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Radiator Leak

minty70uk

minty70uk

Joined Dec 2008
15 Posts | 0+
Barrow-in-Furness
Hi All,
Just been out for a run up the western lakes and I noticed water being sprayed from the underside of my 2008 RSV Factory, anyway I stopped and it would appear that my radiator has started to leak just around the top right hand side though can not be definate. The temp gauge was reading 78 so no problem with potential engine damage, anyway I top her up and took a slowish ride home. The problem I have and the reason I have posted on the site is that I can't see where the leak is even with the fairing off though I am convinced it is the radiator as this is where most of the water is however there is no visible damage e.g. stone chip etc

Does anyone know of any manufacture problems? Like I say the bike is under 12 months old and has only done 2700 miles, would appreciate some help

My worry is that I take it to the dealer who is 80 miles away and they put it down to stone damage, charge me £300 plus labour for a new one! Which if it is my fault I will source one and fit it myself at a quarter of the cost. Second question can anyone tell me the best place to look for a replacement after Ebay?


Martin:angry
 
Hi mate i had the same problem and i found that the top bracket that hold,s it on split around the the spot weld so i weldid it all round and its fine now
 
I will take it off tomorrow and have a look, though I would think that if this is the case then the warranty should cover it?
 
Right everyone I have took the fairing off and can I spot the leak bollocks no, all I can see is water / steam across the top of the radiator but no visible damage! Question is what do I do call the dealer risk the cost of £100 transportation, £350 for a radiator plus £200 labour to fit it! Or do I buy a new one off Ebay at £200 and go through the hassle of fitting one myself only to find its crap workmanship by Aprilia thats to blame! Point is I believe the worse in people in particular dealers and think I will be ripped off either way, so as it looks it may be the end of my Aprilia relationship hence Jap bike trade in is calling
 
Put a litre of water in ya ruck sack and take it for a ragging with the fairing off;
check it every 10 miles or so.
Are you sure its not coming from a loose hose band?

or have you washed it recently with a hose and water has stayed in the air duct and drained down when you have taken it for a spin.

ps bit of a wanky reply but who knows
 
Defo not coming from standing water, you can see steam from radiator just gearing myself to be ripped off! "Sorry mate stone damage bla bla!"

Thing that p*sses me off is that I own a Ducati also and have had every problem known to man with that thing and always prided myself an the other bike in my life being sound! I now find myself putting the 1995 916 as top bike! (Always in looks)


please help me
 
If you feel that you're getting ripped off mate ask to see the damaged part and if in doubt as to the cause of the problem ask to keep it.

More than likely they will ask why you want the part, tell them you're submitting it for an independent inspection to determine the cause of failure.

I use these guys at work DEKRA and find them to be very good at giving honest opinions, an inspection will cost around £80 but if they find in your favour then make a move on the business to recoup the inspection fee too as well as the monies paid for the repair that should have been done under warranty.

The reason many businesses want to decline warranty repairs is purely financial, warranty parts and labour rates are usually lower than retail rates.

minty70uk said:
Defo not coming from standing water, you can see steam from radiator just gearing myself to be ripped off! "Sorry mate stone damage bla bla!"

Thing that p*sses me off is that I own a Ducati also and have had every problem known to man with that thing and always prided myself an the other bike in my life being sound! I now find myself putting the 1995 916 as top bike! (Always in looks)


please help me
Click to expand...
 
Why have you taken it all apart? A simple trip to an Aprilia dealer for assessment on warranty would have been the way to go. If you're sure there's no stone damage and the bike has never been down, then this is what your warranty is for
 
an't chance it to dealer as the nearest one is 90 mile away, will call them tomorrow and see what the craic is

PS I thought about radweld but I suppose I would always be unsure of the bike
 
try and get a pressure tester, pump it up to about 1 bar and if there's a leak you will see where from.
 
If you can definitely SEE it and it is the radiator, take it to the dealer without taking it apart any further. They may claim you caused it.

If you cannot tell for certain where it is coming from, look closely at the hose bands. Those bands are pure crap, the very first thing that packed up on me. They are well known for this. I hope your radiator is good. Buy a handful of the 20-30mm size, the good ones with the rolled edges, and replace all you see as well as the ones you don't. It is only a matter of time before they let you down.

When topping off the cooling system, don't forget to bleed the air out of it.

Good luck and :cheers !!
 
Update

Right guy's I got the bike to an Aprilia dealer in Preston and it has been confirmed that it it the bracket at the top that is leaking so warranty will cover it! The downside is that they have had to order a new radiator and the dealer did inform me it could be a long wait as Aprilia are not renowned for speed in delivering parts:mad:

Anyway luckily I have a Ducati 916 which has done more miles in the last two weeks than it did last year! But I think the battery is on it's way out as it is failing to hold a charge and I had new rectifier / regulator on it less than a 1000 miles back, does anyone know the best place online to purchase a battery?
 
This is the same problem i had but i can ali weld so i did all the way around the bracket must be a floor on the rad
 
It's amazing my mate brother had the same problem several years ago yet my bike is a 2008 model and they haven't addressed corrective action to ensure future production is not effected!

Mate of mine worked in an electronic company many moons ago and they had an order for some circuit boards from a other Italian bike manufacturer (Can't say who may get sued), anyway the company were struggling to achieve the spec that wasrequired and thus fell behind with the orders so the bike manufacturer sent a rep over to the Welsh company. During a tour of production the rep noticed a pile of their product in quarantine bins which were defective and guess what they cut a deal to buy the product in a defective state! Must be an Italian thing.

PS The Japs or Germans wouldn't dream of it
 
Still awaiting my RSV and kind of resigned myself that I ain't gonna see it for a while which p***es me off as I haven't even got a coutesy bike on something that is their fault not mine. Just out of curiosity I shall be seeking some kind of compensation from Aprilia even if it's just the cost of my rail tickets which is £40, no doubt I won't stand a chance on claiming petrol or loss of my bike anyway does anyone know how to contact Aprilia direct?

PS Forgot to add Preston superbikes have been spot on so far considering I never bought the bike there or had it serviced there either
 
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