crash bars advice Pleeeeezzzeee

[Johnwhit]

dudes,
on a very tight budget , whats the best place/price to get engine bars for a 1150gs ???
loking for something even second hand.
I read some arnt that good and make the bike tip onto the clocks (Waaa!)
if it falls over
any help or advice apreciated
cheers
John

 

[andybharris]

a decent secondhand set on ebay can go for over £90, motoworks list secondhand sets in for £80ish but sell them new for £134, not cheap but a damn sight cheaper then replacing the broken/damaged parts resulting from a fall. i only have the cylinder head protectors on my 1150gs mind

 

[ian6760]

John.
I can't give advice on where to buy them from, but I've got the Hepco and Becker bars on mine. I've had 4 slow offs while green laning, and they have done their job each time, no damage to the bike. The down side to them is that you have to slacken the fixing bolt to give you a bit more space, so you can remove the rocker covers.

I think it is the OE GSA bars that can tip the bike onto the clocks in a spill IIRC.

Ian

 

[Mort]

I used SW motech on my 1100 and 1200's but never put them to the test (touch wood) but they fitted well.

 

[vzzzbuxt]

i have a set of 1150 cylinder head cover you can have.

im happy to just replace the rocker covers etc in the even of an accident- proven from previous and recent experience.

ive know bikes with engine bars fitted ( depending on engine bars mounting points) take the brunt of the fall/crash but cause more substancial damage to where they are mounted.

 

[John Armstrong]

I think it is the OE GSA bars that can tip the bike onto the clocks in a spill IIRC.

My impression too

 

[Steptoe]

BMW ADV crashbars tip the bike onto the tank and clocks, usually at anything over 25mph.

BMW standard crash bars only protect from front on soft impacts, if you lay it down they don't protect the rocker covers. Plus the early BMW bars have to be removed (which also means removing the tank) to drain the oil and change the filter as they're all one piece and attached to the sump.

H&B bars on most occasions have to be loosened off to remove rocker covers, and if you have to change the alternator belt don't expect to do it at the roadside and be on your way in 10 minutes. You'll be fecking about on your knees for hours.
And if it's a big impact bye bye gearbox/rear subframe lugs .

Motech crashbars are another bar that doesn't protect the rear of the rocker cover in a slide. And i can't be sure but they maybe the bars which have a support bar that runs across the top of the alternator cover which usually seizes in place, again causing grief if you need to replace the belt.


Be thankful you haven't got a 1200GSA, i had to replace all the crashbars and framework from a relatively minor bash, due to the impact on one side bending the otherside - they're joined up you see so they look nice but are lacking a bit in joined up thinking - and the cost was £1400 ( and bike still needed a rocker cover as well).

At that price for a sacrificial item ( maybe not such a bad design after all on the manufacturers part ) they should start selling crashbars to protect the crashbars

 

[ianboydsnr]

Steptoes guards, bit dearer to purchase, but cheaper in the long run, all crashbars are only any good at 0mph tip overs, and steptoes ones are easy to remove at service time

my H&B bars are in the garage corner, to much pain getting the covers on and off

 

[John Armstrong]

So it looks like crash bars were invented by BM etc as a money spinning exercise, once to pay for them, then again when the bike needs servicing and again if you drop it

Guess the fitment of the plastic ones and having a spare cover or two is the economic option

 

[Steptoe]

Steptoes guards,

I wasn't posting with those in mind, honest - just my experience of what i see and work on.

Some crashbars are very conveniant for stretching out and resting your legs on.

 

[DutchBryn]

Hello Neil, Any (paint!) suggestions - I want black-up a set of your castings -Will hopefully be collecting them next week..

B.

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

I wasn't posting with those in mind, honest - just my experience of what i see and work on.

Some crashbars are very conveniant for stretching out and resting your legs on.

I've been doing that recently Gets a few strange looks

 

[Johnwhit]

WOW thanks vzzbuxt for the offer of covers, I have the standard metal covers on the heads so I dont need them Very nice of you to offer to help , cheers mate.

thanks to everyone for the info !!
I was worried if I dropped it doing a u-turn it would kill the engine but it doesnt look like it will in a low speed topple without the bars.
I will still get a set it but probably not in such a rush
anyone got second hand sets for sale ???
cheers
John

 

[Raggitash]

Strange engine noise

Bit of info for you.
It might seem like common sense in hindsight but it did my head in for ages.

I have H&B bars on my bike and I've had it over a couple of times, usually the left side, but never at any great speed. After a 4500 mile trip recently the bike developed a noise that sounded like it may be the belt slapping about, it wasn’t.

I tried all sorts to find the fault over the next couple of weeks, cam chain, end float, tappets done, listening to gear box, clutch even looking at rear drive, No joy.

Then I fell off again but this time on the right. I picked myself up and when I pulled away the noise which had been getting worse, had gone.

Turned out to be the right side upper part of the crash bar was rubbing on the inside part of the tank.

If I had not been lucky enough to fall off, it would definitely have punctured the tank, ooh nasty.

Thought you might like to know.

Cheers
Raggi

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

These are the ones I have. Which ones are these please?

 

[John Armstrong]

These are the ones I have. Which ones are these please?

Looks like the BM GSA ones to me.

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

Thinking of taking them off for good now. Prefare the bike without them. might put on some of those suggested by steptoe.

 

[Trippy]

Thinking of taking them off for good now. Prefare the bike without them. might put on some of those suggested by steptoe.

Take them off there f*cking hopeless.

Drop the bike on the move and after grinding off your rocker cover they will flip the bike over and wreck your tank, bars and master cylinder etc.

Keep them on and after a 50 mph spill on a straight bit of road you too will have an estimate for £3000+.

 

[tailscookie]

crash bars

how much £? are steptoes covers £,thanks.or is any one got any for sale.

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

Take them off there f*cking hopeless.

Drop the bike on the move and after grinding off your rocker cover they will flip the bike over and wreck your tank, bars and master cylinder etc.

Keep them on and after a 50 mph spill on a straight bit of road you too will have an estimate for £3000+.

sobering words trippy. part of what I like about the bike is the expectation that during a 50mph slide along the road, the cylinder heads would take the brunt of it and wee'd slide until we
a stopped
b hit a wall
c got run over by a car in the mean time

never considered D. the bike flipping upside down.