► Bashplates, crash bars and other protection

[mystic]

BTW I would just like to echo other comments about these bars. I work in the steelwork fabrication business and have got to say that the quality and fit up of the bars is superb. So top marks Adv Spec

+1 professionally packed, clear fitting instructions, in short an excellent product! Thank you Adventure-Spec!

 

[lilgs]

Hi all,

these SW Motech crash bars, are these wounted with the OEM BMW bashplate? or TT..


i like these crash bars and can't get any until Feb..

 

[lilgs]

Shed some light on the subject

I got mine installed this weekend. I followed the excellent directions exactly, that is, order of inserting and tightening the bolts included. I'd been riding through mud at times during my first 1000 miles, and found I needed to test fit the bolts in all the holes prior to hanging the bars off the top 100mm bolt. I had a bit of trouble with the aft lower bolt on the right side, but loosened the 100mm bolt to "in (only) a few turns" as suggested in the directions, and it went in fine after a couple tries.

Here is a link to some pics and more thoughts: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8535180&postcount=33

I did not use Loctite. Kinda wishing I had, but it wasn't in the directions.... Wonky, what's your take on that?

Rob in Seattle

Hi Rob in Seattle,

A Little time has passed on now, if you dont mind expressing your opinion on the ADV S Crash bars. Hoping you have covered a few miles have you found the bars to be in your way? or any other pros/cons. They appear to be really well built but are a little bulky on the side view. can you shed some light on the subject now having them fitted to help us fellow GSers who can't seem to make up their minds...

thank you

 

[robhar54]

Hi Rob in Seattle,

A Little time has passed on now, if you dont mind expressing your opinion on the ADV S Crash bars. Hoping you have covered a few miles have you found the bars to be in your way? or any other pros/cons. They appear to be really well built but are a little bulky on the side view. can you shed some light on the subject now having them fitted to help us fellow GSers who can't seem to make up their minds...

Greetings from Seattle, lilgs.

I don't have a lot to report, as we had a huge snowstorm that shut down the city shortly after I fitted the bars and I haven't gotten out with them much. I haven't fallen over yet, so can't report on that. They certainly look as though they'll work well. I can say that when I am sitting in the cradle, right up against the faux tank, my knees are closer to the bars than I'd like. I occasionally bump them just in casual riding. Of course I'm wearing gear with kneepads, so probably not an issue, but I can imagine banging into them in a sudden stop. Might be other things to worry about though, in that case. They are wider than some other bars, but may afford more protection for feet and lower legs because of that. There has also been the suggestion that an aftermarket aux tank (similar to the one for the Xchallenge from TT) might fit inside the bars. That would be cool.

I saw the Touratech bars on the TT fully-farkled bike at the Seattle Cycle World show, and was impressed with them, from the standpoint of being less obtrusive visually, and most probably lighter. With the extensions, they wrap around the front of the radiator more, which might give more protection there. Haven't seen pics of them holding up a bike yet though either.

Edit: Here's a pic of the TT bars:

I'd love to hear wonky's take on the factors he took into account designing the bars.

Rob in Seattle

 

[Wizard]

I saw the Touratech bars on the TT fully-farkled bike at the Seattle Cycle World show, and was impressed with them, from the standpoint of being less obtrusive visually, and most probably lighter. With the extensions, they wrap around the front of the radiator more, which might give more protection there. Haven't seen pics of them holding up a bike yet though either.

You haven't looked hard enough

TT bars are about the best balance of size and protection that I've seen, but they could do with a crossbar on the extension pieces to stop them folding in. Still, better than bashing the radiator directly onto a rock

 

[lilgs]

Greetings from Seattle, lilgs.

I don't have a lot to report, as we had a huge snowstorm that shut down the city shortly after I fitted the bars and I haven't gotten out with them much. I haven't fallen over yet, so can't report on that. They certainly look as though they'll work well. I can say that when I am sitting in the cradle, right up against the faux tank, my knees are closer to the bars than I'd like. I occasionally bump them just in casual riding. Of course I'm wearing gear with kneepads, so probably not an issue, but I can imagine banging into them in a sudden stop. Might be other things to worry about though, in that case. They are wider than some other bars, but may afford more protection for feet and lower legs because of that. There has also been the suggestion that an aftermarket aux tank (similar to the one for the Xchallenge from TT) might fit inside the bars. That would be cool.

I saw the Touratech bars on the TT fully-farkled bike at the Seattle Cycle World show, and was impressed with them, from the standpoint of being less obtrusive visually, and most probably lighter. With the extensions, they wrap around the front of the radiator more, which might give more protection there. Haven't seen pics of them holding up a bike yet though either.

Edit: Here's a pic of the TT bars:


I'd love to hear wonky's take on the factors he took into account designing the bars.

Rob in Seattle

Hi again Rob,
How tall are you for these to be an issue? im 5'5" so i struggle to fit on the GS as it is..

Inoticed you have the BMW handgaurds, how are these mounted and are you happy with them? are they strong?.. they are expensive btu you dont mind paying the $$$ if the qaulity is there.


thanks again,
lilgs

 

[lilgs]

Hi all,
Is there any other members who purchased the ADV S crash bars with any opinions?

these do look like they will protect well but i must admit they are very wide. this is important to allow for an impact in a crush zone however you would think they wouldnt move 2".. any thoughts on this? do they need to be this wide? or are the not that bad and the photos just dont these bars justice..

thanks, Lilgs

 

[Aretsukusu]

Hi all,
Is there any other members who purchased the ADV S crash bars with any opinions?

these do look like they will protect well but i must admit they are very wide. this is important to allow for an impact in a crush zone however you would think they wouldnt move 2".. any thoughts on this? do they need to be this wide? or are the not that bad and the photos just dont these bars justice..

thanks, Lilgs

Hi Lilgs,
The bars are a really excellent piece of kit and aren't too wide at all. I thought so at first, but now i don't notice them at all. See what you think of these.





As for the 2" crush zone, I recently dropped mine straight flat over when my foot slipped off the centre stand (couldn't have done a better job if i'd just pushed it over).

The impact was taken by the crash bars, hand guards & pannier, minor scratches to the latter, but the bars took the brunt of it and bent very slightly at the top where they struck, with no signs of movement around the engine mountings.

Considering this was as low speed as it could be (and there is only so much you can do with mild steel), the clearance is definitely appropriate. IMO, they paid for themselves right there. Wonky's team dont do things by halves and produce well engineered solutions. Next on my list is their bashplate.

Hope this helps you with your decision.

Cheers,

A.

 

[everywherevirtually]

Hi all,
Is there any other members who purchased the ADV S crash bars with any opinions?

these do look like they will protect well but i must admit they are very wide. this is important to allow for an impact in a crush zone however you would think they wouldnt move 2".. any thoughts on this? do they need to be this wide? or are the not that bad and the photos just dont these bars justice..

thanks, Lilgs

I believe the bars are a little wider to accommodate tank bags such as the Wolfman series http://www.wolfmanluggage.com/Tank/TankPanniers.html
and also I believe in the not too distant future there will be an expedition fuel tank for the 800GS and so the bars would also accommodate this too. As their names suggests they are "Adventure Spec"

An added bonus is that they give the bike real presence I find. .

When viewed on the bike they are in fact quite subtle side on. They look as if they came with the bike. The quality, build and attention to detail is second to none. These are the best my friend.

 

[lilgs]

Hi Lilgs,
The bars are a really excellent piece of kit and aren't too wide at all. I thought so at first, but now i don't notice them at all. See what you think of these.

*Have removed photos to save loading time*

As for the 2" crush zone, I recently dropped mine straight flat over when my foot slipped off the centre stand (couldn't have done a better job if i'd just pushed it over).

The impact was taken by the crash bars, hand guards & pannier, minor scratches to the latter, but the bars took the brunt of it and bent very slightly at the top where they struck, with no signs of movement around the engine mountings.

Considering this was as low speed as it could be (and there is only so much you can do with mild steel), the clearance is definitely appropriate. IMO, they paid for themselves right there. Wonky's team dont do things by halves and produce well engineered solutions. Next on my list is their bashplate.

Hope this helps you with your decision.

Cheers,

A.

brilliant, thank you.. perfect.

this is the info i needed, someone who has had a fall (even if it wasnt your fault) and who can elaborate the outcome.

i really cant fault the barwork by the photos i was more concerned by the width.

Thank you

 

[lilgs]

I believe the bars are a little wider to accommodate tank bags such as the Wolfman series http://www.wolfmanluggage.com/Tank/TankPanniers.html
and also I believe in the not too distant future there will be an expedition fuel tank for the 800GS and so the bars would also accommodate this too. As their names suggests they are "Adventure Spec"


An added bonus is that they give the bike real presence I find. .

When viewed on the bike they are in fact quite subtle side on. They look as if they came with the bike. The quality, build and attention to detail is second to none. These are the best my friend.

Thank you for this information,

i have taken this into consideration and agree..

Wonky.... Hoooook me up!!

i think these will be one of those things, they will all do a great job but its personal preference. these look great and obviously work, so i may aswell just get some and then i can see for myself..


thank you all.. appreciate your kind words..

cheers, Lilgs

 

[robhar54]

Hi again Rob,
How tall are you for these to be an issue? im 5'5" so i struggle to fit on the GS as it is..

Inoticed you have the BMW handgaurds, how are these mounted and are you happy with them? are they strong?.. they are expensive btu you dont mind paying the $$$ if the qaulity is there.

Ah--I'm 6'-2", with a lot of that height in my upper legs, so I'm a bit of a freak in that respect. (Probably other aspects too....) So won't be an issue for you.

I should be clear--I'm an architect, and horribly picky about design. I drive myself crazy at times. Creates all sorts of problems with my wallet too. That's why I have Metal Mule panniers--looked around, carefully considered, and felt for my purposes they were the best out there, and couldn't bring myself to settle for less. Same goes for the Adv-Spec bars. I think they're the best protection out there, and I chose to go for what I think is the better function over the more elegant TT bars. It's all speculation at this point. I suspect as more of us get some miles on these bikes the best approach will become clearer.

I had the BMW handguards on my Xchallenge, and definitely field tested them.... So I went that route for my F800GS as well. The downside of them for me is that (at least the way I have them now) I can't lower the angle of the levers enough to get the proper angle for standing up. If I rotate the bars down enough to get the levers in the right place, the handguards no longer provide the wind protection I want. Also, I've got some nerve thing going on that makes me particularly susceptible to vibration, and I have noticed some additional vibration since I fitted them. I think that could be because the stock steel bar ends are replaced with lighter aluminum ones. I am going to try the Touratech guards next.

Rob in Seattle

 

[maddaddy]

That's a big bitch!

Rob,

At 5'7" I find the crash bars touching my knees when I shift myself around making tight slow turns. I could see how you have a concern with your freakish legs. For the price and protection they are hard to beat. You can always find a new home for them at the end of the summer.

Greg
Olympia, WA

Ah--I'm 6'-2", with a lot of that height in my upper legs, so I'm a bit of a freak in that respect. (Probably other aspects too....) So won't be an issue for you.

I should be clear--I'm an architect, and horribly picky about design. I drive myself crazy at times. Creates all sorts of problems with my wallet too. That's why I have Metal Mule panniers--looked around, carefully considered, and felt for my purposes they were the best out there, and couldn't bring myself to settle for less. Same goes for the Adv-Spec bars. I think they're the best protection out there, and I chose to go for what I think is the better function over the more elegant TT bars. It's all speculation at this point. I suspect as more of us get some miles on these bikes the best approach will become clearer.

I had the BMW handguards on my Xchallenge, and definitely field tested them.... So I went that route for my F800GS as well. The downside of them for me is that (at least the way I have them now) I can't lower the angle of the levers enough to get the proper angle for standing up. If I rotate the bars down enough to get the levers in the right place, the handguards no longer provide the wind protection I want. Also, I've got some nerve thing going on that makes me particularly susceptible to vibration, and I have noticed some additional vibration since I fitted them. I think that could be because the stock steel bar ends are replaced with lighter aluminum ones. I am going to try the Touratech guards next.

Rob in Seattle

 

[LurkerLance]

I've got a different issue with the crash bars. I've sat on a few f800s the past few weeks (mine is on order but coming in March). I'm over 6' tall and my legs run over the part of the frame many of these bars are secured to the frame. My knees sit just behind the where the fairing flares out around the rad. If I mount the crashbars my knees will be about 1/2 inch above where the bars flare out around the fairing. Any decent bump or if I shift forward in the seat I'll be smashing my knees down on the steel tubes of the crash bars.

I'm considering buying a set of the metal mules and having a local metal fab person cut the mounting brackets so they dip out of the way more. Most of the manufactures have built decent looking solutions here but beyond the looks I'm thinking a number of people will be banging knees and shins in the coming year.

Anyone else have experience with this or solutions? I've got a welder or two that are up for the frankenjob but would prefer to find an existing setup if possible.

 

[blueback]

I believe the bars are a little wider to accommodate tank bags such as the Wolfman series http://www.wolfmanluggage.com/Tank/TankPanniers.html
and also I believe in the not too distant future there will be an expedition fuel tank for the 800GS and so the bars would also accommodate this too. As their names suggests they are "Adventure Spec"

An added bonus is that they give the bike real presence I find. .

When viewed on the bike they are in fact quite subtle side on. They look as if they came with the bike. The quality, build and attention to detail is second to none. These are the best my friend.

Woowe where did those panniers come from

 

[everywherevirtually]

Woowe where did those panniers come from

They are Ortlieb Motorcycle panniers. Soft of course and very light. They have a stiff plastic insert to keep them in shape and there are no zips to break. Just roll the tops over a few times and they are 100% waterproof.

I did need to add more Velcro so that they would fit across the wide rear end. Personally I love them. Lightness is everything. I've posted more photos on the link below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/everywherevirtually/


I bought these particular panniers in the UK at:

http://www.sailgb.com/p/ortlieb_motorcycle_saddle_bag/

cheers

Jon

 

[ElGuero]

Hmmmm.....

Does anyone have pictures of any of these crash bars attached to the 650? I didn't think it would matter much until I saw those South African bars on the 800 and 650 next to each other. They look great on the 800... but not as natural on the 650. Not that I'm confessing to being a wh*re for looks or anything...

Also, as mentioned earlier in this thread, someone commented on how the BMW alum plate offers good protection for the cat... The AS is obviously far higher overall quality, but does its protection extend that far back?

Thanks!

 

[everywherevirtually]

The AS is obviously far higher overall quality, but does its protection extend that far back?

Thanks!

Heres your answer

 

[robhar54]

Heres your answer

Hey Jon,

Did you snap photos of the other side, showing how well the A-S bars keep the plastic protected? Curious about that, haven't tipped mine on its side yet.

Still waitin' for Wonky's thoughts on the non-coverage of the cat. I'm sure they've got a good reason it doesn't go back as far as the TT plate...

Rob in Seattle

PS. lilgs, handguard pics coming!

 

[sijohnston]

Hey Jon,

Did you snap photos of the other side, showing how well the A-S bars keep the plastic protected? Curious about that, haven't tipped mine on its side yet.

Still waitin' for Wonky's thoughts on the non-coverage of the cat. I'm sure they've got a good reason it doesn't go back as far as the TT plate...

Rob in Seattle

PS. lilgs, handguard pics coming!

i would go for wonky's bash plate if i had to do it again. i know that my BMW plate has cracked along one of the welds but because i 'altered' the plate in powder coating it (which technically should only help it!), they won't replace it under warranty. I'm pretty sure chrisjk's has done this too.