Author Topic: Radiator Sizeing.  (Read 3913 times)

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Offline stay`tee

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Radiator Sizeing.
« on: June 20, 2012, 03:06:59 AM »
I am doing some cosmetic modifications to the Kawasaki ZX12, and wish to install a smaller radiator in the standard position. Is there a formular to determine minimum radiator sizeing :?, how small would you recomend to go, but still retain enough cooling to run the long course :?
First Australian to ride a motorcycle over 200mph at Bonneville,,,

Offline stay`tee

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Re: Radiator Sizeing.
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2012, 01:57:20 AM »
monkey see, monkey do, huh,, :roll:
First Australian to ride a motorcycle over 200mph at Bonneville,,,

Offline maguromic

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Re: Radiator Sizeing.
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2012, 02:45:22 AM »
You should call PWR Performance Products in your neck of the woods.  They used to do our radiators when we ran in IMSA and were very helpful.  http://www.pwr.com.au/#/view=home/  IMO, two crucial things you need to think about is core density and fin count. The faster you go the tighter the fin count you want.  On core density the thicker a radiator gets, the less effective the rear part of the radiator  gets. It's an inverse squared, or 'law of diminishing returns' effect, due to the air flowing through it progressively getting hotter, and therefore cooling less effectively, the further it flows through the radiator. Tony
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Offline Koncretekid

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Re: Radiator Sizeing.
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2012, 06:37:26 AM »
Just some thoughts here, but you could try riding the bike with the fan switch disabled to see how fast you have to go to keep the temperature below the boiling point.  My guess is that at anything over 30mph, it will stay cool enough.  Then try blocking of part of the radiator with cardboard and duct tape and repeating the experiment.  After about 3 different trials, you should get some idea of exposed radiator area required by interpolation to the speed you expect to run.  Then try to find a small radiator and try it.  I'm assuming you have the luxury of riding your bike on public roads, which I do not with my A class bike.
Tom
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Offline stay`tee

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Re: Radiator Sizeing.
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2012, 06:17:07 AM »
Thankyou for the info and thoughts fellas,,, a cuppla formulas were suggested on another site that i asked the same question off, however, after spending the last week  trying to calculate a size, "its got me beat", :| (so many variables),,,  im now talking with the company recomended, PWR Performance Products, :-) :-)
First Australian to ride a motorcycle over 200mph at Bonneville,,,

Offline landspeedrich

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Re: Radiator Sizeing.
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2012, 09:06:07 PM »
Thankyou for the info and thoughts fellas,,, a cuppla formulas were suggested on another site that i asked the same question off, however, after spending the last week  trying to calculate a size, "its got me beat", :| (so many variables),,,  im now talking with the company recomended, PWR Performance Products, :-) :-)
     Remember in talking with one of the radiator companies the rule of thumb was one square inch of radiator per horsepower (aluminum radiator) Would seem a bit big for a bike :?      Rich