Confounded Hose Clamps

Hose clamps are one of those inventions that make everything better and worse.

In the photo to the left, that's coolant, not Pepto-Bismol (at least, so I hope) leaking out and down the radiator.

I thought the bike had been running a little warm lately. Yesterday I discovered a little pink puddle under the Triumph, had a small heart attack (what the hell liquid is PINK?), located the problem and calmed down a bit.

It seems the problem was just a loose hose clamp. I tightened it up, and we'll see if that was the extent of the problem after I get some more coolant in there.

Hose clamps seem to cause a great number of vehicular difficulties for me. Maybe it's just the daily temperature extremes here in the desert, but those suckers work loose like no one's business. On the VX800, tightening the hose clamp keeping the fuel line on was a weekly maintenance item. I have to tighten a couple hose clamps on the Mustang every oil change to prevent losing all our power steering fluid (and steering). And now this thing.

On the one hand, I like leaks caused by hose clamps because they're very easy to fix. At least, compared to a bad gasket. On the other hand, can't someone find a way to keep hose clamps tight? I mean, I tightened that sucker once, it ought to stay tight.

Maybe I ask too much.