Radiator and Oil Cooler Guards

Anyone who rides a bike on the open road knows just how hard stone impacts can be. Whether you’ve been following a truck and some debris has come flying out the back, or you’re behind a car and a stone has flung up and hit you on the hand or bounced off your visor, at 100km’h or more it can bloody hurt, right?

Now think of the location of your bike’s oil cooler or radiator, down low and just behind the front wheel where it’s prone to copping a pounding from stones, rocks, sticks and any other loose stuff that you inadvertently run over. There’s no doubt this area of you bike is going to be hit… hard and often.

Even track bikes are susceptible to radiator damage, from chunks of flying rubber and other debris, which can cause a hell of a lot of havoc when you’re hurtling along at 250km/h-plus.

Damage to your bike’s radiator and/or oil cooler won’t just make your bike look tatty, it can also decrease performance. As the louvres or fins are damaged, airflow through the radiator/oil cooler is decreased, which in turn decreases cooling efficiency, leading to potential power losses.

If the radiator/oil cooler cops a big enough hit, it can lead to a loss of coolant/oil. This can leave you stranded by the side of the road or, worse still, result in engine damage or even a nasty crash. Cooking your engine due to not noticing a cooling system failure in time is one thing, but hooking into a corner as coolant or oil spews out over your tyres is another. Protecting your bike’s cooling system is pretty simple and quite affordable: fit a radiator and/or oil cooler guard.

Easily damaged. Most OEM radiators are made from lightweight aluminium, with tanks linked by an aluminium core containing passageways for the coolant to pass through, and fins to help dissipate heat. Oil coolers operate in the same way but, of course, have oil passing through them rather than coolant.

The most efficient location for a radiator/oil cooler on a motorcycle is in front of the engine where fresh, cool air can pass through it. This is also the most vulnerable position and on many bikes the radiator is afforded very little, if any, protection at all. Sure, some bikes will have a lightweight plastic guard over the radiator, but it’s likely quite flexible and will not necessarily protect the cooling system if hit by a sold object at high speed.

A good quality guard should be manufactured from steel or alloy, and should stand proud of the radiator/oil cooler. It should also cover the entire front surface of the radiator/oil cooler to provide protection for the core as well as the tanks. Just about all aftermarket guards are make and model specific, so they have been designed to perfectly protect the radiator/oil cooler of the bike to which they are fitted. There are several manufacturers of radiator guards including Rad Guard, R&G, Evotech, CNC Racing and Force Accessories, the latter specialising in protection for dirtbikes.

Airflow. While the primary function of a radiator/oil cooler guard is to offer protection, it must also provide adequate airflow to the bike’s cooling system, so the design of the guard is of utmost importance.

Some radiator guards will use an expanded mesh to cover the core, which is claimed to allow for maximum airflow, while others will have holes or grilles cut into them, designed to keep debris away from the core without impeding airflow.

 Materials & Design. There are a variety of radiator guard designs on the market made from various materials and choosing the right one will depend on what’s available for your bike, what look you’re after and your budget.

Australian designed and manufactured Rad Guard radiator guards feature a strong and rigid alloy frame around an expanded mesh insert. The rigid frame protects the radiator core from crushing on side impacts and the expanded mesh core ensures airflow to the radiator is not restricted. Soft foam on the back of the frame prevents vibrations and the frame design holds the mesh off the radiator’s core to prevent rubbing, and to stop contact with the core even when hit by large chunks of road debris.

R&G manufactures radiator guards from a variety of materials including aluminium, stainless steel and titanium. Guards made from pressed aluminium feature a seamless frame designed house a mesh insert. The tidy appearance of the frame will appeal to riders who are concerned with aesthetics; these guards look good. R&G stainless steel guards are essentially a more rugged version of the aluminium guards, and are well suited to adventure and touring bikes. They are made from 1mm thick stainless steel sheet with laser-cut grilles for airflow, rather than the mesh insert. The titanium guards are lightweight and super strong, with a titanium mesh encased in a seamless aluminium frame.

Other manufacturers include well-known brands such as CNC Racing and Cox Racing. Italian company CNC Racing produces a wide variety of guards to suit many bikes, especially Ducati and MV Agusta models, while US manufacturer Cox Racing claims to have been making radiator guards since 1998. The Cox racing guards are made from aluminium with a screen size designed to offer protection with maximum airflow.

If you ride a dirtbike, Force Accessories has got you covered with a wide range of aluminium guards that have been designed to protect radiators/oil coolers from debris and crash impacts. They incorporate tubes across the face of the guard offering for side impact protection, and many models also have substantial rear bracing to enhance side-impact and fold-back strength. Force Accessories says all guards have been flow tested to ensure airflow is not reduced by more than 10 per cent compared to less structurally sound OEM grilles. As well as aluminium finish, they are available in anodised black, blue or orange.

Fitment. When you’re looking for the right guard for your bike, make sure it can be easily fitted without the need to drill any holes. Most radiator/oil cooler guards will be supplied with a fitting kit that uses the bikes existing mounting points. Some will use existing bolts while other will include guard-specific bolts and mounting hardware. Some guards are mounted using zip-ties, so make sure you check before you purchase.

Affordable protection. Most radiator/oil cooler guards retail in the vicinity of $150-$250, so they really are cheap insurance for peace of mind, whether you ride on the road, on the track or in the dirt. When you consider the potential consequences of not having a guard fitted to your bike, you’ve got to ask yourself: can you really afford to ride without protection?

Words Dean Mellor