Looking across to the snow capped alpine mountains seen from the back seat of a motorcycle

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CB500X Evotech Radiator Guard Fitting / Review

Review Date - 09 March 2017

By Ren Withnell

Sharon sourced a radiator guard for her Kwakker and while doing so I spotted one for my 500. Of course with me being a wild off-roading adventure type that regularly travels through the gravel strewn roads of Preston, rock hewn cliff side passes in Wigan and the occasionally gritty back streets of Bolton I thought it might be prudent to protect my motorcycle radiator from such terrors as stray road chips thrown up by Audis and empty drinks cans thrown out of hot hatchbacks. You can't be too careful you know. 

The radiator of a motorcycle with no cover on, nakedOh look it's all naked and vulnerable, poor poor radiator.

The part arrives post haste from Evotech and is well packaged. The item itself is as pictured and described so that's a good start. What attracted me to the Evotech guard compared to the similarly priced R&G guard are the materials and method of construction. R&G (as well as several other brands) use expanded metal mesh. This tends to be flimsy in my opinion. This expanded metal mesh is then fitted to a surround which is fine but if the fitting is poor then at best it rattles at worst if falls out. The Evotech guards use a single sheet of steel with the holes pressed or cut out somehow and the sheet formed to fit the particular models. This is a solid bit of kit.

to the left expanded metal mesh to the right pressed steel grillsExpanded metal versus pressed or cut steel.

According to the online instructions fitting should be a doddle. Hmmmm. In fairness to Evotech their website clearly states this is for models 2013+ *but* they list 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. My bikes is a '16 reg but I guess with the LED headlights it may be classed as the '17 model. I know not of how these things work. Suffice to say the fairings around the radiator are just different enough to prevent simply slipping the radiator cover into place. 

Luckily (very luckily) I have learned how to remove the fairing panels (CB500X Fairing Panel Removal). I remove said fairing panels and find the "for 2106" guard fits my "2017" radiator just fine, once I can get it into place. I replace the panels and admire my handiwork. 

The CB500X with no fairing panels or side panelsHey, wanna see my bike naked huh...huh?

So what do I think? It's hard to be impressed by a radiator guard obviously but as far as radiator guards go I believe it is a good one. The one piece construction and the sturdy materials fill me with confidence that it will actually prevent a larger stone from damaging my radiator. The paint looks good but only the fullness of time will prove me right or wrong. It's not the cheapest item on the market but it is acceptably priced. Yeah, colour me satisfied which is high praise indeed from me.

The fitted and covered evotech rad guard on Ren's 500XIt doesn't stand out which means it's a good fit.


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Reader's Comments

Ian Soady said :-
Can I just ask why the GB sticker on your top box is fitted so no-one (except you) can see it?

Surely you're not ashamed to be British (although I could perhaps understand the feeling).
12/03/2017 16:48:16 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Beeeeecauseeee... That top box was used on the 125 across Ireland. I believe in Ireland a GB sticker is required. The top box on the 125 was positioned back-to-front as this brings the overhanging mass closer to the rider.

Hence once upon a time the sticker was on the correct face.

There is much that is not good in GB and there?is much that is. Overall I consider myself lucky to be British.
12/03/2017 17:24:05 UTC

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