Radiator Cleaning 2020RT

[upsdoctor]

Has anyone successfully cleaned the radiators on a 2020RT? I tried using compressed air from the back of the radiator to push dirt and bugs out. It didn't do much. The fans cover most of the back of the radiator, so I am wonder if I need to take those off?

[Valkrocket]

Spyder grills are bug and leaf magnets. PIA to remove debris and clean. The name of the BRP engineer who designed them was Marquis de sade.
If anyone finds an easy way to clean them please post.

[bikerbillone]

Had the same problem on my 2020, I squirted some car wash in from the front to allow bugs/debris to soften, then come in from the back side with some water pressure, repeat as necessary. After I got it clean to satisfaction, I installed grills, now that takes some patience.

[Mikey]

Had the same problem on my 2020, I squirted some car wash in from the front to allow bugs/debris to soften, then come in from the back side with some water pressure, repeat as necessary. After I got it clean to satisfaction, I installed grills, now that takes some patience.

Did it stop the problem with the bugs?

[bikerbillone]

Oh yeah, no more in the fins, easy job to get to the grills if they need a bug clean. Anything that might get through the fins, and I haven't found anything yet, can be cleaned with some water pressure from the rear I would think. Yeah, grills is doing the job for me. Could I have continued without the grills? Sure, just makes life easier with the grills. Love bugs in FL is this month, so we shall see how it goes. If they re out big time, I usually don't do much riding. Those things are a nightmare especially if ya don't clean them off promptly after the ride.

[EdMat]

Has anyone successfully cleaned the radiators on a 2020RT? I tried using compressed air from the back of the radiator to push dirt and bugs out. It didn't do much. The fans cover most of the back of the radiator, so I am wonder if I need to take those off?

Be very careful using any type compressed air or pressure washer. The fins are thin and bend over easily causing worst problem than the bugs. You can use hydrogen peroxide/water mix to spray on and soften (decompose) the bug particles so they can be rinsed out with a garden hose. Also several products you can find at Auto Zone, Pep Boys, etc that do the same thing.

[bikerbillone]

Thanks Ed, I should have mentioned that, I just use the regular garden hose with light pressure.

[Pooch]

Bill.. which vendor did you purchase the grills from?

[bikerbillone]

Can-Am Spyder Accessories, the Canadian guy, not cheap, $130 for both sides. There are other vendors on this forum that sell them. I think Value Accessories, maybe SpyderPops, or Lamonster. I've been satisfied with Spyder Accessories, but you might want to explore others. Be cautions with the installation, they have a tendency to bend if forced, try and find a You Tube that shows the install, might help.

[teninospyder]

Can-Am Spyder Accessories, the Canadian guy, not cheap, $130 for both sides. There are other vendors on this forum that sell them. I think Value Accessories, maybe SpyderPops, or Lamonster. I've been satisfied with Spyder Accessories, but you might want to explore others. Be cautions with the installation, they have a tendency to bend if forced, try and find a You Tube that shows the install, might help.

Got mine last week from Lamonster. Not that bad a job to install

[EdMat]

I should have added that the version of cleaner that I prefer is SeaFoam Bugs B Gone

[Papa103]

I spray the bugs with solvent to soften the bugs then rinse with garden hose till clean. I'm not a fan of grill guards with smaller holes to stop bugs and air flow.

[bikerbillone]

I was concerned about air flow as well. I had a conversation with two tech's about it, they both felt it was perfectly OK. I've had my grills installed for 4K miles now, the heat indicator has not wavered from before the grills were installed. I am comfortable with them. If there comes a time when I'm not, I'll remove them immediately.

[Pooch]

For the 2020-21 RTL:

Has anyone purchased the grilles that have the pattern of the spyder body cut out in the grille?
I see these for sale on canamspyderaccessories.com. (Pierre... in Quebec)


If so, does the hole that forms the body of the spyder let in a lot of bugs/debris... thus having to remove the grille and clean behind it a lot?
I'm trying to avoid doing this very often.

Thanks...

[bikerbillone]

Installing those grills are not simple and easy, at least they were not for me. I would not want to be removing and reinstalling.

[Pooch]

Installing those grills are not simple and easy, at least they were not for me. I would not want to be removing and reinstalling.

Bill... did you get the all-mesh grilles... similar to the Kott grilles? No spyder body or RT symbols on them?

[bikerbillone]

I got the grills with RT cutouts, but the 'air distance' in the openings are no larger that than the 'air distance' in the grills. One exception, the 'long distance in the R & T will be larger, but I don't see that as a bug problem. Last time I used the led 'light' from the front, it looked nice and clean in there, including the rad fins. Now, if I was concerned, I'd just use a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide through the back side to loosen the bug bodies, or whatever, and give it a 'light' garden hose pressure from the rear to blow the parts out.

[JayBros]

Spyderpops KOTT Grilles were one of the first three farkles I added to my Spyder the weekend I brought it home. IMO, the Kott Grilles do the best job of keeping bugs out of the radiators. I've removed mine three times in 74K miles to clean out the few critters that made it to the radiator fins. Again IMO, the grills with a large spider on them or large RT look nice but the holes in them are larger than the KOTT Grilles, ergo, they're going to allow more bugs past. YMMV.

[bikerbillone]

Thumbs up on your comment, let us not forget air flow which I don't think is a problem. The choices are out there, get grill and pop it in, I say don't over think it, bugs are a hassle. Especially here in sunny Florida, September is love bug month, I can tell you, those things are a mess if you don't have something to keep them out of the rad fins.

[RayBJ]

I too went with the KOTT grills for the same reason. The stamped grills look nice but have bigger openings. In 15k miles, I had to take them off once to remove an Ohio cicada that found a way past the KOTT to the radiator fins. There is a gap where the painted blades stick past the grills.

I also installed the small KOTTs in the upper fairing vents. Was yet another place to vacuum leaves into the vast inners of the RT.

[Chasdog]

After looking at the price of the Kott grills and seeing they were a hassle to install , I purchased hardware cloth which is basically a screen with larger holes and more rigid than screen. Made some cardboard cutouts and cut the grill guards out and used some small zip ties to hold em in. Easy Peary and it definitely catches the bugs.