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skiphunt
0
I've been posting around here and other boards looking for a radiator guard for my 05 DL650. But only found 3 companies who make one. There's a forth, but it's in Europe and I didn't want to pay all that shipping.
The prices seem to range from $100 up to $140! I thought this seemed awfully high for a simple guard like this. I mean, some of the other guards that require some bending, welding, extra bolts, etc. seemed like they could almost justify the high cost.. but a simple radiator guard? I don't think so!
I know many of you can easily just go into the shop and whip up something yourselves for just a few dollars, but there are those like myself who're not so handy.
And, it's not that I was "cheaping" out... it's just that I really hold value in high reguard. I don't mind paying for quality, etc. But for these guards, I felt I was being taken.
The reason I discovered I needed some kind of guard here... is that my new 05's radiator grill was pristine before I did a few miles of gravel a couple weeks ago. When I got home, I noticed a few dings and crunches on the little rad fins. Nothing too horrible, but I knew that if I hit one of those roads with larger gravel, or something flying off a truck on the freeway.. I'd likely get a puncture.
Here are the little dings I'm talking about:
Because I couldn't really see spending nearly $140 for some basic protection... And, because I really didn't like the looks of most of the grills out there anyway... I made a feeble attempt at fashioning my own "Ghetto Fabulous" Home Depot air-con grill guard. I glued some rubber washers around the edges to prevent metal to metal rubbing, and strapped it on with 3 zip ties.
At first I was pretty proud of the results.. until people started coming up and asking, "***? Is that an air conditioning grill strapped on your moto?"
Actually, I didn't mind the comments so much. But, what DID bother me is that the little aluminum louvers made odd sounds at highway speed. That wasn't so bad, but it wasn't consistent.. and I kept wondering if the sounds were the bike or the whistling louvers.
Add to that.. the little louvers really didn't seem that robust. Seemed like if anything substantial ever hit them.. they'd just crunch right in and damage the radiator anyway.
Here's what my "ghetto fabulous" Home Depot grill looked like:
So, because I'd purchased one of Dan Vesels luggage guards and was happy with the results and Dan's customer service... I asked him why HE didn't make something for under $50? I told him it couldn't cost that much to make something like this, and there were probably loads of riders like myself who refuse to pay bloated prices for simple product.. and, are not handy enough to make something themselves. I told him if someone made something below $50, I'd certainly by it. If not, I guess I'd just made due with my "ghetto grill".
I couldn't believe that the next day, Dan had made a prototype rad grill for his own strom, and sent me photos of it! I said, SOLD! I'll take one please.
Dan tested his for a couple days, and in less than a week from my first email to him, I had a new radiator grill!
What's more, this thing took me just over 3 mins to install. It looks great, does the job, and actually looks better than anything else out there. I like the fact it looks like it was made for the strom... the grill matches the little cowling grills and oil guard too.
Here's what it looks like:
And, keeping with my request for a good product, that looks good, easy to install, and for under $50... Dan is selling them for $48.
All I can say is, I wish there were more companies out there who'd adopt Dan Vesel's fine sense of customer service and value. Thanks Dan!
You can find this new product now online here:
http://community-2.webtv.net/CHERDAN/MyVStromAccessories/
Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas
The prices seem to range from $100 up to $140! I thought this seemed awfully high for a simple guard like this. I mean, some of the other guards that require some bending, welding, extra bolts, etc. seemed like they could almost justify the high cost.. but a simple radiator guard? I don't think so!
I know many of you can easily just go into the shop and whip up something yourselves for just a few dollars, but there are those like myself who're not so handy.
And, it's not that I was "cheaping" out... it's just that I really hold value in high reguard. I don't mind paying for quality, etc. But for these guards, I felt I was being taken. The reason I discovered I needed some kind of guard here... is that my new 05's radiator grill was pristine before I did a few miles of gravel a couple weeks ago. When I got home, I noticed a few dings and crunches on the little rad fins. Nothing too horrible, but I knew that if I hit one of those roads with larger gravel, or something flying off a truck on the freeway.. I'd likely get a puncture.
Here are the little dings I'm talking about:
Because I couldn't really see spending nearly $140 for some basic protection... And, because I really didn't like the looks of most of the grills out there anyway... I made a feeble attempt at fashioning my own "Ghetto Fabulous" Home Depot air-con grill guard. I glued some rubber washers around the edges to prevent metal to metal rubbing, and strapped it on with 3 zip ties.
At first I was pretty proud of the results.. until people started coming up and asking, "***? Is that an air conditioning grill strapped on your moto?"
Actually, I didn't mind the comments so much.
But, what DID bother me is that the little aluminum louvers made odd sounds at highway speed. That wasn't so bad, but it wasn't consistent.. and I kept wondering if the sounds were the bike or the whistling louvers. Add to that.. the little louvers really didn't seem that robust. Seemed like if anything substantial ever hit them.. they'd just crunch right in and damage the radiator anyway.
Here's what my "ghetto fabulous" Home Depot grill looked like:
So, because I'd purchased one of Dan Vesels luggage guards and was happy with the results and Dan's customer service... I asked him why HE didn't make something for under $50? I told him it couldn't cost that much to make something like this, and there were probably loads of riders like myself who refuse to pay bloated prices for simple product.. and, are not handy enough to make something themselves. I told him if someone made something below $50, I'd certainly by it. If not, I guess I'd just made due with my "ghetto grill".
I couldn't believe that the next day, Dan had made a prototype rad grill for his own strom, and sent me photos of it! I said, SOLD! I'll take one please.
Dan tested his for a couple days, and in less than a week from my first email to him, I had a new radiator grill!
What's more, this thing took me just over 3 mins to install. It looks great, does the job, and actually looks better than anything else out there. I like the fact it looks like it was made for the strom... the grill matches the little cowling grills and oil guard too.
Here's what it looks like:
And, keeping with my request for a good product, that looks good, easy to install, and for under $50... Dan is selling them for $48.
All I can say is, I wish there were more companies out there who'd adopt Dan Vesel's fine sense of customer service and value. Thanks Dan!
You can find this new product now online here:
http://community-2.webtv.net/CHERDAN/MyVStromAccessories/
Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas
