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How Long do Radiator Hoses Last?

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Txagharrison

Txagharrison

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Joined
Apr 9, 2006
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Location
Richmond, TX
First Name
Jim
Last Name
Harrison
Time to do the annual maintenance on my 2013 Honda NC700X with around 32,000 miles. I usually pull the radiator aside to check / adjust the valves. The hoses are 10 years old now, never had a problem and they look fine. Anybody have these fail, particularly on a Japanese bike? How long did they last? I'm thinking I should replace them this year. Appreciate any thoughts.
 
My Valkyrie is coming up on 24 years old since I bought it. (4/1/99) with 202,000 miles. All hoses are original except the vulnerable one on the very front. I hit a coyote a couple of years ago andit smashed that hose so it started a slow seep. I replaced it a month or two later.
 
Modern hoses are much better than those of 30-40 years ago.
My '94 GL1500 had the original hoses on it when I sold it recently with no signs of deterioration.
That said, it could have blown at any time for all I know.
 
If you have the opportunity to inspect the inside, that is sometimes the “hidden” failure. Common knowledge that weathering cracks are warning signs but the inside is a pretty harsh environment too.
 
Ive had hoses last 30 years and I’ve seen failures in a couple years , it’s all about who made the hose , every vacume hose on my jap bikes was rotted in a couple years but other bikes have never been a problem . In my shop I buy every hose that I could from Parker Hannifin and have had gas and fuel hoses for 40 years of use with no failures . I do not use any hose made in china , even a brand new garden hose is bad the first time you use it
 
If they aren't cracked, or when you squeeze them you don't find a soft spot, they should be fine. In the old days I would proactively change radiator hoses, thermostats, and fan belts on cars every 3 years or so, I saw too many busted ones in the gas station I worked at. These days I don't even think about them unless its time to change a timing chain or replace a radiator.
 
I really appreciate the comments. I've inspected the outside pretty closely and they look really good so I'm going to leave them be. At least I'll know that I won't suffer a case of "Infant Mortality" by installing new ones. That happened to me one time when I pro-actively changed the hoses on my washing machine. A day after installing new ones, one of them burst. Fortunately I was pretty close to catch it.
 
you didn’t need to bring up radiators , plastic chinese radiators are failing in less than 5 years and it seems that’s all that are out there these days , I had to have a radiator custom built for my forklift , 800 bucks worth but I will never need to replace it and I custom made silicon hoses for it . I’m thinking I would probably be money ahead to do that for my trucks too .
 
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