Radiator guards

[thewwkayaker]

Quick question - would the flat metal radiator guards be a solution to snow being held by my plastic stock guards? Season here has started early - deep but warmer snow (sticky) and I noticed my rads guards holding the snow preventing much air flow and not cooling the system down. I was wondering if the metal flat guards you can buy from various places (or even make) would prevent the build up. Experiences? Thanx

 

[Archie]

What brand of bike do you have? I’ve got an 18’ KTM and the oem plastic rad guards did exactly what you’re talking about, enough so that my bike would overheat quite frequently on deep days. I switched to the Bullet Proof rad guards, which are a flat faced aluminum design and haven’t had any issues since.

 

[thewwkayaker]

2014 yz450f . Sounds like it would be a solution. Thanx

 

[M5-]

You shouldn't be running the plastic rad guards anyways, they don't protect your rads at all. I've punctured 2 rads even with the aluminum guards. Its a bad feeling when you look down and see all your antifreeze leaking out all over the place. If you ride a lot of trees its only a matter of time before you destroy a rad. It just happens faster with the plastic guards.

M5

 

[needpowder]

You can cover with outerwears also. But definitely get some radiator guards. I just slide a piece of whatever in between my radiator guards and my rads and if I see my bike getting too a temp that is higher than my liking I reach down and slide it up, leaving it in place to slide it back down again when I go downhill in deep powder.

 

[jtpolaris]

Which guards/bracing work the best?

 

[jrlastofthebreed]

Heres what I have found. Metal guards absorb heat and melt the snow off or just don't build snow for some other reason. The flat ones are easier to scrap/break mudd off of so I assume it would be the same on snow, but in 8 years I can't remember a single time I've ever chipped ice off a metal radiator guard. And as said above modify if necessary so you can slide in plastic rad block offs or whatever your preferred media is.