Foolish or Reasonable: R&G Oil Cooler Guard

[rdprdp01]

I may have errored on the side of caution and possibly over-reacted a bit. I am prone to both when it comes to my motorcycle. Here is my situation.

In my neighborhood, every piece of ground which is not designated as a park or a memorial will eventually have a townhome built upon it. The level of construction is both astonishing and concerning, because it appears that California no longer requires contractors to cover trucks or make any effort to prevent gravel and stone from falling onto the road and taking flight. Trash and nails appear to also no longer be a concern.

Between my home and work, it appears that COSTCO is building the Mother of all COSTCOs. A steady flow of trucks and workers are ripping up the streets, installing conduit, pouring cement, and doing all things which make for a great discount shopping experience but also adds plenty of debris on the road.

At my office, the landlord has opted to install solar panels in all the parking lots which surround our building. Although I will be delighted to park underneath them, I find myself now dealing with more gravel, more sand, more debris, and more stuff which could possibly damage the oil cooler on my CB1100EX.

Despite the taxes we pay to maintain them, California highways are often less than pristine.

As I review prior posts, there is a divide amongst the brethren of the Forum. Some believe that a modest investment in a mesh oil cooler guard is reasonable when the exposure merits special consideration or the aesthetic strikes a chord with the owner. Others are astounded that someone who has the good judgment to buy a CB1100 could be lulled into waisting money on an oil cooler guard which has absolutely no value other than separating a fool from his money.

Today, I may have been foolish because I did install a R&G Oil Cooler Guard on my motorcycle. It arrived properly packed and took about 15 minutes to install. It is made of pressed aluminum, has a lovely finish, and has been customized to fit the profile of a CB1100. It reuses the bolt currently holding the oil cooler along with some foam and zip ties to secure the guard and protect the oil cooler:













What follows are before and after pictures:





I welcome your feedback on the oil cooler guard. Do you think it has some practical value? Do you like how it looks? Does it enhance or detract from the appears of a CB1100EX? Have I yet again been foolish? Or did I help protect a motorcycle from a road which can be unkind?

https://www.rg-racing.com/browsetype/Oil...da/CB1100/

It is on the motorcycle now. I welcome your help in determining if it will remain so after all the construction is completed at year’s end. Feel free to have some fun at the expense of what little dignity I have left! Tell me what you think and please have a great weekend with friends and family. David

[Cormanus]

Looks fine to me, David, and I’m sure it stops the larger lumps o’ crud from damaging the fins of the original. Does it stop the little bits? Do they get stick behind the screen cover?

[rdprdp01]

Looks fine to me, David, and I’m sure it stops the larger lumps o’ crud from damaging the fins of the original. Does it stop the little bits? Do they get stick behind the screen cover?

Great question. The mesh appears to be an optimal size. It looks like it is 1/8 of an inch (3 millimeter). It will block most stuff easily but is large enough to be cleaned with a water hose for little bits and not have to be removed. There is a small gap between the oil cooler and the guard that will allow the water and little stuff to “drain.”

Mud would be problematic, I think. However, I would never ride on a dirt road or use the CB1100EX as an adventure bike.

[spechg]

I installed this R+G guard as a couple of my oil cooler fins had got slightly bent (my driveway is gravel). It was easy to fit and is very unobtrusive. No complaints here.

[the Ferret]

Looks good to me

[peterbaron]

I think there will be about a 25% reduction in airflow...??, there is no thermostat.

[rdprdp01]

I think there will be about a 25% reduction in airflow...??, there is no thermostat.

PB, you raise a very interesting question! The mesh covers only the front of the oil cooler. Hence the two “sides,” bottom, and rear of the oil cooler remain exposed to air currents. However, there is the top which has a solid plate about 1/2” wide that covers the “top” of the oil cooler. I believe that air can still flow from the front and over but heat can no longer rise “up” from the top. I am not a thermodynamic engineer so I cannot quantify the impact even though my gut tells me the momentum of the bike moving draws the heat backward toward the rear wheel.In my research, no one brought up this point nor did the manufacturer. However, you may just be smarter than the rest of us!

Aesthetically, I have always found the OEM oil cooler to be less refined than the rest of the bike. It may have been that way to vent heat up. As of this post, I like the appearance of the guard better than stock but not so much to place engine life at risk. I will do some more research.

[rdprdp01]

I installed this R+G guard as a couple of my oil cooler fins had got slightly bent (my driveway is gravel). It was easy to fit and is very unobtrusive. No complaints here.

Any cooling issues, spechg?

[rdprdp01]

guys, its not going to risk engine life, the cooler cover is fine, going to pass plenty of air around it, thru it. you can always calculate pass thru area of the cooler itself vs pass thru area of the cover to see. fwiw, the cooler is more there for sitting and radiating heat in traffic and low speed running than it is at speed. at speed, the motor is surrounded by moving air, not as much of a need. Its when you slow down and there's lack of airflow over the motor that it matters, and then it radiates out.

Copy. And thanks for explaining to me the underlying engineering behind an oil cooler. Oil coolers are “new” to me.

R&G Racing told me their guard will not impact oil cooling but will provide significant protection to prevent physical damage. They claim they took lessons learned from the track and applied them to the Street. They also claim to be the market leader for protecting air cooled motorcycles.

Here are the benefits they claim I will enjoy from my recently installed guard and their product differentiators:

-Lightweight aluminum mesh surrounded by a seamless frame
-Provides impact protection from stones & other debris
-Prevents bugs & debris from getting clogged in cooling fins
-Permits maximum airflow for efficient cooling performance
-Reduces the risk of a puncture which can cause a dangerous oil leak & possible engine damage
-Hard anodized for improved durability & corrosion resistance
-Simple to mount utilizing OEM mounts without modifications
-Available in black, titanium, dark blue, light blue, or red

[balkanhound_imp]

I think it's an accessory that looks good on the bike and will keep the large crud and bugs from lodging in the fins. I think I will put one on my EX.