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XL700-VA9 Radiator leak

3K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  queasy rider 
#1 ·
I have a leak from my coolant system that I am reliably informed by my local bike repair shop, is coming from the bottom left hand corner of the right hand radiator.
The radiator with the radiator cap on. It is leaking about 125 ml on a run of about 2 -3 hours.
Problem is that the exaxct source of the leak cant really be spotted because I believe that the coolant is seeping out onto the hot radiator & evapourating.
Can anyone reccomend a radiator sealant that will stop this small leak without compromising the flow of coolant by blocking the internal tubes.
I really need to solve this issue soon as I have been topping up during & after runs & I have had enough of it.!!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
If I were to get a second hand radiator, how difficult would it be to change it ?
 
#2 ·
I’m no expert here, but I’ve heard of others having r/h radiator leak, and most used ones seem to be l/h units. This suggests an issues with this radiator. You may have to bite the bullet and buy from Honda.
Although there do seem to be some suppliers in Europehttps://www.motoricambiservice.com/ricambi-raffreddamento/radiatore-acqua/radiatore-destra-honda-transalp-xl-700-v-abs-2007-2013-19010mffa51-right-radiator_32839 but the import duties will be around 30% on top !
 
#4 ·
I would definitely NOT use a sealant, it can clog up cooling channels in the engine too, pull the radiator and replace it with an OEM Honda radiator and your problems will be over. Unless you discover a hose connecting to the radiator is the culprit. In any case take it off/apart, you will see what's going on.
 
#6 ·
Having trawled the internet recently for anything related to xl700 radiators leaking, it seems it’s a know issue with the r/h radiator. There are none available used that I can find. There does seem to be a good supply of rads for 600 and 650 models both used and new. There are also numerous companies selling aluminium rads for both these earlier models, but not the 700. It’s £350 ish for one from Honda, so it would be good to identify an alternative if possible. So firstly to those in the know, will the 600 or 650 rads fit the 700 ? If not, could they be modified to fit ? Or, could something like the cr650 radiators be made to fit ?
Just trying to suss things out before the inevitable.
 
#7 ·
Went to Classic Burk Show at Stafford today and came across this guy
he doesn’t know anything really about bikes but says he can re core just about any radiator.
He advised that original end caps are better than Chinese made stuff, so that’s the way to go.
I took this picture of one he’d done
Product Grille Mesh Grass Building

he said he couldn’t remember which bike it was off but that it was one he did for customer who never returned for it.
 
#8 ·



 
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