Oil cooler guards are they a must have mod?

1200GSADV

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Hi I am new to 1200GSA ownership.

I have read a lot about oil coolers that have been damaged by stones etc, has this actually happened to anyone.

Is a guard a must fit mod, I am not a big off roader or just a fashion accessory.
 
Fashion unless you are going off road. Im on my fourth GS (all 1150's) and never needed one. But if you like bling then thats what matters.
 
For off-road is a must

Not so sure on road - my '08 GS never had them fitted and does have the odd slightly deflected vane in the oil cooler from stone impacts but has never been holed.

That said however I was following a Speed Triple (with a friend on board) when I test rode the Super Tenere recently and we went through a section of road at speed with gravel/forest car parks either side (so debris on the road surface) and I don't know what he spat out his back end that hit my shoulder armour but whatever it was I wouldn't have wanted it to hit a cooler.
 
Never used one in nearly 20 years of riding 1100 and 1150 and 1200 Oilheads and over 150,000 miles travelled

More likely to suffer a puncture than a stone through the oil cooler, as a showstopper

More bling.............. than reality:rolleyes:
 
Biggest thing I've ever caught in my oil cooler guard in 8 years of off-roading my 1150 was a fekking great hornet.

No, not necessary.
 
You mean you don't have one already :eek:

Get one straight away....and don't ride the bike until you do.
At a push you could make a temporary one by taping several combs to the front of the cooler.
 
I was at Lind in 2003 when a trailer came in with an 1150GS on the back with a sizeable rock through the oil cooler - it had also taken out the dipped headlamp. The poor chap was riding it home from the dealer - 23 miles on the clock before it happened.

I've had the windscreens of my cars hit by fairly substantial stones - the oil cooler is a smaller target, but it's bound to get hit now and again, if you do enough mileage.

In 155k miles, my guard hasn't had a dent - although I did get a bloody great hole punched in my MRA screen back in 2004, which would have seen to an unguarded oil cooler if it had been on target...

Mike :cool:
 
A stone or similar damage the fins on my oils cooler when the bike (2011 GSA) had less than 300 miles on it.
Perhaps I was just unlucky.
I bought a Twalcom guard from the Adventure Bike Warehouse, it didn't cost too much, was easy to fit and looks fine.
 
It's a question only the OP can answer since those who say it's unnecessary will obviously be those who've not had a stone hit the oil cooler :blast
 
Even small stones from surface dressing of roads can flick up quite sharply and damage the delicate fins of oil cooler, and i say that from personal experience. Never had anything cause serious damage but prevention is cheaper than an expensive repair. Usual cost around £30/£35 depending on which one you go for.... wouldn't be without one myself.
 
Thanks for the advice, after getting a stone chip in my windscreen today, I think it worth the 40, only 10% of the cost of a new oil cooler, and I would just be that lucky!
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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