After reading online that the radiator might be somewhat vulnerable to oncoming rocks, and also might have some concerns in an unlucky turnover, I looked for some type of protection. On one of the larger CRF parts sites, I saw the Flatland Radiator Guard, and the reviews sounded quite positive so I ordered one. It turned out to be quite simple to install, and it does appear to provide greatly enhanced protection. First step is to get her naked on the left side. Mine was already devoid of plastics as I was installing a few other gadgets at the same time: You can remove the plastic front cover in front of the radiator, so it looks like this: Now you can wrap the new protector around the radiator like so: Now I had a problem. You need to screw the bolts in on the left side (in this picture) of the guard. But to reach them, you need a long-handled T socket. The socket I had didn't fit through the side hole, so I had to improvise: The thin screwdriver fit through the hole, and it was wide enough to hold the M10 socket in place without twisting. The visegrip on the end of the screwdriver provided plenty of leverage. The hardest part was getting everything to line up without the socket falling to the ground, but it worked surprisingly well. Once the two inside bolts are on, you can replace the left fairing, and the last bolt holding that fairing on also holds the third tab from the radiator guard. I thought the guard fit quite well, seems very solidly made, and while I hope I won't ever have needed it, if that time comes to pass I'm hoping this can help my odds of getting back under my own power. Here's what it looks like from the front: All pictures are available in full resolution up in this gallery.
