1200 GS, best head protection.. Covers or Bars?

They sell replacement bolts?... because the first ones were no good?...
 
yes.. aesthetics.. but also not really bothered about the drop test.. its more the slide down the road.. and the BMW ones appear to do well in that

Notwithstanding the much higher likelihood of dropping your bike whilst stationary or paddling it around, particularly when your not yet used to it, I wonder how you're gonna manage to slide down the road with your bike on its side without dropping it? My money would still be on the X-heads in a slide over those BMW ones, as other YouTube contributions also attest.
 
How easy is it to remove and replace the X-heads? Can it be done in a couple of minutes?

Yeah, the whole fitting job first time around is less than ten mins for both sides, so no great shakes second time around. If you're taking the lids off, hardly any longer whether you have X-heads or not I'd have thought.
 
The only downside to the X-Heads is that they don't sell them individually, so if you damage one, then you have to buy a new set but then I suppose this is the same for the BMW branded jobbies? :nenau
 
The only downside to the X-Heads is that they don't sell them individually, so if you damage one, then you have to buy a new set but then I suppose this is the same for the BMW branded jobbies? :nenau

I would imagine individual sides are sought after second hand then ...
 
As asked above.. Do BMW ever have 'sales' on these things?

Also.. Givi ones on E-bat are cheaper?... any good??
 
I might have to just bite the bullet and give those Machine Art replacement bolts a go.

Lost me on the replacement bolt issue, as you use the original bolt, and screw that holds the sparkplug cover, and they just give one extra screw for underneath, I just installed my X-Heads and it was no problem at all as long as you start all the bolts with your fingers at the beginning, and tighten the big bolt with the rubber seal to 10nm, just took me a bit more time as had to loosen Wunderlich engine bars to install the X-Heads, and then use an extra washer or 2 to push the bars off the X-head, I have about 1mm clearance now between bars and X-heads.
 
Lost me on the replacement bolt issue, as you use the original bolt, and screw that holds the sparkplug cover, and they just give one extra screw for underneath, I just installed my X-Heads and it was no problem at all as long as you start all the bolts with your fingers at the beginning, and tighten the big bolt with the rubber seal to 10nm, just took me a bit more time as had to loosen Wunderlich engine bars to install the X-Heads, and then use an extra washer or 2 to push the bars off the X-head, I have about 1mm clearance now between bars and X-heads.
You get 2 small T25 torx screws to go on the bottom and you also get 2 new long T50 torx bolts. You have to take the washer and seal off the old ones and transfer them to the new longer bolts. I thought you're not supposed to use the original bolts as they'll be too short :nenau

https://machineartmoto.com/wp-conte...Head-LC-Installation-Guide-REV4-5-15-17-1.pdf
 
You get 2 small T25 torx screws to go on the bottom and you also get 2 new long T50 torx bolts. You have to take the washer and seal off the old ones and transfer them to the new longer bolts. I thought you're not supposed to use the original bolts as they'll be too short :nenau

https://machineartmoto.com/wp-conte...Head-LC-Installation-Guide-REV4-5-15-17-1.pdf

I see what you mean, but if you look at their video, you use original T50 and original T25, and you get only an extra screw for underneath.....

 
I've got both head covers and bars. Look great. Survived rollovers and also protruding object strikes. Altrider bars + Wunderlich covers.
 
I see what you mean, but if you look at their video, you use original T50 and original T25, and you get only an extra screw for underneath.....
Interesting. I can only assume between the video coming out in 2014 and the revised instructions from 2017 they decided to start supplying newer longer bolts. They even show it on the photo on their site. I might shoot them an email and enquire.

2-XHead_LC3-710x320.jpg
 
Mine came with the additional T50 bolts. Only about 3mm longer. After reading about problems with the shearing, fitted the originals. No issues in 6000 miles and one drop directly on the left side.
 
Yep all interesting reading, and if the only difference is 3mm I cannot see what difference it would make, and why they gave extra T50 bolts, unless people where installing and not using a torque wrench at 10nm and shearing the bolts, anyway I have the original bolts in mine, only installed 2 days ago, as bought mine from this parish, and only got 1 screw like in picture.
 
Personally I'm now inclined to use the original bolt like you have as the supplied ones seem to be made of butter. Especially if no one else is having issues with them. :beerjug:

The response I got from them is:

Regarding the T50 bolts supplied, they are 3.5mm longer to compensate for the addition thickness of the X-Head. It is possible to use the OEM bolt but you run the risk of over tightening it and causing a gasket leak because the short bolt does not seat against its stop and it is easy to crush the gasket. We recommend using the supplied bolt.
 
Personally I'm now inclined to use the original bolt like you have as the supplied ones seem to be made of butter. Especially if no one else is having issues with them. :beerjug:

The response I got from them is:

Regarding the T50 bolts supplied, they are 3.5mm longer to compensate for the addition thickness of the X-Head. It is possible to use the OEM bolt but you run the risk of over tightening it and causing a gasket leak because the short bolt does not seat against its stop and it is easy to crush the gasket. We recommend using the supplied bolt.

Cheers for that answer, I tightened finger tight as in the video, then torqued to 10nm, seems fine, lets see later if anyone has had a gasket leak.
 


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