FOR THE DO-IT-YOURSELF DUCATI OWNER

COOLER SCREENING

$5-10

Scissors, Wire

You may have noticed when riding your Ducati a certain high pitched "thunk" once in a while.  I did, and it turned out to be rocks hitting my oil cooler and radiator.  Not good!   So, I installed this simple bit of screening to prevent damage.  You may want to go with a larger hole pattern than this to keep flow optimal, but at speeds it doesn't seem to have any effect.  In traffic it always runs hot so that's another story altogether.

Here's what we're trying to protect.  Start by removing any fairings blocking access.

Then take your trusty aluminum screening you picked up down at the hardware store and cut it into the rough shape of the oil cooler, and leave enough to wrap around the top and bottom and around the back.  Fold over the very end of each edge so it doesn't unravel.

Then you can form fit the piece around the cooler and make sure it doesn't interfere with anything.

And then cut a short piece of wire to secure the screen in place.  I chose wire because it seemed like the most heat resistant method of securing it.

Run the short piece of wire through the screen, and through one of the small recesses off to the side of the cooler until it sticks out the back.   Make sure you run it through an area where it won't interfere at all with one of the cooling fins or oil passages, and then bring it around and twist each side together as shown.

And cut off any excess and twist the pointy portion around to the back so it doesn't snag on anything.

And now for the radiator- this piece is larger and only has a couple slits cut on the top and bottom so that it fits easy on the curvature of the radiator.  It won't go all the way around, just sit in the finned portion.  Fold over the edges.

Once you have the screen up over the radiator, run a piece of c-shaped wire from the front to the back as shown, making sure you run the wire through the holes in the screen, but to the very far edge of the radiator body so you don't catch any fins or coolant lines.

Then bend the wire back and around the mounting bracket (it's hard to tie it back there because it will interfere with the fan).  And there you go, you're done.  Your radiator and oil cooler will now be rock free.  If you chose a small size mesh, be sure to keep a close eye on the temp guage.  I haven't had problems but you never know.

This page is in no way associated with Ducati.com, nor is it an entity of Ducati Motor Holding, S.p.A.  All content, information, and views expressed herein are those of myself and do not reflect those of Ducati or its affiliates.  The "DUCATI" logo and "Circle D" are registered trademarks of Ducati Motor Holding, S.p.A., all other content on this website is copyright 2006, Monster Man Productions.