midnight61 Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 hi, after a jaunt around leicestershire with "her indoors" on the back last night (we got four seasons in 4 hours !) i got home to find stones had hit the bottom of my radiator, and were trapped behind the guard, ive noticed in the past mud has sprayed up onto the rad and always thought the radiator could be vulnerable to a stone etc. Prevention is always better than cure in my book....and i plan to do something about it, buti cannot find a fender extender for this bike ?and before i have a go at making a "mudflap" for the front mudguard, has anyone else done this ?, or found a fender extender anywhere for this bike ?...i would appreciate any comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarke Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 I changed my radiator cover to a chrome one which seems to give a bit more protection than the OEM (but needs more cleaning etc), there are loads of different one's out there (alchemybike, sscustoms, customwizard to name a few shops) I also found this on a different forum: http://1300tourer.com/content/skid-plate-mod (click the pic at the top right) or http://1300tourer.com/content/mudflaps - couldn't find a pic of the bike with them installed but am sure I've seen one somewhere before (am sure Butch would send you a pic if you ask) Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnight61 Posted April 15, 2010 Author Share Posted April 15, 2010 hey, thanks for the link graham...maybe that skid plate is a little OTT for my liking. But it proves my point, there is a concern about this, i will do something, a mudflap... some kind of universal fender extender is gonna go on maybe ?. The last thing i want is to be up in the highlands this summer and a small rock goes through the rad...it's a very real concern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarke Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Mudflaps: http://www.chilhowee.net/yamaha-mud-flaps/071214001.html (in US...) My chrome rad cover looks like this: Or you can get these ones: http://www.sscustomcycle.com/products/soon/Yamaha/v-star1300.shtml (I like the show chrome mesh one...) You could also look at this? (Maybe expensive when you get it sprayed?) http://www.sscustomcycle.com/products/bodyshop/v-star1300.shtml Am sure you could speak to a chopper shop and get a mudguard made up?? Hope you find something that works for you + post a pic when you do Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnight61 Posted April 16, 2010 Author Share Posted April 16, 2010 thanks for those links graham, the chilhowee made me smile, its not for me...im not into tassles and concho's etc. Also, i personally want to keep the radiator as discreet as it is now, a chrome cover would draw attention to it which is not my personal intention. i'm gonna go for a common, ordinary "fender extender" of some description (trial and error) and possibly some form of mesh attached to the bottom third of the standard radiator guard. I shall throw a few idea's in the air ...but i shall let you know. Thanks again mater ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnight61 Posted April 17, 2010 Author Share Posted April 17, 2010 and so, an idea came to me, a mate of mine had some rally mudflaps on a scooby he's since sold....3mm thick polyurethane. fortunately for me he took them off as they werent too his taste, he now has only 3 mudflaps left as ive taken one, chopped it up and made this.... ....hopefully that'll put an end to stones hitting my radiator, i cleaned the very bottom front edge of it yesterday and it was actually starting to chip.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarke Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 Looking good. I'd be far too nervous drilling through my mudguard though!!! I prefer that to the leather ones in the link above (im not into tassles or concho's either, must be a US thing?). I like my chrome rad cover, but it gets filthy whenever I ride and its already started to pit! Still rather the cover take the damage than the radiator itself. Wonder why Yammie didn't give a bit more thought to radiator protection during the design phase??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnight61 Posted April 18, 2010 Author Share Posted April 18, 2010 i agree graham, the bottom of the rad takes it all off the front wheel, daft idea from yamaha i took my front mudguard off to fit that flap...that way i knew i'd get it level and also knew there was less chance of the drill slipping LOL.I used stainless bolts, i dont see why this wont do the trick, what should have been a "small job" actually took two and a half hours in the end, but i must say, "her indoors" best pair of kitchen scissors cut through that polyurethane like a knife through butter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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