Cleaning bugs off radiator

[Green RT]

I just returned from a 6000 km (4000 mile) trip on my 2015 R12R. Since it is still new I am trying to keep it clean. Mostly it was just covered with bug remains on all the forward facing surfaces.

 

Does anyone have any good ideas about getting bug remains out of the fins in the radiator? Tooth brush? Soaking and compressed air?

[szurszewski]

I don't know how the radiators are set up on your R, but my go-to for de-bugging a radiator is to soak the "remains" with Simple Green, maybe more than once, and then flush them out with fresh water from the rear of the radiator (if possible - you can do it just from the front as well, but obviously it's easier to get all the bits out from behind).

 

I have not had great luck with brushes of any kind because I just stuff their little bodies further into the fins that way.

 

(Not sure if Simple Green is available in Mexico - it's a general purpose non toxic cleaner - anything citrus based or similar would likely work the same.)

 

josh

 

 

 

[CWRoady]

I would be cautious with Simple Green on aluminum. There own website recommends as much:

 

"However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation."

 

http://simplegreen.com/faqs/

 

 

[szurszewski]

I would be cautious with Simple Green on aluminum. There own website recommends as much:

 

"However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation."

 

http://simplegreen.com/faqs/

 

 

I did not know that - thanks for posting!

josh

[Green RT]

I don't have any simple green so was not going to try it, but it is good to know that it would not be recommended. I am going to try soaking them in water for awhile, then blowing them off with compressed air from behind the radiator. We will see if it works.

[Mike]

Soften them up with water (soak them for a while), then use a soft bristled brush and moderate water pressure. It's fairly easy to damage radiator fins if you use a pressure washer, so take it easy. Diluted vinegar is a miracle cleaner, so you might want to consider spraying some of that on as your soaking solution.

 

Unless your radiator is completely blocked--which is unlikely--this is more of an aesthetic issue than one affecting your cooling system.

[The Rocketman]

For the future, I'd suggest something like this radiator guard from Wunderlich:

http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/31962002.html

 

I got a specific one for my '09 RT and it looks and works fine.