Anyone fitted a Chinese radiator?

[stinkwheel]

Mrs stinkwheels CB500SY radiator has sprung a leak. I'm going to take it to the local repair place to see if it can be fixed but if not, there seems to be a choice of a hanging second one, a UK made pattern one or a Chinese pattern one which is half the price.

Anyone had any experience of them? Worth a punt or avoid? Any oppinions I've seen on the net seem to be very negative but also are also invariably the oppinions of people who haven't even seen one, never mind fitted one to a bike.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[rpsmith79]

I've got an aluminium one on my CB600F Hornet, had it on for 12 months now, and 3000 miles later, still holds water, and looks a hell of a lot nicer than the OEM one

Only issue i did have was the expansion tank return outlet came loose as it was a threaded outlet (rather than welded/brazed on), but a good dose of thread lock and a cable tie to hold the pipe steady and stop it vibrating loose again has been successful

But at a third of the price of an OEM one, i can't really complain that much

No idea what brand it is though, just a generic eBay aluminium one

EDIT:

Just remembered, another slight issue, one of the mounting holes didn't line up initially, but by running a larger drill bit through all the mounting holes gave me enough wiggle room to mount it properly
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Current Bike: Honda CG125 ES4 // Honda CB600FS Hornet // Triumph Street Triple R

[grr666]

OEM replacement for the Spacker was eye wateringly expensive.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Islander]

I fitted one to my Hornet a few years ago and it's been fine

[Itchy]

[waffles]

I bought one for the gixer. The mounting brackets didn’t line up properly so I had to use washers to make it fit and it had been squashed in transit so the cap didn’t sit in the hole properly and it leaked. I got my stock one fixed instead.
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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

[Polarbear]

[andys675]

I managed to tear an outlet pipe off the OE one on my fazer 600, it was thin as paper, in a panic and needing to get to work the next day I shot up to D&K and bought a Chinese one from them, it wasn't quite as curvy as the OE but it fitted and worked a treat, and was still going when I stupidly sold the bike
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Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[stinkwheel]

Although there are now UK stockists of cheap Chinese radiators which reduces the transit damage factor a lot.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Courier265]

[WD Forte]

A quote for a recore for my old CX was £120 5 years ago
Now? well I doubt it would be less somehow and I'd
probably have to pay VAT on top of that too

I can get a chinese made classic Mini rad from a UK seller
for around £60 that I can (bloody well make it) fit
so it's chinese all the way if/when mine claps out
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bikers smell of wee

[waffles]

[Fisty]

Both rads on the TL came from China for less than £80 delivered.

They have been on for 3+ years and work perfectly.
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Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[Bikeless]

I still don't understand why bike rads are so expensive, I replaced one on my my car for £38 for a chinesium one or £42 for a German made one from a motor factors and they're twice the size of a bike rad.

[Itchy]

[stevo as b4]

No more tales of £38 high performance alloy radiators please. I had a KMX 200 one copied in aluminium with slightly more capacity and 8 tubes instead of 7. This was done by a well known UK performance radiator specialist, and while the quality looks excellent and it's likely to cool my engine far better, it was many multiples of £38.

The RD350LC lads with std, tuned and Banshee based big block motors have used Chinese radiators with some success, and I believe they are popular for MX bike replacements too.

[kramdra]

Interesting about the f4/f4i variations, I assumed they were the same! My radiator is perfectly functional other than the lower rad mount has crumbled away, as have the fan mounts. Seems a goodenough reason to replace.. Some of the fins are bent but it works. The end tanks had crash damage, but a thick layer of epoxy and paint do a very good job of hiding that at 101k miles..

What I need this time of year is a new thermostat as mine is stuck open. Did not want to risk a used one and new are expensive. If it gets much colder my tank range will drop to 100 miles..

[McJamweasel]

[sickpup]