I bought I second hand radiator guard off ebay about a week ago which I haven't had time to fit yet due to work. Looking at it I can see that it has two lugs which just hook over the top of the radiator and a lug which you bolt at the bottom right but am I supposed to take the front wheel off or strip down some of the fairing to get it on?
I dont want to dismantle the bike if I dont have to and I definately dont want to do more than I need to, any clues??
Mine has arrived as well. I don't think you need to remove anything.
Ah, ha, quick update. Upon closer examination and a little patience I have discovered that you do not actually need to dismantle anything, the cover just slips over the radiator.
HOWEVER, & there's always a however :) I then did come across a slight problem, but only slight. The bolt at the bottom of the radiator with the rubber spacer/buffer over it is about as seized as you can imagine. I managed to get a jig saw in there and chopped the bugger off but now I need a couple of new bits. No major drama though, hopefully get them ordered today and have them by the end of the week.
Got to admit though I did enjoy tinkering with the bike and getting my hands dirty. ;D
Quote from: Norman Bates on November 02, 2010, 12:11:47 PM
Mine has arrived as well. I don't think you need to remove anything.
You just beat me there by a few seconds
Just ordered the bits I need £11.36 including postage etc. When I replace them I'll use some of that copper thread stuff to keep the fitments removeable.
Just make sure to put a tape of foam all around the guard to prevent vibrations before bolting it down, and it as to be very tight.
It was quite a tight fit even without being able to secure the bottom bolt. What type of foam do you suggest to supress any vibrations? If I can find something suitable I'll use it.
NB, not sure if you have been able to do anything with your rad guard yet but if you have did you manage to get that bottom bolt undone under the radiator?
Even after I'd chopped mine I couldn't get it to budge while holding it in a vice and tring to free it with mole grips. >:(
Quote from: Lonewolf on November 02, 2010, 10:05:57 PM
It was quite a tight fit even without being able to secure the bottom bolt. What type of foam do you suggest to supress any vibrations? If I can find something suitable I'll use it.
I used 3M adhesive single layer foam
Many thanks for that, I'll give it a go as soon as my bits arrive.
NB, have you had any sucess putting yours on?
Not yet. Still planned for this weekend. Come down with an annoying cold at the moment made worse by getting caught in the downpour yesterday
I picked up my bits this morning from Bradford Motorcycles, work restricts play as they say so I wont be able to put it all together until Thursday morning but at least if I can find a small portion of the country with forecast for sun over the weekend I'll be out on the bike. ;D
Not been on bike all week. Firstly this cold won't go away, and secondly my brother drove past an accident involving a bike so he's got the missus worried.
Unfortunately its that time of the year where we are all a little more vulnerable than usual. Hopefully that biker was ok even if their bike didnt come off too well.
Wednesday night, Calderdale Council were out gritting which came as a bit of a shock to us. It looks like its going to be another cold and bitter winter. :(
Is it me or is there always a problem? >:(
I've had a go at putting the rad guard on this morning and I'm not happy. As you are looking towards the bike from the front the left hand side lug is not catching over the top of the radiator. There is some foam padding or something behind the radiator which you can see and feel which I think is getting in the way. Does anyone know if I take the lower left hand panel off the bike will this allow me greater access to that area to sort this problem out?
Quote from: Lonewolf on November 12, 2010, 11:44:10 AM
Is it me or is there always a problem? >:(
I've had a go at putting the rad guard on this morning and I'm not happy. As you are looking towards the bike from the front the left hand side lug is not catching over the top of the radiator. There is some foam padding or something behind the radiator which you can see and feel which I think is getting in the way. Does anyone know if I take the lower left hand panel off the bike will this allow me greater access to that area to sort this problem out?
whats the make of the gaurd. is it beowulf!
No its not a Beowulf, I dont know what make it is I bought it off Ebay a couple of weeks ago, £26 which I didnt think was that bad.
I've fathomed out why it wouldn't sit right on top of the radiator, and it didnt need any dismantling or anything it was as usual just me not thinking things through carefully.
As I tightened up the bottom bolt to secure the guard onto the radiator it lifted the guard in the top left hand corner as it was pulling the fixing in. Difficult to explain, but simply all it requires is either a number of stainless steel washers to space it out correctly or a spacer of the required thickness.
I'll buy some cheap washers tomorrow from Wickes or somewhere so I get the required distance and then I'll pop around to Bradford Nut & Bolt on Monday and get some stainless steel washers or a S/S spacer. Job sorted, I'm glad that worked out because it does look good. ;D
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Fingers/RadGuard.jpg)
>:( :( >:( :( >:( :(
It didn't work!!
I got some s/s washers and put them in place and unfortunately still no joy. Its better but still not acceptable. I telephoned Beowulf and popped over to them at Halifax. The plan was to compare their rad guards to my rad guard, however they then announced that my rad guard was actually one of theirs, they recognised it from the pattern of the punching.
So, yes you've guessed it the fixing bracket was the same on theirs as it was on mine. Even the boss at Beowulf came to have a look but couldn't come up with a solution. He even compared the measurements from their templates and the original guards they had mocked up and everything was spot on.
I'm stumped. :'(
Quote from: Lonewolf on November 15, 2010, 01:45:39 PM
>:( :( >:( :( >:( :(
It didn't work!!
I got some s/s washers and put them in place and unfortunately still no joy. Its better but still not acceptable. I telephoned Beowulf and popped over to them at Halifax. The plan was to compare their rad guards to my rad guard, however they then announced that my rad guard was actually one of theirs, they recognised it from the pattern of the punching.
So, yes you've guessed it the fixing bracket was the same on theirs as it was on mine. Even the boss at Beowulf came to have a look but couldn't come up with a solution. He even compared the measurements from their templates and the original guards they had mocked up and everything was spot on.
I'm stumped. :'(
dam! are you saying the beowulf may not fit. just order one from beowulf. they said theres no way cover this will not fit my biike. I asume its defo for the gtr1400 you got. what did beowulf say if its the same fittment can not understand why it would not fit. surley there must be some think out, I know a few on here as fitted this beowulf rad gaurd, thats why I went for beowulf!
Yes, the guard I have is definately for the GTR.
I'm going to have a look at it tomorrow again, there must be a simple solution.
Quote from: Lonewolf on November 15, 2010, 07:38:23 PM
Yes, the guard I have is definately for the GTR.
I'm going to have a look at it tomorrow again, there must be a simple solution.
ok, hope it goes on ok this time. should have mine tommorow so will fit when I get home from work, allso got one for the zzr1400 so will fit the both, may need to remove the fenda extenders thou! looks like there may not be enough room to get it passed. dont think I will need to remove the mud guards. will let you know how I get on. dam! only just fitted the mud guard back on after fitting the fenda extender. but untill I spoke to you guys, I was not going to bother with a rad gaurd! anyway got a good deal for the both rad covers, when I called beowulf. they had my details on there records, had forgot I had bought a few exhausts from them over the years. they gave me discount! £80.00 for both covers including delivery!
Crisis over. ;D
I popped over to Beowulf on the bike this afternoon and spoke with Andrew who owns the business. Credit to him he broke off doing what he was doing, and spent about 20 minutes having a look at the mounting point and fitting a new rad cover for me. It appears that the flange on the bottom of my rad was very slightly off centre probably I'm told because it had been hit by a stone or something similiar in the past. Or possibly because some rough arse had tried to force a seized bolt undone ;D Who knows. :-\
Anyway Andrew very gently tweaked it about 1mm in the right direction to correct it. He said that if it was about 1 to 2mm out at the bottom then at the top it could be as far out as 5mm, hence my problem, I just nodded at him and said, "Yeah that'll be it". ::)
So I now have a black anodised rad cover on the GTR which fits lovely and I'm really pleased with it. I actually like it better than the stainless steel one I had on.
If anyone can make a simple job really complicated, that'll be me.
wonder you bent that bracket then :o, glad you got that soughted, mines allso a nice fit! but did need to clamp the right bottm corner because that was a bit loose! also just check under by the head stock at the top of the rad cover, therses is a plastic cowling just above the horn. make sure its not catching the on the rad cover when stitting striate and allso check it clears on either full lock, mine was just brushing the plastic cowl, but managed to adjust a little so its just missing! but only just! just check yours to see! and let me know by how much its clearing by. if yours is clearing by a considerable amount may look at mine again!
2kwacks, will do. I'll have a look at it tomorrow and report back.
2kwaks, I checked the areas you mentioned and everything is fine. In particular the plastic cowl above the horn there is easily a good 5mm gap so no problem there either.
ok mate! not got quite 5 mm clearence. but its not touching either! I would say about 2 mm,
well, both rad gaurds now fitted to the zzr1400 and gtr1400. and either are not over heating, in fact I would say there both running the same temp as before fitted!
I've never known a rad cover cause over heating.
I allso can not see how a rad gaurd would make a bike over heat, but have heard this so many times, and from other forums, so thought I would ask the question. I suppose the real test will be in the summer time. but both my bikes ran at 2 bars at 30 m.p.h and only lit the 3rd bar when waiting at traffic lights, so allowing for summer weather. there seems to be plenty of scope, before over heating is reach.
I've just been reading the owners manual, (boring I know) ::) but in there it says you should not fit any aftermarket accessories, blah, blah, blah. If they, (Kawasaki) put a rad guard on as standard or offered some other protection for it we wouldn't have to now would we?
I've had rad guards on all my bikes in the last 4 or 5 years and never experienced any detrimental effects for doing so.