Engine bars for a 1150GSA.

[shakey]

Hi, I have a 2005 GSA, got it a couple of months ago. It was never fitted with engine bars. My last GSA had bars and they came in very handy a couple of times.
I have managed to track down an original set of bars that are in pretty good condition and want to fit them to the bike. The trouble that I'm having is it's not completely obvious where the rear top bar fits to the bike, especially on the off side.

Anyone that has removed/ fitted these bars, advice or better still, photos would be great.

Thanks

 

[MikeO]

Hi, I have a 2005 GSA, got it a couple of months ago. It was never fitted with engine bars. My last GSA had bars and they came in very handy a couple of times.
I have managed to track down an original set of bars that are in pretty good condition and want to fit them to the bike. The trouble that I'm having is it's not completely obvious where the rear top bar fits to the bike, especially on the off side.

Anyone that has removed/ fitted these bars, advice or better still, photos would be great.

Thanks

If they are the original Adv bars (stainless steel), the rear bolts fit on the front mounting bolts of the rear subframe. On one side there is a bracket on the bars, the other side you have to use a long extension for the socket to get down inside the bars to bolt them on.

This is what they look like fitted (assuming they are the same bars):

Sorry to say, they're pretty poor crashbars - they allowed both my rocker covers to get holed in a reasonably low speed off (including a flip when it hit the verge). Steptoe, I seem to remember, blamed them for causing damage/injury (can't remember the details). I would recommend Hepco & Becker (which you should be able to buy for the used price you'll get for a decent set of Adv bars), or doing without and just fitting Stanton/Steptoe head protectors, which is where I have ended up...

 

[mspenz]

I ditched my rusty engine bars for exactly the same reason as described by Mike 0. Now using Steptoe's alloy headguards and I think the bike looks better without engine bars anyway

 

[KevC]

Thinking of ditching the crashbars on my 1150GS (original BMW bars, which I believe are crap in a crash & make it a pain for oil changes) for either Steptoes headguards or the Stanton headguards

Q1) for Steptoe, is the price listed on the "GS Shop" per headgaurd or for a pair?

Q2) are Stanton headguards still available & if so, from where?

 

[Fanum]

Thinking of ditching the crashbars on my 1150GS (original BMW bars, which I believe are crap in a crash & make it a pain for oil changes) for either Steptoes headguards or the Stanton headguards

Q1) for Steptoe, is the price listed on the "GS Shop" per headgaurd or for a pair?

Q2) are Stanton headguards still available & if so, from where?

The price will be for a pair, and no, Stantons are no longer made, which is why Neil started doing his version.

 

[flatdog]

Ditto on Steptoes' pair.
Best by far.
Unobtrusive, strong, discreet and effective.

 

[MikeO]

Found some better pics...

 

[KevC]

Cheers guys
Ill order a set of Steptoes headguards

 

[KevC]

The GS shop website doesn't seem to be working quite right, won't save my address or allow me to view basket to order the headguards???
I know Steptoe has been ill recently, so maybe he isn't available at the moment.
Any other way of doing this?

 

[flatdog]

The GS shop website doesn't seem to be working quite right, won't save my address or allow me to view basket to order the headguards???
I know Steptoe has been ill recently, so maybe he isn't available at the moment.
Any other way of doing this?

If you send him a message on his Facebook?

 

[KevC]

The GS shop website is working ok now, so headguards ordered

 

[mspenz]

The GS shop website is working ok now, so headguards ordered

The headguards are excellent but be prepared to spend a little time on them before fitting as they are straight out of the casting and will need smoothing and sanding depending on how particular you are.
One of mine (LHS) seemed to be around half a hole out so I had to grind some material off the inside and re-shape the front hole slightly so that it would fit without being in hard contact with the rocker, I also just used beads of industrial silicon (let it set first) rather than using the rubber piping supplied.
Absolutely no hardship and well worth a little effort to smooth them off and they do make the bike look pretty menacing now

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

If they are the original Adv bars (stainless steel), the rear bolts fit on the front mounting bolts of the rear subframe. On one side there is a bracket on the bars, the other side you have to use a long extension for the socket to get down inside the bars to bolt them on.

This is what they look like fitted (assuming they are the same bars):

Sorry to say, they're pretty poor crashbars - they allowed both my rocker covers to get holed in a reasonably low speed off (including a flip when it hit the verge). Steptoe, I seem to remember, blamed them for causing damage/injury (can't remember the details). I would recommend Hepco & Becker (which you should be able to buy for the used price you'll get for a decent set of Adv bars), or doing without and just fitting Stanton/Steptoe head protectors, which is where I have ended up...

That is very, very very clean.

 

[columbus]

When you removed the bars what did you use as a spacer on the two top rear mounts. The original spacer seems to be an integral part of the bars.

 

[Weekday Rider]

Why don't you pop along to your nearest main dealer and see if they have a bike you can have a look at and maybe ask their mechanic for advise. Sorry, that's what I would do though.

 

[MikeO]

When you removed the bars what did you use as a spacer on the two top rear mounts. The original spacer seems to be an integral part of the bars.

The front two bolts just fit with a washer - no need for a spacer if you don't have crash bars.

 

[columbus]

The front two bolts just fit with a washer - no need for a spacer if you don't have crash bars.

It's the rear I was asking about. The original bolts bottom out without the spacer

 

[columbus]

The front two bolts just fit with a washer - no need for a spacer if you don't have crash bars.

Just had a bettter look. Bolt no 11 is what I need. I can't get the fiche to open but at least I can get the lengths checked.

Edit: Got the fiche to work. With the engine bars the bolt is an M10x60. Without the engine bars it's an M10x40