Oh no.... coolant residue on Left Hand Side....

[Jayboy]

I guess it's the dreaded B S rad problem about to happen, had a pukka ride out yesterday to go get some electrical bits for the indicators. When I got home, I noticed some pink coolant mix by the footrest hanger... I think I disturbed it when I did the coolant change a few weeks back.

Looks like I need a repair job..

Can someone give me a name of the plavce that did theirs, I can't seem to find the post again now I need it. Maybe they can do it by post for me.
If not, anyone in the South East got a reliable company?

Cheers lads, hopefully I can get on an properly enjoy ther beast after I sort this out.

[steve p]

Hi Jayboy, bad luck but pretty inevitable with the left rad im affraid. Im not in your area so cant help with names but when mine went (normally at the bottom next to the mounting brkt) the split couldn't be mended so they had to block the split way off at each end. It doesn't make much difference to cooling but does involve cutting the side tanks then re welding after the split way is blocked. Cost me £100 3 years ago if this helps.

[Greg]

What's the known issue with the radiators??

After working on my SP1, on my RHS upper side of my frame, it gets splattered with coolant but I can't tell where from, the radiator cap is on OK and the pipes are secured on. Where else should one look?

[steve p]

If you look on ebay you very rarely see left hand rads for sale for the SP1. On the left rad the lower mounting lug is on a weak part of the radiator frame and due to bumps etc. on the road the lug and rad frame start to bend upwards a little and this can stress the lower two water ways and cause them to split. The metal is very thin and 9/10 cant be fixed other than by blocking the water way at both ends which is what i had done. 4 years on and its still ok If it hasn't allready happened you may be able to fabricate a support to strengthen the rad.

[David451]

If you look on ebay you very rarely see left hand rads for sale for the SP1. On the left rad the lower mounting lug is on a weak part of the radiator frame and due to bumps etc. on the road the lug and rad frame start to bend upwards a little and this can stress the lower two water ways and cause them to split. The metal is very thin and 9/10 cant be fixed other than by blocking the water way at both ends which is what i had done. 4 years on and its still ok If it hasn't allready happened you may be able to fabricate a support to strengthen the rad.

I had a look at mine and there is not a lot of room to get much in there but I had a go today.

I made a couple of bits of rubber sleeve up fed some stainless tie wire through them around the radiator effectively compressing top and bottom brackets together to give them a bit of support. After I got the plastics back on I thought that it might have been easier if I had used cable ties. But thats all she is getting untill winter and then I am going to rip her apart.

[Jayboy]

Yet to take the fairing off again and have a proper look at this, but I have found the following and been in touch with them, they don't currently make one, but said they will look into it...
They have a 1 year warranty on all products, not found them through UK ebay as yet, to check for any feedback but it is an option.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270879927473&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:AU:1123

[Oberon Kenobi]

Hi jay I had mine done at a place in Essex, 100 quid all in and this was a few months ago not years. I'll dig out the receipt tonight and stick the address back up -.think they are called GMX from
Memory but I'll check.

[Oberon Kenobi]

Here you go mate:

http://www.gmxradiators.co.uk/

I would recommend them, he's had to do a few!

As Steve said, they block the damaged waterways -I haven't noticed an ounce of difference in runnig temps (although yet to hit summer) and I run standard cooling system (no pusher fan or anything) so as far as I'm concerned it's as good as I was gonna get wothout forking out 400 for anew one! (no thanks)

[Jayboy]

Sweet, cheers bud, I found their site the other day too.

Just had an email back from China, as I explained (in as simple English as possible) that they would probably be able to sell a fair few worldwide, and they said if I sent mine to copy, I could have one done for free.

So that would only be the price of sending it, but obviously subject to a fairly long wait.

I am tempted, but being without the bike is already killing me and it's not been a week yet.

Wish I could ride to work at the moment in this nice weather.

[Jayboy]

Hmm, I think I had an embarrassing over-reaction type paranoia moment here....

Stripped the left hand panel off again yesterday, ran the bike up while sticking my head in here there and under and all I could find were some drips around the overflow bottle cap, so I am assuming it is coming from there and finding it's way back with the rushing air.

EDIT - having ridden it for a good couple of hundred miles all is well, it does seem to have come out of the overflow as it hasn;t happened again now since I changed the coolant.

PHEW, too much worrying after reading stories online, LOL!