WR250F Radiator Guards
I like having radiator protection but I'm more afraid of losing cooling efficiency from the loss of airflow from a flat shield in front of the radiator. But after seeing some of the Bullet Proof guards on a couple of modified test bikes, I gave a set a try, and by "try" I mean they spent a year on one of our thrasher test bikes. I installed them on a 2006 Yamaha WR250F, and even though the bike had been used and the radiators weren't perfectly straight, the new guards went on fairly easily. The guard ties into the frame of the bike, thereby relieving the radiator of any load. They're lighter than they look and stronger than they feel.
Machined from a solid block of 6061-T6 aluminum, the Bullet Proof units were plenty stiff and resisted twisting. Once mounted, you could tell the radiator was much more rigid and could take a lot of impact from the front lower corner, the Achilles' heel of a radiator. Likewise, they didn't noticeably increase the width of the bike. In use, we didn't see any reduction in cooling ability of the radiator in either extremely slow or fast, high-speed riding. Both of these are conditions where most nonlouvered radiator guards seem to compromise cooling. And to top it off this bike actually dropped off a cliff and tumbled for close to 500 feet on a trail ride gone wrong. Guess what? No radiator damage! Ours even had custom a Dirt Rider logo cut into the design. (This is available for a price on certain quantity orders.) The guards also come with a lifetime warranty to the original owner.
Made for most off-road and moto bikes, the guards sell for $189 plus an additional $20 for the black anodizing. These aren't the cheapest protection on the market but they might be the strongest. They look good and work exactly like we expected, better actually. -Jimmy Lewis