An afermarket radiator guard isn’t something to seriously consider for most Indian motorcycles. Those that are liquid-cooled tend to come with plastic protectors that generally get the job done well enough. Big bikes, however, are designed with much cleaner riding environments in mind and many come with the radiator fully exposed, my 790 Duke included. In such cases, aftermarket protection is a must.
R&G Racing is a British company that specialises in a huge range of protection accessories designed to fit most popular motorcycles sold overseas. This radiator guard is a lightweight perforated aluminium grille (so no concerns of corrosion) that is designed to fit flush on top of the forward-facing side of your bike’s radiator. You have the choice of three colours — orange, titanium or the black one that I went for.
Fitting the guard is a reasonably straightforward process, but if you’re not mechanically inclined it’s better to get it done by someone who is. The guard has three mounting points, and the required screws and washers are supplied. R&G also includes some double-sided tape to stick on the edges so that the guard sits flush on the radiator. Strangely, the tape isn’t pre-cut and you need to trim it into thin individual strips — not a big concern, but it would be nice if this came ready to apply.
Every bike will have a different installation process and on the 790 we had to remove a small plastic component bolted to top of the radiator for the guard to fit. Once installed, the bike’s steering damper came worryingly close to making contact at full lock, but I was relieved to see that it just about clears without hitting the radiator guard.
For obvious reasons, I haven’t clocked many miles, but so far there have been no issues with airflow and heat management. Better still, I no longer have to stress about potential radiator damage, and the good folks at the Performance Racing Store tell me that they sold heaps of these over the years and have never had a complaint.
At Rs 7,000 (prices vary slightly based on the motorcycle), this guard isn’t cheap, but the quality is without doubt, and it’s actually more affordable than some other international brands. When you consider that a new 790 Duke radiator costs about Rs 40,000, it’s money well spent.
Where: www.performanceracing.in
Price: Rs 7,000
Dinshaw Magol
Gavin Rodrigues
Azaman Chothia
