Crashed it on ice

[Totoro]

I managed to sling my (non ABS) 1150GS up the road today when I hit some ice. One second i was braking (not hard), the next second the GS was sliding up the road on its side with me following . It was fairly low speed so I am ok and the bike is not too bad.

The cylinder head is scratched and the plastic protector is broken in two.

I was wondering if anyone knows of a product that can protect the heads better in a sliding crash? I think crash bars might of mad it worse. The stanton head guards on a previous thread look good but does anyone have experience of how they have worked in a slide?

Any advice would be welcome

 

[GSPeP]

MiGSel knows how they work ... twice already ...

No damage to the covers, only the Stantons scratched

 

[Geordie Steve]

Hi Totoro, sorry to hear about your get-off, glad there wasn't much damage done.
I was wondering why you thought that crash bars might have made it worse? I was looking at a 1200 parked outside Alan Jefferies a couple of months ago. The bike was fitted with Hepco & Becker crash bars, and it had clearly been slid along the road at a fair speed, I reckon 50mph or so. The right hand side had suffered a lot of damage (indicator, bar end and handguard, screen, bodywork, footpegs etc etc) but the rocker cover was completely unmarked. The crash bars had been ground down to about half their original thickness at the point of contact with the tarmac...

I was well impressed, and I've just ordered a set of H&B bars as a result. (I just KNOW I'm gonna drop it sooner or later )
Whether they do the job or not depends on the surface you drop the bike onto, I suppose... I might get a set of the new 1200 ADV headguards as well - they certainly look like they will do the job.
Steve.

 

[Totoro]

I was wondering why you thought that crash bars might have made it worse? QUOTE]

Its the way that the crash bars stick out. It just looks as if they could catch on something, rather than slide, or tip the bike to the front or rear as its sliding.

It looks like the H&B ones you saw did the job though.

Have you seen the stanton head guards? They look really tough. Expensive though - More than H&B bars I think.

 

[Geordie Steve]

I was wondering why you thought that crash bars might have made it worse? QUOTE]

Its the way that the crash bars stick out. It just looks as if they could catch on something, rather than slide, or tip the bike to the front or rear as its sliding.

It looks like the H&B ones you saw did the job though.

Have you seen the stanton head guards? They look really tough. Expensive though - More than H&B bars I think.

True... the bars seem to work really well in most situations, but every now and then you hear of a case where they did more harm than good. I'm really wanting the bars to protect against low-speed drops. You know, those embarrassing foot-in-a-pothole-at-the-traffic-lights sort of incidents.
And they make it a bit easier to pick it up again...
I'm also working on the sod's law priciple that if I spend loads of money on crash protection, I'll never drop the bike so I'll have wasted my money.

Had a look at the Stanton guards - if I could afford it I'd buy them, coz I reckon they're about the best there is. But at that price it just isn't going to happen I'm afraid...

 

[andy malton]

I managed to sling my (non ABS) 1150GS up the road today when I hit some ice. One second i was braking (not hard), the next second the GS was sliding up the road on its side with me following . It was fairly low speed so I am ok and the bike is not too bad.

The cylinder head is scratched and the plastic protector is broken in two.

I was wondering if anyone knows of a product that can protect the heads better in a sliding crash? I think crash bars might of mad it worse. The stanton head guards on a previous thread look good but does anyone have experience of how they have worked in a slide?

Any advice would be welcome

Holy shit it was someone off this board,I saw that accident real sorry I could not stop an 8 wheeler 32 ton up on that roundabout,but I saw you was ok another chap was just helping you up with it as I turned right into warren lane from tollgate.That road is covered in deisel/oil it's a barsteward, NOT FROM MY TRUCK THOUGH.I know there are at least 300 movements a day in and out of the two pits and cement works at the zoo end,so watch out,I'll keep an eye out for you I often see you around 7.15 am going past the pit.Glad your Ok Andy

 

[Totoro]

£87 for a bit of magnesium

Cheers Andy. Its a small world. I often see 2 trucks in convoy going the other way. I guess one of them is you.

I've taken ridden that route to work for a couple of years in all weathers and that roundabout has always been a bit slippy but seemed to be lethal that day.

Just found out that the magnesium rocker covers are about £87 and the plastic protector is £37. If I wanted to replace the 2 scratched indicators, handguard and mirror i'd be looking at another £100+.

I'm now a bit nervous about taking the bike if there is a chance of ice as I can't afford to keep paying out for a rocker cover and plastic protector.

The GS seems to be designed well though - It slides on its rocker cover, rear indicator and handguard/front indicator. I thought the body/ fuel tank might of been damaged but it was all untouched.

 

[newman7096]

I'd replace all the bits after winter just in case of any more offs!

I presume you've got a twin spark as the single spark covers are half that price!

Have you tried Motorworks...are they any cheaper?

 

[MiGSel]

Stantons are good, they saved my left valve cover twice already. Once on a roundabout diesel spill last year in France and once on another slide this year in the Ardennes. Both at low speed, I'd estimate 30-40 km/h.

First time it looked like this:

Second time it looked worse but I can't find a pic of it.
After some filing and a bit of black paint, it all looks fine again. Repair cost = zero.

I have also seen a few rather low speed spills off-road resulting in holes in the valve covers. Game over.

So I'm glad I spent 200 dollars on the Stantons

Cheers,
Michel