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Post by headcoats on Jun 10, 2016 9:58:07 GMT 1
Has anyone bought one of these and are they any good !
What is the fitment like and can you still fit the original rad cover ?
the rad cap the correct pressure etc |
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Post by dusty350 on Jun 10, 2016 15:52:05 GMT 1
Hi
I bought one for £50 and i have to say it looked good value for money and seemingly well made. If fitted the frame brackets with no issues too. I never fitted a rad guard but there can be an issue with the holes not lining up. Probably easy to resolve. I have one on my white lc and it looks good.
The one i bought was for my blue hybrid and in the end i saved up some money and bought one of Martins rads from MBD which was what i really wanted in the first place but couldnt afford at the time. Martins rads are awesome - totally different league to the tiddlywink rads but obviously cost a fair bit more. You get what you pay for i spose but if money is tight i reckon the cheap rads are worth a punt.
Dusty
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Post by rigga on Jun 10, 2016 20:15:05 GMT 1
I bought a cheap Ali rad off Dusty, fitted easily, didn't put an original rad cover on as I have a rentec one, but that fitted straight on so can't see why the standard plastic one wouldn't, it takes a bit more coolant than the original to fill,which can't hurt, I have no temperature issues when running, and think they are a great alternative.  |
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Post by dusty350 on Jun 10, 2016 20:29:47 GMT 1
Looks good Rigga, glad you are pleased with it. Dusty  |
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Post by ellasae on Jun 10, 2016 21:50:51 GMT 1
I bought an eBay one and it leaked like a sieve , utter rubbish
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Post by rigga on Jun 10, 2016 22:43:13 GMT 1
Well there you go, its pot luck what you get.
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tezrhc
Drag-strip hero
Posts: 296 
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Post by tezrhc on Jun 11, 2016 8:27:12 GMT 1
I bought one a year ago from China via eBay for about £40,fitted ok and has not leaked yet. Ive also put the origional rad cover on.  |
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Post by ellasae on Jun 11, 2016 11:03:38 GMT 1
You guys have obviously had more luck than me then , I'm afraid the old saying " buy cheap buy twice" is ringing in my ear.....
ps. That's a very nice hybrid tez, very nice indeed.
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Post by tell7437 on Jun 16, 2016 22:28:22 GMT 1
Just got one delivered yesterday & had a go at fitting it, firstly the raised top hits the right side frame downtube so I am going to heat it & put a small dent into the rad, the cover mounts needed a small tweak with pipe grips to line up they are m6 thread not m5 like original if it matters.
The finish is to highly polished for my liking but nothing a scotch pad won't cure, the side brackets look like they have been sandblasted!
Don't know about leaks as I haven't had water in it yet, for 37.50 I don't think its to bad. 7/10
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Post by dusty350 on Jun 17, 2016 7:40:18 GMT 1
Hi It does seem pot luck as to how good the rad is when delivered. The one I got was pretty good, but there are lots of rogues too. They seem to vary wildly in price too, I've seen them for £39, and £79 and everything in between  If money is tight and the alternative is a bashed and bent second hand rad off ebay with no guarantee of being any good, then the cheap rads are worth a go. I always wanted an MBD rad for my blue bike but would happily have bolted on the cheap rad I had if I had no other option. Dusty |
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Post by headcoats on Jun 17, 2016 7:55:29 GMT 1
With all the different prices and sellers, do you think they are coming from only one manufacturer ?
Somewhere in Pakistaniland LOL |
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Post by dusty350 on Jun 17, 2016 9:45:31 GMT 1
Hi The sellers are usually listed as being in Portsmouth, but the rads are definitely Chinese - I know that coz I checked the writing on the rad packaging against my local Chinese takeaway menu and it looked the same !!  If you pay with Paypal you'll get some protection if it turns out to be leaky or nowhere near fitting so that's a good thing. Dusty |
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Post by LC_BOTT on Jun 17, 2016 10:20:48 GMT 1
I bought a cheap one at a show last year, paid £30 for it, thought it was worth a punt at that, all the replacement rads look exactly the same in the pics.
I was thinking of getting the one from the Netherlands, if you look closer the overflow/pressure relief looks straight, like on an original rad, and it's a threaded fitting as well (all the chinese stuff is bent towards the middle of the rad)
the welding does look a bit better, but they are up to 3 times the price, worth it?? up to the buyer to decide... How much is an MBD rad?
looking a bit closer, these are probably Chinese as well ?
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Post by dusty350 on Jun 17, 2016 10:36:41 GMT 1
Hi An MBD rad is £295. Martin had the head to rad spigot moved for me and included in the price It is a fair bit more but the quality is awesome;  It's on my blue hybrid so although the Chinese rad was ok, it wasn't quite good enough for that bike;  Dusty |
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Post by headcoats on Jun 20, 2016 15:25:56 GMT 1
Just got one delivered yesterday & had a go at fitting it, firstly the raised top hits the right side frame downtube so I am going to heat it & put a small dent into the rad, the cover mounts needed a small tweak with pipe grips to line up they are m6 thread not m5 like original if it matters. The finish is to highly polished for my liking but nothing a scotch pad won't cure, the side brackets look like they have been sandblasted! Don't know about leaks as I haven't had water in it yet, for 37.50 I don't think its to bad. 7/10
Talking to a bloke down bike café yesterday and he said he had the same issue with the rad hitting the frame as the original has a cut out He said it was slightly wider too
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Post by paulturnbull on Jun 23, 2016 20:37:48 GMT 1
are all the ones on ebay from the same manufacture ? or are some better than others ?
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Post by marsbar350 on Jun 23, 2016 21:01:05 GMT 1
I have a cheapo Chinese on me F2 the spigot on the top was too far forward causing the rad to hit the frame anyways had it cut off rewelded further back all good now |
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Post by gordo555 on Jul 10, 2016 22:32:53 GMT 1
As mentioned above, I bought one. It's deeper (thicker) than stock and there was interference at the right down tube. I used a large socket a smidge larger than the down tube diameter to bump a relief area into the soft aluminum at the top edge so that the radiator would clear the down tube and fit up properly. It was really quite simple if you have any metalworking skill at all, a 10 minute job.
The problem was, that when it was all mounted up, and filled, it immediately leaked, drip, drip, drip… If it hadn't leaked, I'd have loved it but as pointed out, they're Chinese, and at the price I paid, US$45.00 (£30) on eBay delivered, I'm pretty sure they're not pressure tested at the factory. I imagine if you get one of the good ones as many here have, that they're just great. The problem is that there's no quality control and you might get crap.
I still have the original radiator and that's been refitted, but I love the look of the ali and the light weight, so I'll be asking the seller for a replacement, and hoping for a better one.
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If money is tight and the alternative is a bashed and bent second hand rad off ebay with no guarantee of being any good, then the cheap rads are worth a go. I always wanted an MBD rad for my blue bike but would happily have bolted on the cheap rad I had if I had no other option.
If you pay with Paypal you'll get some protection if it turns out to be leaky or nowhere near fitting so that's a good thing.
