fastdruid wrote:I just use warm water and some washing up liquid.

Druid

yep some hot water and some bike degreaser,can't remember the brand,two days it sat in the bucket and afterwards i was shocked to see how much crap was in the bottom....mental note,if i'm going to ride my bike more often ,i'll need to clear the rad more often than i have ....

You can also get 'radiator combs' to help straigten the fins which can work well with a little time and patience.

as long as you can't see water coming out of the hoses they are probably fine.

It's worth checking the water pump too as you have the bike in pieces! just remove the cover and have a look at it, it can be a bit stiff to split.. dont' take it out of the engine unless you drain the oil first!

The blades should be ok and it should turn if you crank the engine.

Flush out the engine with a running hosepipe till the water comes out clear.. same with the rads, stick the hose in both ends too to change the water flow.

When you refil it, 50/50 antifreeze / distilled water.

Fill it to the top and run the bike on the side-stand until it's warm and the thermostat opens, snap the throttle to 5000rpm a few times to purge any remaining air and leave it to cool down... top the coolant up and put the cap on.

Would it be better to get them ultrasonically cleaned?

katana wrote:Would it be better to get them ultrasonically cleaned?

Yes it would but that costs money (unless you happen to have a large enough ultrasonic tank). If you have use of one then go ahead.

Druid