Radiator Guards…

[Wintersdark]

2 hours ago, Warchild said:

Holy shit, this is nuts!  And you are staying on asphalt most all the time, aren't you? That is some scary stuff.

I have the Givi rad guard and R&G Fenda Extenda, and have been resisting a skid plate. But nowadays I am thinking a SW-Motech skid plate is probably indicated.  

Virtually all the time, and any time spend on dirt/gravel is at low speed.  

It's small, but damn.  

I'm using it as an excuse to get a new shiny Black Widow system in the spring, I think.  There's another like this under the center pipe.  A skid plate would have prevented both.  I figure that'll be the next thing, and something I'll get prior to the new exhaust. 

Really, though... I just miss the sound   I loved my 230mm GP style Black Widow on the MT07, but it was WAY too loud.  I'd go 350mm, maybe even 400, on this bike.  And I think have the headers (as lovely as they are) powder coated first, as my headers are exposed to all sorts of nasty.

[Maverick302]

I always put one on bikes with vulnerable radiators. Never had a puncture but they always end up dinged up and fins bent.

[2and3cylinders]

37 minutes ago, Wintersdark said:

Virtually all the time, and any time spend on dirt/gravel is at low speed.  

It's small, but damn.  

I'm using it as an excuse to get a new shiny Black Widow system in the spring, I think.  There's another like this under the center pipe.  A skid plate would have prevented both.  I figure that'll be the next thing, and something I'll get prior to the new exhaust. 

Really, though... I just miss the sound   I loved my 230mm GP style Black Widow on the MT07, but it was WAY too loud.  I'd go 350mm, maybe even 400, on this bike.  And I think have the headers (as lovely as they are) powder coated first, as my headers are exposed to all sorts of nasty.

 Before you get the  Black widow system be sure to check somehow, and I've contacted them and they said they didn't know, if for example, the SW Mototech skid plate will not impinge on the headers!

My Evotech rad guard and SW Mototech skid plate have so far not received a big hit, knock on plastic. But I don't go off tarmac.

[jcarruth]

I hit a bolt on the road with my front tire on my ST1300 which ended up in the radiator, about 400 miles from home in the mountains. This happened in spite of the fact that I had a front fender extender on the bike. I was stranded.

As soon as I completed the extreme hassle of getting my bike home and dealing with the insurance company (Progressive, they paid, comprehensive) I made a radiator guard from aluminium screen, and have done the same for any other bike that I have owned since with a radiator or oil cooler that is exposed.

I got lazy with the Tracer 9GT and bought an Evotech radiator guard, which I do recommend.