My radiator has two taken two serious hits to the grill from general road use. Both in the same area behind the wheel. It looks like stones are being picked up and thrown in the radiator. Well, one hit has punctured the core. This then leaks coolant and most of it ends up on the front wheel... not a good thing.
With the radiator off and after close inspection it is very obvious that this radiator is extremely thin walled (pursuing light weight bikes I guess) and as I have discovered, is fatally damaged very easily.
I bought a radiator guard on Monday from (
http://www.radguard.com.au) for $195 and I even fit some additional aluminum mesh behind it for additional protection (make sure the mesh you add allows plenty of airflow).
I don't know what the radiator costs but I am sure it is more than $195 and if it saves you from overheating and warping your head, crashing from coolant on the wheel, or just being stranded miles from anywhere... it is a tiny investment.