ryan4130 Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 I am surprised at how expensive radiator guards are, so I decided to make my own. It took half a day, cost roughly $25, is effective, efficient and looks great! No more silver eyesore. Also made my own screen protector too (Go to the bottom of post). Finished product: How my radiator looked after only 230 miles. What would it look like after thousands of miles without protection? What you'll need: ~ Flat black high-heat spray paint (Home Depot, $4). ~ 1/4" Hex, 22 Gauge, 24"x36" Perforated Metal sheet (hex pattern is best since it offers most "open area" for airflow)(Industrial Metal Supply, $15). ~ 5/16"x1/4"x17' EPDM Rubber Foam weatherseal (Home Depot, $5.67). ~ Diagonally cutting pliers. ~ Needle nose / regular pliers. ~ 5mm Hex wrench. ~ Work gloves (the metal sheet can be sharp to work with!). ~ Shop rag / paper towels (For cleaning surfaces to be painted). ~ Brake cleaner / Simple Green (Or paint thinner or any other for painting surface prep). ~ Some cardboard at least 15" x 8" in size (I used the top of a pizza box, just make sure it is clean). [Click on any pictures to see higher resolution] First step is to take your radiator side covers off using the 5mm wrench. Next is to take your cardboard and cut it to the size of the radiator fin portion. Make cut outs as seen in the pictures below for the radiator guard mounting tabs. Lay it up against the radiator each time you make a cut to make sure the size is perfect. Dimensions of your cardboard piece should be roughly 14"x7.25". Next step is to take the cardboard cutout and use it as a stencil for cutting the metal sheet with the diagonally cutting pliers. Your metal sheet cutout should be oversized compared to the cardboard by about 1/2" on all sides. This is because you need some extra material to wrap around the edges and to make the mount. While the metal cutout is still a flat sheet, clean it using the brake cleaner / simple green / other mineral spirit. This is the easiest time to clean it before you add bends to it. Next, bend the top/bottom (long) edges of the metal cutout inwards with the pliers to make a curvature. Use the cardboard stencil and the radiator to size check - you want it to be able to sit inside the radiator fin area eventually. The rounded edges make sure there are no sharp edges on the radiator. Next, a big step. Center the sheet on the radiator and make cutouts for the radiator mount tabs. The idea is that the hex holes in the radiator guard will eventually be lined up with the radiator mount tab hole and the screw will pass through it, securing the guard to the radiator. Take your time on this step and make cuts slowly and check back the fit - you can cut metal but not un-cut it! Do each tab one at a time and bend the metal out as seen below to match up with the radiator tab. Once each tab is cut out, the guard should sit up against the radiator inside the fin area and the mount tabs should line up. You can start to lightly bend the corners around the sides of the radiator. I installed the radiator side covers slowly to help form the shape the metal needed to round the radiator's corners. Once you think it is good, do a test fit! Install both radiator side covers. Now, remove the radiator guard and paint it using the high-heat flat black spray paint. If you haven't cleaned the metal sheet yet, make sure you do so or else the paint won't stick. Also, prepare the radiator for paint by wiping down the radiator and then install the cardboard stencil to protect the fins from overspray. Use spare newspaper / cardboard to protect the rest of your bike from overspray, then spray paint the radiator. In both cases apply multiple coats while working in a well-ventilated area and wait 20~30 minutes between coats. I think I applied 4 or 5 coats. After applying the last coat, wait an hour or two. Remove all overspray protection on the bike and get out the cutting pliers and weatherstripping foam. The foam I chose has a "D" profile with an adhesive backing. Cut two strips at approximately 12.5" long. Size them up on the top and bottom edge of the radiator fin area and cut more if needed - there shouldn't be much edge overlap. Once you are set on their size, remove adhesive tape backing and tape them along the top / bottom of the radiator fin area, paying close attention to keeping them as "tucked" as possible on the inner lip. Now, use a small flat head screwdriver and fix any bent radiator fins. Install your painted radiator guard! Be patient while fitting it on with the weatherstripping installed, it will be a tight fit. Make sure there are no sharp edges on the radiator! I found that it was helpful to install the mount screws on one side and then work the other side. Once on, lightly tap the center of the grille to check for any vibrations - there should be none - it should be a tight fit. LASTLY! Install the radiator side covers (with a little bit of blue loctite on the screws, if you have it). Enjoy! How to make your own screen protector: I noticed that my screen was getting scratches on it, after only 230 miles. Since there isn't a specific protector for our bike, decided to make one. What you need: ~ Generic screen protector sheet (at least 3"x7"). ~ Scissors. ~ My template (see picture below, click picture, go full size then download). I used the generic cut-to-size screen protector that comes packaged when you buy a phone through Costco. Could also order a large sheet (ipad, tablet, generic?) online for cheap. Print out the template and make sure it prints accurate to size, measure the scale to verify correct. Cut out the template. Line it up on your screen protector sheet, tape it down, and cut away using the scissors! Line up the screen protector on your bike and make any additional cuts, if needed. Clean the screen, then apply the protector. Voila! Look how productive you were today '15 FZ-09 Cadmium Yellow '15 White Fz-07 - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan4130 Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 Update: No temperature difference with the radiator guard installed! '15 FZ-09 Cadmium Yellow '15 White Fz-07 - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dewski Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan4130 Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 Thanks dewski. To anyone in San Diego, I have a bunch of material left over from this that you can have in exchange for some beers! '15 FZ-09 Cadmium Yellow '15 White Fz-07 - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cndnmax Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Not sure how those screen protectors will hold up in the rain but I got some cheap anti-glare ones from eBay. Should be able to make like 6 of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FZRDR Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Good for you Ryan! always nice to see someone create their own solution! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member tino206 Posted May 27, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted May 27, 2015 Great DIY..One think I have kept wondering is how much does this "protector" actually cover? most rocks are so tiny that they will fit in between the honeycombs in these protectors, but at the same you can't have them be so tiny since the radiator won't get a good airflow..thoughts? I guess you gamble on the rocks hitting the protector and not going through..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccabe Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Nice DIY im going to do that this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwpowere36m3 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Great DIY..One think I have kept wondering is how much does this "protector" actually cover? most rocks are so tiny that they will fit in between the honeycombs in these protectors, but at the same you can't have them be so tiny since the radiator won't get a good airflow..thoughts? I guess you gamble on the rocks hitting the protector and not going through..? It's a trade off.... best protection = no holes, best airflow = "all" holes or no screen. With time most radiators will get damaged and plugged up... A correctly sized radiator will have enough capacity to allow for that loss of cooling/performance. Most people don't touch their radiators and they last the life of the bike, unless their damaged in a crash. If you notice the bike running hotter and/or are very inclined to maintain the radiator 100%... It wouldn't hurt to, every so often, hose/clean/blow out the radiator fins. Bent fins can be straightened out with a "radiator comb" or small flat screwdriver or pick. However a few bent fins only "looks" bad. My thoughts, a screen or guard is their to protect the radiator from any large debris that could due real damage, i.e. crack a passage and cause a leak, severely damage the fins or a large portion of them. Something that would keep you from riding home, i.e., stranded. I'd be happy with perforations on the order of 1/4". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan4130 Posted May 28, 2015 Author Share Posted May 28, 2015 Great DIY..One think I have kept wondering is how much does this "protector" actually cover? most rocks are so tiny that they will fit in between the honeycombs in these protectors, but at the same you can't have them be so tiny since the radiator won't get a good airflow..thoughts? I guess you gamble on the rocks hitting the protector and not going through..? Small rocks have less mass and a lower chance of damaging the metal radiator. The larger rocks would have to enter the radiator guard normal to its surface to get through and I'd say chances of that happening are very low. Solutions like these work because most of the time debris hits the radiator guard first and either gets deflected away or passes through after losing speed (so they have less chance of damaging the radiator). Probably got too theoretical with that, but that is the concept as I see it. I'd be interested to see a comparison in the construction of the Evotech rad guard (or other honeycomb guard). Eyeballing it, the hex dimensions look similar if not the same... '15 FZ-09 Cadmium Yellow '15 White Fz-07 - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted May 28, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted May 28, 2015 Great DIY..One think I have kept wondering is how much does this "protector" actually cover? most rocks are so tiny that they will fit in between the honeycombs in these protectors, but at the same you can't have them be so tiny since the radiator won't get a good airflow..thoughts? I guess you gamble on the rocks hitting the protector and not going through..? It's a trade off.... best protection = no holes, best airflow = "all" holes or no screen. With time most radiators will get damaged and plugged up... A correctly sized radiator will have enough capacity to allow for that loss of cooling/performance. Most people don't touch their radiators and they last the life of the bike, unless their damaged in a crash. If you notice the bike running hotter and/or are very inclined to maintain the radiator 100%... It wouldn't hurt to, every so often, hose/clean/blow out the radiator fins. Bent fins can be straightened out with a "radiator comb" or small flat screwdriver or pick. However a few bent fins only "looks" bad. My thoughts, a screen or guard is their to protect the radiator from any large debris that could due real damage, i.e. crack a passage and cause a leak, severely damage the fins or a large portion of them. Something that would keep you from riding home, i.e., stranded. I'd be happy with perforations on the order of 1/4". For our radiators is there a decent way to straighten the fins? Ive yet to find a fin comb that will fir our bikea ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidsquiddly Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Wow. I nominate this for revzilla gift card award. Great work and two DIY's I've been meaning to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwpowere36m3 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 It's a trade off.... best protection = no holes, best airflow = "all" holes or no screen. With time most radiators will get damaged and plugged up... A correctly sized radiator will have enough capacity to allow for that loss of cooling/performance. Most people don't touch their radiators and they last the life of the bike, unless their damaged in a crash. If you notice the bike running hotter and/or are very inclined to maintain the radiator 100%... It wouldn't hurt to, every so often, hose/clean/blow out the radiator fins. Bent fins can be straightened out with a "radiator comb" or small flat screwdriver or pick. However a few bent fins only "looks" bad. My thoughts, a screen or guard is their to protect the radiator from any large debris that could due real damage, i.e. crack a passage and cause a leak, severely damage the fins or a large portion of them. Something that would keep you from riding home, i.e., stranded. I'd be happy with perforations on the order of 1/4". For our radiators is there a decent way to straighten the fins? Ive yet to find a fin comb that will fir our bikea Flat screwdriver, awl/pick, etc… I'm sure there's a comb out there that'll work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted May 28, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted May 28, 2015 Matco, snapon, lisle, cornwell and mac tool trucks dont show them in their catalouges ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwpowere36m3 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Matco, snapon, lisle, cornwell and mac tool trucks dont show them in their catalouges It's been a while since I looked for one... do you know how many fins per inch the radiator is? There are tons of them on Amazon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted May 28, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted May 28, 2015 Its not the fins that are the issue, it's the lack of width on the radiator that wont fit the comb. comb wont fit between the heat transfer tubes ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan4130 Posted May 28, 2015 Author Share Posted May 28, 2015 I used a small flat head screwdriver made for electronics, came with an iPod repair kit I once got. I think a not-very sharp pocket knife would work too. In both cases you have to do each fin individually, however. '15 FZ-09 Cadmium Yellow '15 White Fz-07 - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwpowere36m3 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Noticed some scratching on my LCD as well... picked up a set of screen protectors: Amazon. Good thing there were two sheets, each large enough to do 2-3 FZ screens. My first two attempts at cutting the material with an x-acto failed. The edges wouldn't stick and I suspect the blade left a very tiny burr. Third attempt, I used scissors and that worked much better. So on my fourth attempt it came out perfect. We'll see how it holds up... If it doesn't, I have a bunch of 3M clear protection film to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan4130 Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 Mine has held up so far. I used scissors as well to cut my screen protector... I will edit that into the OP. '15 FZ-09 Cadmium Yellow '15 White Fz-07 - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dewski Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 @ryan4130 great write ups. I had planned on doing both but will probably do the display protector first. I see your template but looking at your installed protector, looks like you missed the left corner? Just wanted to make sure your template is more of an exact fit for our screens before I cut Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cndnmax Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 @ryan4130 great write ups. I had planned on doing both but will probably do the display protector first. I see your template but looking at your installed protector, looks like you missed the left corner? Just wanted to make sure your template is more of an exact fit for our screens before I cut Thanks! The template is spot on although, You will need to trim off a little more after using the template to make it fit. You want the protector to be slightly smaller than the screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwpowere36m3 Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I printed the template (to scale) on paper, put it against the screen and trimmed it as needed… I then took the "trimmed" template and cut the screen protector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dankzx Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I wasnt able to find 1/4" Hex sheet metal for cheap in my area so I went to Home Depot and picked up a piece of this sheet metal and then followed the instructions above to make my own. Most Home Depots should have it in stock and they do have other options as well. Here are the results. http://i.imgur.com/SAuRWN5.jpg http://i.imgur.com/oScoi8X.jpg I have not ridden it yet since I have put it on but plan to in the next day or so. Just letting everyone know that there are other options as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivefootthree Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 I also could not find the hex patterned sheet metal nearby and for a reasonable price. I also was having a hard time masking off the parts of the bike to not get paint on them, so I just removed the whole radiator masked that and gave it a good even paint job. Also stenciled the yamaha logo on like @nohater did. The sheet metal I used already had the gold colored coating. I attempted to follow the instructions by the OP but keeping everything symmetrical with this particular pattern was tough so in the end i just had to do my own thing. As far as operating temps.. I installed the guard and ran it a few days prior to painting everything and there was no change in temps (usually 174-178 °F), Although I do not live/ride in that busy of an area so I have not been stopped or have had to ride very slowly for more than a typical stop at a light, so I do not know the effects of having a guard with more surface area under those conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassecou Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I have made my radiator guard 9 month ago and its holding fine with no temperature issues. On the other hand, the display protector lasted only a few month until the wind started to peel it off slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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