Cox Radiator and Oil cooler guard

Back when Andrew Cox sent us his very first radiator guard for Yamaha's R1, we immediately suggested that he made these for Ducati's. Due to the low placement of the Ducati's oil cooler, and the fact that they get pelted with stones. He told us they would be more difficult to build due to the Ducati having a curved radiator.

Well, he must have sorted it all out because we just received his latest curved radiator and oil cooler guard.

Fortunately we didn't have to look further than my own 996 to see it would benefit from the style and protection that these guards provide. With todays modern performance tires being so sticky they pick up a lot of debris and gravel. In the case of your rear tire it's just a matter of slinging rocks at your slower riding buddies. On the front however, you're beating the crap out of your own bike and that's not good at all. I called my local "Ducati dealer" (that's an oxymoron because there were no deals to be had) for a price to replace a damaged radiator and oil cooler and I was informed that the radiator was $1398 and the oil cooler was $370.

That makes the $85 it costs for these two pieces seem like a real bargain.

The Dirty Work

Fitment of the guards is pretty easy and straightforward. Start by removing the fairing lowers. Ducati knew these bikes would need to be worked on a lot, that's why the lowers are secured by ¼ turn Dzus fasteners. If you can't have both lowers off in less than a minute, you might be a moron and should consider not working on your bike yourself.

Once the lowers are sitting safely off to the side you need to remove the V-piece that's attached to the cylinder head and surrounds the oil cooler. It's only held on by two bolts with 8mm heads, so it's no big deal either. This piece bears the brunt of the front tires fury and it shows. Fit the screen so that the pin on the V-piece goes through the hole in the guard. Then place screen against the V-piece and align the holes in the screen with the mounting holes in the V-piece. Now, clean the area where the double-sided tape will stick to the V-piece with some alcohol, remove the backing on the tape and stick it on. Set this aside while we move on to the radiator.

Installation of the radiator guard is just as easy. Start by running two of the supplied zip ties through the guard and placing it against the radiator. Conveniently, Ducati saw fit to put holes in the radiator supports for the fitment of this guard. Either that or Mr. Cox just got lucky, we're not sure which. Feed the ties through the holes in the radiator support then back through the guard. Leave them loose for now. Install the lower mount in similar fashion. Once all the ties are on start tightening them down evenly, being careful to keep the guard properly aligned. Reinstall the V-piece and the lowers, then sit back and admire your handy work.

All in all, the guard gives the bike a nice finished look while offering protection from stones and other debris. The mesh is big enough that even here in sunny (read hot) Florida there was no perceptible change in how warm the bike ran whether cruising down the highway or stuck in traffic.

Cox Racing Group makes guards for many other bikes. They also are available in different colors if you want that custom look. Go to their site, www.motorcycleguard.com to see if they have what you need.

DaveW