Homemade lower radiator protection

[KJ790]

This has been a problem of mine for a while, and I'm sure everyone else has the same problem. The bottom of my radiators take a beating from rocks and roost. They get smashed up in just a couple rides, and new radiators are expensive. Here is my radiator after just a couple races:

So I decided to do something. I had some pieces of carbon fiber laying around left over from making a skid plate. I decided to cut them to shape and stick them to the bottom of the radiators with silicone. This way the carbon fiber and the silicone will absorb the hit of rocks and mot leave the sharp dents and holes in the lower radiators. I'm sure you can use many different materials, but the carbon fiber looks trick too.

[grayracer513]

Simple. ?

Cheap. ?

Effective. ?

Clever. ?

[WB450]

Good idea!

[Erik47]

how did you make a skid plate out of cf, and where did you buy the carbon fiber in the first place? also how did you mold it?

[rjboschjr]

Patent it Bro: make a million bucks.

[KJ790]

I did a bunch of research and I bought the materials off of the internet. This website was the most helpful: http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/carbon-fiber-motorcycle-parts/

I have made a skidplate, waterpump guard, and some fork wraps.

[PatrickM]

That looks great!!!!!!

I need to do something like that....Maybe i will have to do that for my bike tomorrow

Patrick M.

[The Italian Stallion]

Good Idea I was thinking about extending the plastic rad guards[ in front of the rad] with the DR D lowering kit they are really vulnerable. yours looks like a simpler Idea.

[642MX]

Thats a bunch of roost damage. I guess you race in a lot of rocky terrian?

Anyway, looks good. Nice job with the carbon fiber. Maybe you should try to make a few sets and sell them??

[aedwards07]

Would you be interested in making another skidplate and water pump guard?

[grayracer513]

Would you be interested in making another skidplate and water pump guard?

That's the same as a "want ad". Soliciting or offering services isn't allowed here, either. PM's my friend.

[Yamaha4lyfe]

hey kj790, would you be able to pm me the places that you bought the materials and the site's that tells you how to do it, i would love to make a bunch of carbon fiber stuff.

[KJ790]

I posted a link in a previous response in this thread with the best website I found for learning how to do a carbon fiber lay up. I found teh materials on ebay after doing some internet research. After some practice with it, I found that simple shapes are not that hard to make at all, they are just very time consuming (each layer of resin takes 24 hours to cure and you have to sand like mad). Complex shapes are pretty much impossible to make at home from my experience.

[Yamaha4lyfe]

such as, a front numberplate? would that be because of the vacuum technique? or just painting on the layers, cannot get into crevasses?

i would like to make myself a front number plate and maybe a real carbon fiber visor for my helmet, the helmet is carbon but the visor that came with it. is not..

would it be the same kinda idea as laying fiber glass?

[ben_suhard]

Nice. Lightspeed have a new product(featured in the October MXA mag) that fits under the fuel tank, it provides air flow and together with some heat sheilds deflects heat from the engine; to keep the fuel cool. That's your next project! Thanks for the link too, I didn't know it was possible to make your own carbon fibre stuff.

[BergArabia]

Looks great.. ?