Aftermarket Radiator

Has anyone tried this aftermarket radiator?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Aluminum-Replacement-Radiator-Cooler-FOR-SUZUKI-BANDIT-GSF1250S-GSF1250-07-13-/200968285408?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item2ecaa4ace0

I've emailed them asking for the dimensions and if the type and quality of the materials used are identical to those used in the Suzuki OEM radiator.

It will most likely be made from aluminum.
The important stats for a radiator are number of tubes and fins per inch, fpi.
If those two stats are the same or better than stock, then it will be as good or better than the Suzuki rad.

Excellent information, thanks mate. I'll email again and ask about that.

What's FPI?

Fins per inch 
Should be up around 12 to 14 fpi or better.
Some budget brands are the same physical dimensions but they save material by putting less fins into the rad.
Less fins = lower cooling efficiency.
Number off tubes is a similar story.
Easy to count fins, but not so easy to count tubes whilst rad is on bike.

Surely you could go to the other extreme and have too many "fins per inch" effectively choking the air flow?

Thanks mate, something new for the vocabulary.

Emailed the suppliers in China, very quick replies. However, typical language issues.
This came in reply to my question about the dimensions of the radiator.

For this item it is the same size as the original ones , thanks the material is aluminium ,thanks

it is not same quantity as OEM one ,pls notice it ,thanks

The reply to my follow up email asking about number of tubes and fins per inch.

I mean it is the same size and shape as the original one . it just the quality not same as original ones .

all is the same , thanks

I'll try again and see if I can get some specifications.

madmax wrote:Surely you could go to the other extreme and have too many "fins per inch" effectively choking the air flow?

You are spot on there, Max.
There's quite a science to thermal transfer and many options for configuration of the rad components.
It's generally a balance between weight and robustness these days. Copper was way better for strength and repairs, but Aluminum has better thermal efficiency and is lighter.
Fins come in different profiles too. Flat fin. Ct fin. Louvered fin. Boiled fin. Fried fin...  
I suspect that the Chinese copy will be down on fin count.
We cut open some Chinese copy of Caterpillar aftercooler, once, too find 4 fpi instead of the OEM count of ten.

Received an answer from the Chinese supplier and they're going to be no help at all.

i am sorry we don't have the exactly size , It is the same size and shape as the original one ,pls buy it according to the model on the listing ,thanks and the item come as the photo shows ,thanks

Think I'll give it a miss and buy the one off the Bandit that's being wrecked.

I think the one off the wreck is bent..just looking at the photos..be careful! Unless your desperate I would give it a miss.

The one I have is bent...grin.

Photos of the radiator from the Bandit being wrecked.

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The white powder in the outlet (top right of photo) is usually a sign of corrosion. It may not have had a well maintained cooling system.
Is your rad bent and leaking? Or just bent and not asthetically pleasing?
Damage can cause cracks that will develop into a leak or it can just reshape the rad and maintain integrity. How long has yours been bent?

Thanks for the heads up regarding the powder residue.

Mine's been bent for about a year. Last weekend when I was doing the PAIRs removal I removed the radiator and flushed it before adding Engine Ice. Saw that the bend in the radiator almost has the fan touching on one side.

Not sure if it's cooling properly, specially since putting it back on as the fan has come on a few times which it rarely did before.

Did you flush the system really really, really well, before putting additive in?
I don't want to scare you, but addition of stuff to cooling system without a really good cleaning first, xan result ina chemical reaction and a jelly like substance blocking tubes in rad really quickly.
I've seen so many people come into work with cooling issues, only to learn that they added something a few days before.
Your changes in fan frequency suggests that you may have lost some efficiency in the system.

Actually appreciate your concern on my behalf. I'm not naturally inclined towards mechanical things, and being spatially challenged due to my flavour of dyslexia only makes things worse.

As mentioned previously I took the radiator off completely after having drained the entire system. Then I flushed it several times using the garden hose: even washed the cap.

My ride to work takes between 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. Got caught in stop/start traffic on the highway last two days which put a lot of strain on the bike. When I arrived yesterday I put a food temperature gauge on the engine and then on the radiator: not exactly hyper accurate but gives at least a rough reading. The temperature was 76c on the engine and 78c on the radiator, with a cool breeze blowing.

I think the problem may be twofold.

1. Taking the radiator off disturbed the balance and now the fan is working less efficiently than before. Tomorrow I'm going to be working on the bike and I'll take a close look to see if the fan is slightly touching the radiator now or not. The space between the fan blade and the radiator is so small that it might be that expansion due to heat brings them just into contact.

2. This is my first time doing this and I missed filling the reserve. To be frank I do not understand yet how that reserve works. The coolant was right to the top when I checked and bled the radiator again a few days ago, you couldn't put a drop more in. Going to research and read up on that today. Have the service manual but it's patchy to say the least when it comes to explaining things. I can understand there being so many assumptions of prior knowledge though because after all it is intended for a mechanic and not a raw beginner like me.

I'll check the pipes this weekend. One question though. The left hand pipe has like a sleeve on the lower part. After the first ride I found that a thin film of Engine Ice had seeped up: not enough to overflow. I took some photos but haven't had time to upload them yet.

I've checked it every day since and it's not there, but if I pull back the edge of the sleeve I can see that there is Engine Ice between the sleeve and the pipe. Is that normal?  

Decided to pass on the radiator from the wrecker and wait until a better one comes along. Have also passed on the Chinese aftermarket one until I see some specifications or a user review. The bike hasn't died on me even though it's been through some extremes the past few days, so I think it will all be okay for a good while.

It's always good to hear that you are willing to get your hands dirty and have a go. It's all experience and having done it once it gets easier to attempt more involved aspects of motorcycle maintenance.  And above all else,  you are saving yourself lots of money and have the piece of mind that the job has been done to your satisfaction.  
Sometimes a bit of research and asking questions of the forum beforehand can help prevent pitfalls.

Cooling systems are quite simple things but can develop problems due to the use of alloys, which are susceptible to corrosion, air bubbles and mixing coolants.  
Firstly,  well done on flushing. I gleaned that you flushed your radiator. Did you flush the engine side of things? I read that you drained it, but sometimes pockets of coolant can be left behind after draining. It's even worth draining the system,  filling with straight water and running up to temp and repeat the process.  This ensures that all old coolant is out of the system.  
Secondly when filling the cooling system,  find out if it has bleeding points.  These allow all air that may be trapped to be released.  I'm not sure about the Bandit as I haven't flushed mine yet, but manual should highlight these if they exist.
Third. Overflow bottle. As engine gets up to temp, the coolant starts to do its job and absorb heat to transfer it to the radiator.  The more heat, the more that the coolant expands. As it expands, the radiator cap acts as a pressure relief valve and allows coolant to expand into the overflow bottle.  When you travel at speeds more than about 50km/h, air flows through the radiator and cools it. This is also achieved by the fan at slow speed. As the coolant cools it contracts and the special valve in the radiator cap allows coolant to suck back into the radiator, effectively keeping the radiator full at all times.
It's important to keep the expansion bottle between the "high" & "low" marks. Never fill it to the top.
It's also worth checking the tension of all hose clamps after a few days when the system is cool.
Keep up the good work and don't forget to ask for advice if you are the least bit curious or unsure about something.  The guys on this forum are full of great advice and help.

It's good to have a cooling system expert on the forum. BTW I see Dorma everywhere these day, on the automatic door at  ANZ Singleton for example.
Interestingly I changed the Coolant in the Vstrom after I got it and ended up filling it just above the high mark on the expansion tank. Anyway on my trip down South when I went on the horrible, snotty, POS road between Omeo and Corryong on 30C day I must have got the system plenty hot because it expanded right out the overflow. the interesting thing is when it cooled it went back to the minimum mark, so the designers might have known what they were doing
I was a bit worried at first but after that it didn't move and I have since topped it up to the Max level.

Usually it has 2 bars on the temperature gauge and only goes to 3 when I'm doing slow off-road stuff.
I haven't notice the fan, the Staintunes might have something to do with that

Re-Cycled wrote:It's good to have a cooling system expert on the forum. BTW I see Dorma everywhere these day, on the automatic door at  ANZ Singleton for example.
Interestingly I changed the Coolant in the Vstrom after I got it and ended up filling it just above the high mark on the expansion tank. Anyway on my trip down South when I went on the horrible, snotty, POS road between Omeo and Corryong on 30C day I must have got the system plenty hot because it expanded right out the overflow. the interesting thing is when it cooled it went back to the minimum mark, so the designers might have known what they were doing
I was a bit worried at first but after that it didn't move and I have since topped it up to the Max level.

Usually it has 2 bars on the temperature gauge and only goes to 3 when I'm doing slow off-road stuff.
I haven't notice the fan, the Staintunes might have something to do with that

It's good that your system settled at it's own level. There has been incidents of people filling the overflow bottle to the brim and when it starts to overflow itself, a siphon effect takes hold and drains the whole system. It has something to do with blockage in the overflow bottle cap breather.
Dorma has become quite a force in the region over the last two years. You'll be as bad as me soon, Pete. I spot the stickers on doors on tv during news reports. Lol
I wouldn't call myself a cooling system expert, either. But I did learn a thing or two over thirteen years at Natrad.   

HaHaHa Yes it seems like they're everywhere.

I only had it maybe half a centimetre above the "full" mark.

Bosco15 wrote:I wouldn't call myself a cooling system expert, either.  But I did learn a thing or two over thirteen years at Natrad.   

Mate, My radiator has a slight bend and small leak. Would Natrad be able to straighten & fix it?

Did you burp the cooling system with the air bleed screw on the waterpump body?  Doing this drops the coolant level a lot with a big sigh and a gurgle.  A lot of people miss this step and leave a lot of air trapped in the system.

Definitely not. Didn't see anything in the things I read about this but might have missed it.Have no idea where that is, will look it up tonight. Thanks for the advice.

Under left hand sprocket cover is the waterpump. One of the bolts is a bleed screw. Crack that until coolant drips (don't remove) with the bike cold and the radiator cap off. Bet the level drops

Reardo wrote:

Bosco15 wrote:I wouldn't call myself a cooling system expert, either.  But I did learn a thing or two over thirteen years at Natrad.   

Mate, My radiator has a slight bend and small leak. Would Natrad be able to straighten & fix it?

Any reputable radiator shop should be able to fix your leak as long as it's not leaking because of corrosion.
Straightening is not recommended as it will stress the radiator more.
To repair an alloy rad, firstly a gentle sand blast of the leak and then either an epoxy or plastic weld product will be applied and vacuumed into the leak. Alloy repairs are not always feasible, dependant on the reason for the leak.
Old school radiators made from copper are repaired with solder whereas the more modern alloy rads cannot be soldered.

Nice one, Kewwig. I knew that someone would know where to bleed the system.

Thanks mate. Searched a lot tonight and though it was mentioned it was never clear exactly what the location was. Will take a look first thing in the morning and report back. 

I've got a PDF copy of the service manual but the photos, when there are any, are woeful to say the least. Going to buy the Haynes unless you know of anything better. Can get a copy delivered for $37.93.

Take a look at any of the on line parts diagrams for the water pump. You will see a bolt and a screw shown as exploded with numbers.  It's not them.  One bolt hwad on the far side of the cover is still in place. That's the beastie. I will try and get a pic up