Hello! Radiator needed!

Hello Superdukers!

I am back after quite a long period of not looking at the site everyday like I did for ten years. So many other commitments and things to need my time.

But I still have my '07 990 and ride it all the time - on roads and track and it just never goes wrong or breaks down (and i haven't crashed it for years). I have done every mod. to it in the first five years so nothing else to do except thrash it and clean it and every so often change the tyres and put oil and water in it. I also have a 1975 Kawasaki H2c triple which I spent last six years building and putting into period '70s cafe racer trim which takes more workshop time than the Duke. And over the last two years I picked up a nice 1999 Suzuki TLR which I have been rebuilding and turning into a tribute to Graham Crosby. It's a big V twin like the Duke but also totally different! It's big, heavy and steers like a barge in comparison, and the brakes were shit until I replaced them with later GSXR callipers and master cylinder. It's suspension is crude and the riding position is agony. But the motor is a peach and it revs up like an IL4. It's mental but in a different way that a Superduke.

Anyway, my 990 finally has a problem and I have a leaking radiator. I could strip it off and go find a place to find the leak and repair it but thought I'd see if there is anyone who has a good spare one to fit the '07 onwards 990 model?

If so PM me with a price and shipping estimate and we could work out a deal.

Does the photo upload work now? - for ages it was not working which is one of the reasons I came and posted less regularly TBO.

Thanks in advance.

Hey Bic,
Long time no see mate, good to hear that you're OK.
Unfortunately a rad was one thing that I didn't have amongst all the spares with my last 990 (which now has a new home relatively nearby).

Ten years ago, while off-roading in Spain I hit the Talent Gap briefly, and also a large rock that dinged one of the rads on my WR250 fairly well - bent it and contact with a steel pipe elbow behind it punctured it (bit of a design flaw there Yamaha, I'm surprised that wasn't identified in an FMEA and rectified before production). Anyway, after recovery in the van we had with us I'm faced with the choice of sitting out the remainder of the week or fixing it, so I went to the local hardware shop and bought a pack of Araldite (great that shops in Spain are open until 21:00, it was getting dark by the time we returned in the van) and grabbed the tool roll and by the light of the rental car headlights I stripped it down and removed the damaged rad. I cleaned the rad in the shower, twisted it straight and dried it over a gas ring, then mixed up plenty of Araldite and generously daubed it over the section of damaged element and left it to dry overnight. The following morning I reassembled the bike, refilled the rad and it hasn't leaked a drop in ten years. - bit of a faff, but much cheaper than buying another rad.

If you can identify the leak Bic I'd say it's definitely worth having a go at repairing the rad before committing to buy another. It has to be removed one whatever you do, so it's worth a try. Good luck with the burping procedure afterwards....

Edit: Since the Photobucket debacle I've started using imgur - works fine

Have spare and good local repairer - www.regalrads.com - that I have used a few times.

Thanks guys, I've stripped off the rad and can't see any damage but I know it's leaking and roughly from where about.

Looked at the KTM price for new and over £400!! Jesus.

I'm going to ring your guys in Maidstone tomorrow and ask how much for a fix. Got to be overall cheaper than that even if I have to courier it over to them.

PM sent - he's someway from Maidstone in the middle of nowhere in particular...........................

My 990 SDR had a radiator leak that was coating my left boot after each ride. It was caused by the fan shroud rubbing on one of the core tubes. It was just a tiny pinhole, so I removed the radiator, filled it with water and added slight pressure until I could see the leak. I was able to get some aluminium solder and flux and repair the leak with just a propane torch and a few seconds of heating. This is usually how the radiator shops will repair a small leak on an aluminium radiator. Really quick and easy repair. Has been perfect for the past couple years and should not leak (at that spot anyway) again. I used some two-part plastic bonder (JB Weld brand) to secure the fan shroud in place, so it won't rest on the radiator core again.

Hi Bic,
Good to see you are still around and in one piece.
No, photo upload still doesn't work. I don't think it will unless we migrate to our own a hosted site. That could happen if there was enough enthusiasm from the members.