Most people are impressed with how Triumph has done such a great job of keeping the radiators on these bikes small, visually unobtrusive, and perfectly functional. When people look at my T120 I'll always point out the radiator, which they otherwise aren't likely to notice.

When people are looking at my bike, they're standing close to it, with their heads well above the bike. The radiator is almost invisible. In the side-on photos that Triumph publishes, it's much easier to see.

The radiators on the new liquid cooled bikes are already finished in a satin black. I can't think of any "upgrades" that wouldn't reduce their effectiveness or make them more noticeable.

I guess that I'm advising not to fix on the presence and appearance of the radiator. No one else will.

 

I am with tsmgguy ^ Triumph did a great job integrating the radiator to the bike in a way that you just not notice. The way they did the cat in the middle, leaving the sides of the exhaust system looking the same as prior years, was also impressive...

Unless they come out with some cloaking technology to install on the radiators that will absorb or direct electromagnetic waves around an object through a coating and make it "invisible"... anything else will have a hard time looking as good as what Triumph did... just imho of course...

 

I've been thinking more and more about the water cooled setup...The only reason I've hesitated is the same as almost everyone else. Its just so ugly.

I was wondering if there were any radiator upgrade options out there people have found/come up with themselves to make it look nicer, besides a custom grill to cover it.

Concur. The other aspect that doesn't sit well with me is the 270 degree firing order - but that is another kettle of worms. On my '04 Thruxton, the in-frame oil cooling is a great success in part to the un-shrouding of the head to the airflow when the oil cooler was removed.

My understanding of the new liquid cooled motor design is that the fins on the motors are functional and aid in the removal of heat to the point where a smaller profile radiator could be employed. Undoubtedly, this motor would also benefit from removing the obstruction located squarely in front of the barrel and head. Until there are some measurements taken of the inlet/outlet temperatures of the coolant under load that would allow the BTU requirements for an alternate cooling system to be determined, it is a pretty risky proposition to simply wing it and come up with a shade-tree solution. It takes rather large brass ones to attempt such an endeavor on a new machine without some level of empirical data to support the design solution...

Someone with such aspirations could, it seems, do some readings of coolant temps with the full radiator area open to airflow, 80% open, 60% open, and, if possible, 40% open to allow a cooling demand curve to be developed. Oil temps should also be documented. Or you could just live with it and ride...

Regards,

--Rich

 

My understanding of the new liquid cooled motor design is that the fins on the motors are functional and aid in the removal of heat to the point where a smaller profile radiator could be employed. Undoubtedly, this motor would also benefit from removing the obstruction located squarely in front of the barrel and head.

I'm sure the fins don't hurt the cooling process, but I suspect that Triumph designed these fins for aesthetics rather than function. I've sat in traffic with my ST a few times now, hearing the fans kick on and feeling the heat from the motor... as hot as it gets, I certainly wouldn't want a smaller radiator on this bike.

And as others have noted, Triumph has designed the most unobtrusive radiator that I've seen on a modern bike. No one notices it, until I point it out.

 

Looking at the design, owning a few liquid coolers with slab rads hung under and behind the front forks I see no other way for Triumph to have done the job they did, no one will come up with an alternative. You also cannot see the rad while you are riding.

 

I had some early concerns about the radiator location. It looks like it's in the perfect place to be easily damaged and to pick up lots of bugs. Have not had either problem, though. Apparently, the front wheel and forks do a nice job of protecting the radiator from road debris. Its protective grille looks to be heavy enough for the job, too.

After owning the bike for six months, I've come to the conclusion that the T120's cooling system falls into my favorite categories: it works great, lasts a long time, and requires no attention except at normal service intervals.

I've kinda gotten out of the habit of checking the coolant level before the first ride of the day because the level never changes.

 

Not one person has commented on the radiator when looking over my bike. Maybe try squinting.

 

I just had a look at my R.

Yes, I see the radiator now you mention it.......

 

I think the radiator needs small wings to better direct air to it. But that would go against keeping it "invisible". My fan runs a LOT of the time.