limits when the weather is hot. This issue was addressed previously by Brian (B.D.F.). This is the main reason I choose to employ only the protection offered by the fender extender as my journeys often take me through the arid and hot southwest. If I do find myself with a punctured radiator then I'll simply use JB Weld to fix it. I've never had occasion to use it on a street bike but have used it with 100% success on numerous motocross radiators.
As a final thought, without protection the radiator is definitely going to be hit by flying debris that may never poke a hole and cause a leak but it will bend the fins and in time become quite unsightly. My own experience has show this to be the case as I purchased my C14 in Kansas and rode it home to Oregon with the radiator exposed to whatever came its way. When I got home I spent a bit of time straightening the numerous bent fins, all of which were in the center behind the tire. My first aftermarket add on was the fender extender and the radiator has experienced no further contact with anything more damaging than insects.
-
Damn ZG Those pipes ever seen any heat?
Or road grime?
Those pipes actually look polished. Maybe when people call up and ask him what he is doing, and he responds 'just polishing my pipes', he really IS?
;D ;D
My headers look exactly like that but they are protected by a thick layer of road grime. ::)
Brian
;D ;D ;D
What? You guys don't pull over and ice your header every 30 minutes to avoid discoloring?? ??? :-\
Actually that pic was from the day I got my new Muzzys system installed, so yes it was still very clean looking. 8)
As for polishing the pipes, I always just let my wife take on that job, look at how she made this throttle body shine, it takes a little work and time but well worth it IMO, the trick is all in the full elbow and shoulder action... :)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/ksjdiwue8w.jpg)
-
I added one because I didn't like the color and looks of the radiator, the guard that covers it is black and looks much better IMO! 8)
Imagine that- ZG changing something on his bike to... black..... hmm
-
Then don't buy one, Martin.
Sound advice my friend, but I did bite that bullet and got one........I now sleep so much better at night.
-
;D ;D ;D
What? You guys don't pull over and ice your header every 30 minutes to avoid discoloring?? ??? :-\
Actually that pic was from the day I got my new Muzzys system installed, so yes it was still very clean looking. 8)
As for polishing the pipes, I always just let my wife take on that job, look at how she made this throttle body shine, it takes a little work and time but well worth it IMO, the trick is all in the full elbow and shoulder action... :)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/ksjdiwue8w.jpg)
Holy Crap !! :o
-
I have a fendo extendo, and no rad guard.
I have both at a total cost of $265 NZ.
My leason:-
Several years ago was setting out on a holiday with 5 other bikes (2weeks in the south island), one day into this trip one of the lads on a Hyabusa holed his radiator and lost all his water (a 14mm bolt straight through it)
The cost of hauling him his passenger and his bike out of there was far more than the cost of the rad protector and fender extender I fit as a matter of course on all bikes I have owned since.
Oh and his holiday didnt happen and it cost him $1200 for a new rad.
The peice of mind that $265 gives me is priceless.
-
Holy Crap !! :o
Ya, pretty shiny huh, told ya! :thumbs:
I was impressed as well, it used to be totally tarnished and dull, now I can see the reflection of my face in it... :)
-
Imagine that- ZG changing something on his bike to... black..... hmm
The black rad gaurd makes it go faster too Max! ;) 8)
-
Ya, pretty shiny huh, told ya! :thumbs:
I was impressed as well, it used to be totally tarnished and dull, now I can see the reflection of my face in it... :)
If you can see your reflection you're too far away.
-
If you can see your reflection you're too far away.
Not sure I'm following you GP? It's a pretty big throttle body... (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/confused1.gif) (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/smiley_dunno.gif)
-
I didn't see a throttle body - where is it? ;D
-
I didn't see a throttle body - where is it? ;D
I attached a pic of it further down in this thread bro, scroll down... :nuts:
-
And then when you find the photo you still might not see a throttle body.... scroll down with your eyes and it will turn up. A lot of people miss the hardware in that photo it seems.
Brian
I attached a pic of it further down in this thread bro, scroll down... :nuts:
-
And then when you find the photo you still might not see a throttle body.... scroll down with your eyes and it will turn up. A lot of people miss the hardware in that photo it seems.
Brian
Why? I don't understand, what am I missing here guys?? It's the pic I posted of my wife holding it below in this thread! I can see it just fine, can you guys really not see the pic in this thread?? (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/confused1.gif) (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/smiley_dunno.gif)
Very frustrating, something must be wrong with my photobucket acount again... :banghead:
-
well, can't help but ask: is it really necessary to fit a radiator guard? I drive 100% on-road and never in 20 years have had a radiator damage, except once on my Fiat Uno when a duck took off from the side of the road and decided to dive into the front grill in the last second.
I found this piece of kit (http://www.ebay.de/itm/120697183158?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649) and was reflecting about getting it or not. Yeah, I know, a radiator costs way more but, what are the chances of anything ever happening?
Please note that I am not judging those who do buy it. It's just that I never felt the need for it and I'm getting cold feet. Thanks!
Martin, it is funny you should ask this question because like you I also did not see the need and so for the past year (28k miles) I bought other misc farkles and then about 2 weeks about 150 miles from home on a typical weekend ride with a bunch of sportbikes it happened. Radiator fluid spraying all over the front tire and brakes... Lucky for me I we pulled over shortly after it happened and thats when I noticed it... Glad we pulled over cause the triple digits we were crusing at through the twisties would not have been a good outcome if I went down. Anyways 150 miles in the middle of nowwhere I was stuck on a Saturday afternoon. Lucky for me someone had a bottle of stop leak with them and that solved the problem enough for me to get home. The dealer estimate was a little over $1200 and when I told them I was putting a radiator guard on they said the same you are saying... why? they said they don't see many but I don't believe them... So after 28k miles over the past year it finally happened to me. I should have bought the guard before... oh well live and learn.
-
Yeah, I figure cheap insurance and its unobtrusive.
-
Why? I don't understand, what am I missing here guys?? It's the pic I posted of my wife holding it below in this thread! I can see it just fine, can you guys really not see the pic in this thread?? (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/confused1.gif) (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/smiley_dunno.gif)
Very frustrating, something must be wrong with my photobucket acount again... :banghead:
J, I think that I see the problem. It's like that great old song by Manfred Mann, Blinded By The Headlights. :P
-
J, I think that I see the problem. It's like that great old song by Manfred Mann, Blinded By The Headlights. :P
Ya, I guess I can understand that then C, it does really shine and I think is picking up too much glare from the kitchen lights, sorry about that... :(
-
I added one because I didn't like the color and looks of the radiator, the guard that covers it is black and looks much better IMO! 8)
The added protection is just a plus... :)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00394-20110713-1744.jpg)
What farkel DON'T you have?
:o
-
What farkel DON'T you have?
:o
Hmmm... (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/confused1.gif)
Well Mike, I don't have any cheese head stickers on it, does that count?? (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/smiley_dunno.gif) ;D
-
Hmmm... (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/confused1.gif)
Well Mike, I don't have any cheese head stickers on it, does that count?? (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/smiley_dunno.gif) ;D
I bet I could help with that!
;D
-
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00394-20110713-1744.jpg)
What farkel DON'T you have?
:o
Hmmm....I don't see a black fender 'stender, seems he must have forgot one. :D
Which is kinda strange, since I think they only come in black. Must be 'cause he spent all that
money on TB polish for his wife.
-
I bet I could help with that!
;D
Wanna trade for some G-Men stickers Mike?? ;D :stirpot:
-
Ya, I guess I can understand that then C, it does really shine and I think is picking up too much glare from the kitchen lights, sorry about that... :(
I think you need to turn the thermostat in your house up, just a bit. Seems to be a "nip" in the air.
Upon further inspection, screw it! Crank the A/C! ;D
-
Hmmm....I don't see a black fender 'stender, seems he must have forgot one. :D
Which is kinda strange, since I think they only come in black.
I actually don't care for the front stender FM, I think they're kinda ugly IMO, sorry... :-\
As a matter of fact I didn't like the rear fender either, so I went with the fender eliminator kit from Muzzys, I think it give's the Connie a much better look from the rear! 8) :thumbs:
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00533-20110913-1625.jpg)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00526-20110913-1621.jpg)
This is an awesome example of a threadjack, sorry Martin, my bad... (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/smiley_smackbottom.gif)
-
I think you need to turn the thermostat in your house up, just a bit. Seems to be a "nip" in the air.
Upon further inspection, screw it! Crank the A/C! ;D
69 year round, seems to be perfect no matter what the weather is doing outside in the PNW... :)
Is that too hot? (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/smiley_dunno.gif)
-
thanks guys for all the replies. I think Bud, Brian and others hit the nail on the head: it's cheap insurance, and I agree that it makes the bike look better. I'm planing this little trip for May and the last thing I need is getting stranded. I checked the Kawasaki dealer's network in Ireland and it looks... sparse at best, so I'm going to invest those 80 Euros (100 USD) and get one. As Pokey said: if anything, I'll be paying for the piece of mind.
-
69 year round, seems to be perfect no matter what the weather is doing outside in the PNW... :)
Is that too hot? (http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/smiley_dunno.gif)
Great number J! Sounds perfect to me...
-
No fender really sucks in the rain, get yourself a sweet carbon-fiber hugger.......very sweet!!!!
-
No fender really sucks in the rain, get yourself a sweet carbon-fiber hugger.......very sweet!!!!
I hear ya there Brian, true indeed! I avoid riding in the rain for the most part, I do get caught in it every now and then but don't willingly ride in it on purpose, so I opt for fenderless and play clean up later... :-\
-
No fender really sucks in the rain, get yourself a sweet carbon-fiber hugger.......very sweet!!!!
+1
The more fender the better here in the rain forest. I'd like some Indian style fenders if they would fit!
-
I know, a radiator costs way more but, what are the chances of anything ever happening?
chances are good on this particular bike.
New rad is over 700bucks .Yes, I had to buy one.
-
No fender really sucks in the rain, get yourself a sweet carbon-fiber hugger.......very sweet!!!!
And pricey... I am looking for one but can't stomach the price.
-
chances are good on this particular bike.
New rad is over 700bucks .Yes, I had to buy one.
you know, some people just look in internet to know the price. You didn't have to go and buy it, but thanks for your sacrifice. ;)