Talk to me about radiator guards...

The is the first dirt bike I've had that's water cooled, so this whole radiator guard thing is kind of new to me.

What is a radiator guard supposed to protect a radiator from? Front imapacts? Side impacts? Flying debris?

I'm curious what kind of radiator failures people have seen in the field that a radiator guard would have prevented.

The damage I am most familiar with is a crushed radiator from the bike flopping on it's side in a hard crash. Often these impacts deform the radiator and squash some of the vents & tubes. The moose racing guard is really meant to strengthen the area for just this purpose. Other guards seem to be more focused on the front, like they are trying to prevent a stick or something from going through the radiator from the front. I have never had this happen, but I don't do much hard core woods riding. Mostly open trails and motocross tracks.

After my little ride last weekend where a logging road funneled down to a skider trail with saplings pointed at my radiator.... I'll be watching this thread.

Side impacts would be the most common issue I've seen. ZED took out the radiator on his WR with his knee brace last summer. I've also mangled a radiator on my KLR when it was very new (I was a very new rider) and I dumped it in a rut... also a side impact there.

I would say side impact too....

I've crash so many time on the right side that I manage to bent my radiator guard...
I don't want to imagine what my radiator would like if I didn't have the guard :)

Thanks folks.

Kinda what I was figuring, but it's good to learn from experience.

Now the question is how much my soon to arrive IMS 4.7 gallon tank will protect my radiator or if I should just spring for the expensive Australian guard.

It would seem that if I manage to crash hard enough for an impact to get through that much plastic with enough force to take out a radiator, I got bigger problems.

Askel wrote:

Thanks folks.

Kinda what I was figuring, but it's good to learn from experience.

Now the question is how much my soon to arrive IMS 4.7 gallon tank will protect my radiator or if I should just spring for the expensive Australian guard.

It would seem that if I manage to crash hard enough for an impact to get through that much plastic with enough force to take out a radiator, I got bigger problems.

I am watching this thread to hear a reply about the IMS tank.
A guard is $105 while the IMS tank is $400. It seems to me that 105 would be better toward the tank.
I am brand new to WR250R. Had a KLR650 and home made protections. (skid plate, radiator guard)
http://www.forceaccessories.com.au/store/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=58

I am going to bump this thread in hopes of new input.
Is the 4.7 IMS tank effective in protecting the rad from most tip overs?
I guess not in poking damage.....but I have never had a rad poked....But destroyed 4 crashing.

I have both the Flatland radiator guard and the IMS 4.7. I do have a piece of old HD inner tube tie strapped to the guard since there is contact to the tank. I was getting a rub mark on the tank before.

I think the 4.7 offers some degree of protection but if you are concerned then you should probably do the belt and suspenders approach.

The IMS 4.7 makes a great guard from side impacts. I got hit by a deer last fall at 45 mph and the bike landed on the right side and slide down the road. The tank has some deep scratches but no leaks and the radiator is fine. I just put a Flatland guard on my sons X last night since his bike only has the IMS 3 gallon tank. The 4.7 will not help with sticks coming in from the front but so far that has not been a problem.

Thanks guys. Instead of a rotopak and rad guard, i think I'll just get an ims 4.7 tank and take care of 2 issues at once.

Other then the looks of the 4.7 I don't see any other downside to it. I can not feel any fuel moving around or notice the weight when I go from the WRR to the WRX. Not sure what the range is but the X with the 3 gallon tank was about out of gas over the weekend at 150 miles and my low fuel light was not on yet.



I like the looks of the blue tank better but I bought the white tank used.

alansz400 wrote:

Other then the looks of the 4.7 I don't see any other downside to it. I can not feel any fuel moving around or notice the weight when I go from the WRR to the WRX. Not sure what the range is but the X with the 3 gallon tank was about out of gas over the weekend at 150 miles and my low fuel light was not on yet.

Thanks. Sounds good. I am not really concerned about the looks or the weight. I prefer function over pretty for a bike. And usually by the tight and technical part of a ride i would have used much of the gas any how so not a real weight penalty for me. I have to pack it somehow.. ....or stop going for long adventures. All 3 offroad bikes i have now are fitted with bigger tanks and i really do not notice the extra 8 to 10 pounds of gas much even on the light 2 smokers. I must be too bad of a rider to notice small weight changes. I put a fancy new battery in 2 bikes now when the originals died.....one on a street bike and the other a dirt bike. Some claim they can feel the weight loss. The only reason i knew the battery was lighter was because it did not weigh as much installin it by hand as lifting the old one out. Once riding i never could have told you.