How To: Radiator Overfill Mod

Checking the coolant level in the radiator catch tank is difficult enough, being that the 'clear' plastic is very opaque--but filling it/topping it off is even harder, requiring a hand pump and some distilled water or complete removal of both side fairings and the nose. Just to fill the overflow tank! Pressed for time prior to a track day I solved that problem:



It was perhaps the easiest mod yet: one set of tin snips (or some industrial grade scissors). A few cuts later and my bike's thirst was quenched.

And because the air is routed through here to the electronics, I put a piece of high speed tape over the hole to ensure aero is preserved.



Some will cry "UGLY!" and "SACRILEGE," but it's hidden when the right side fairing is on (and hidden with tape when the fairing is off. If you work on your own bike, this will save you a good half hour each time you need to top off your radiator with distilled water. (Next time I do a radiator flush, I'm cutting a hole over the radiator pressure cap, too.)

Great idea! Thanks for the pics and info!

Hopefully someone at the factory takes notice and starts incorporating these types of ideas which do make our life easier.

We have to name this weekly how-to series... Perhaps "This old Pani?" How about break and clutch bleeding for the next installment? Thanks for doing these Antihero...

Rather than cut it, I was able to get both caps off by just pulling up on the fairing a bit and doing the fills by affixing a length of clear tubing onto the end of a funnel. I check the overflow coolant level by lowering an LED on a flexible stalk down into the reservoir and then looking up through the wheel well to the graduated area of the reservoir near the front tire.

bronch said:

We have to name this weekly how-to series... Perhaps "This old Pani?" How about break and clutch bleeding for the next installment? Thanks for doing these Antihero...

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YOu want a bleeder how to? It's very simple.

Bleeding is simple for those who've done it before and a mystery for those who have not. Been meaning to do a write-up, so let me make sure I have all the pictures I need.

Capt CF--I did it similar to the way you did it the first time I added fluid and it was a pain in the ass--and I almost lost my LED into the coolant overflow tank in the process. If anyone notices, Ducat didn't even paint that part of the fairing, so no one can really cry foul when someone cuts up something that wasn't meant to be seen anyways. I have a spare nose--and I'll probably hole-saw-cut that one out and put in a rubber cap while it's not on the bike. But for now, I'm relieved that if I find myself running dry out on the road or in between sessions at the track all I need is 5 minutes and some distilled water vs. 60 minutes, a funnel, tubing, tubing to funnel connectivity, more patience than I have and a flexible LED to make it all work!

AntiHero said:

Bleeding is simple for those who've done it before and a mystery for those who have not. Been meaning to do a write-up, so let me make sure I have all the pictures I need.

Capt CF--I did it similar to the way you did it the first time I added fluid and it was a pain in the ass--and I almost lost my LED into the coolant overflow tank in the process. If anyone notices, Ducat didn't even paint that part of the fairing, so no one can really cry foul when someone cuts up something that wasn't meant to be seen anyways. I have a spare nose--and I'll probably hole-saw-cut that one out and put in a rubber cap while it's not on the bike. But for now, I'm relieved that if I find myself running dry out on the road or in between sessions at the track all I need is 5 minutes and some distilled water vs. 60 minutes, a funnel, tubing, tubing to funnel connectivity, more patience than I have and a flexible LED to make it all work!

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Agreed - your way makes all the bending, flexing and remote lighting hassles go away.

Good idea, not so good implementation. The main problem you will have with what you did will be the development of cracks in the rough corners. By simply drilling a hole above the overflow you accomplish the same thing and will greatly lessen the possibility of cracks developing. But props for the idea. The factory should implement something along this line for both overflow and radiator.

efna said:

Good idea, not so good implementation. The main problem you will have with what you did will be the development of cracks in the rough corners. By simply drilling a hole above the overflow you accomplish the same thing and will greatly lessen the possibility of cracks developing. But props for the idea. The factory should implement something along this line for both overflow and radiator.

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It will develop cracks if there's stress and there's no stress on the fairing. I've got a second front fairing (perhaps why I so flippantly cut into this one) and will take a hole saw (and snips) to it. It'll be much cleaner, but just as functional.

Created this solution awhile ago and thought I would post it in this thread.

As an alternative to cutting fairings or taking off the front fairing to add coolant, I made my own funnel as all the ones with the flexible tubes were too big and couldn't make the tight angle. I used a water bottle and flexible drinking straw to accommodate the small space.

I think the pictures explain it thoroughly enough or I can explain more if requested.