Engine bars or new head guards

[gspod]

Off on extended tour next year (including South America and Africa) on my 1100 - opinions on weather engine bars or head protectors (such as Steptoe's) are better please.

I don't really like the look of engine bars but if the consensus says they're better can any one recommend some discreet ones?

Many thanks

 

[monkeyboy]

I've been out there - what the bike looks like should be the last thing you're worried about Just put the strongest bars on IMO. I've got a pair of H&B's cos the standard GS Adventure ones are made of cheese and the left fixing broke when I 'lent' the bike on a rock Stick a sump guard on too.

 

[Justin Trevett]

I was having the same dilema as you and decided on a decent set of engine bars.

 

[Packer]

I've dropped my 1150GS off road, it landed on solid rock. It has Steptoe's head protectors and Vern's Worldbeater 10" panniers. I struggled to find the marks. They are tough. Some folk will tell you that if you drop the bike on a softish surface with engine bars they can dig in and flip the bike adding a lot to the damage toll.

I'd ride my bike anywhere without engine bars. Saves weight as well as Steptoe's HP's are very light.

 

[Slipperyeel]

Anyone got a picture of Steptoe's head protectors? I'm just looking into the very same subject myself...

 

[gspod]

I've dropped my 1150GS off road, it landed on solid rock. It has Steptoe's head protectors and Vern's Worldbeater 10" panniers. I struggled to find the marks. They are tough. Some folk will tell you that if you drop the bike on a softish surface with engine bars they can dig in and flip the bike adding a lot to the damage toll.

I'd ride my bike anywhere without engine bars. Saves weight as well as Steptoe's HP's are very light.

I heard a similar thing myself which is why I posed the question: heavy trauma to engine bars can damage the parts of the bike they are attached to

Anyway thanks for all the replies, I shall keep looking in case a structural engineer posts

 

[motobiker]

Off on extended tour next year (including South America and Africa) on my 1100 - opinions on weather engine bars or head protectors (such as Steptoe's) are better please.

I don't really like the look of engine bars but if the consensus says they're better can any one recommend some discreet ones?

Many thanks

I wouldn't care two hoots about the 'consensus' - ask people who have actually done something like this - not the wannabes.

Me? I would look most seriously at Tsiklonauts set up.

 

[gspod]

Hi motobiker
I guess I shouldn't have mentioned the extended trip because in many ways it's irrelevant - fact is you can have an accident on your way to Tescos just as much as you can on your way to the market in Chile. The consensus I'm after is anecdotes of accidents from people with crash bars or engine guards and the ensuing damage the different systems made/saved - such as Packer's post.

Tsiklonauts set up sounds interesting - where would I find a picture?

Thanks for the posts

I wouldn't care two hoots about the 'consensus' - ask people who have actually done something like this - not the wannabes.

Me? I would look most seriously at Tsiklonauts set up.

 

[motobiker]

He had a pair of verns world beaters.. which offer a lot of protection. I seem to remember seeing photos later in his round the world (2-up) tour with engine bars fitted. your best bet is to send him a message and ask him what - if any lessons he learnt. were the engine bars a worthwhile investment.

In Patagonia.

When you message him - ask about suspension.

 

[MikeO]

I use H&Bs on my 1150 ADV and also have Steptoe head guards. I had a relatively low speed (45ish) drop with the original BMW ADV crash bars. The bike hit a soft kerb whilst sliding and flipped over. I ended with holes in both rocker covers - they were bloody useless.

Head guards and crashbars might be belt and braces, but they are not (IMO) obtrusive and they would allow me to continue the trip after a fall if I was uninjured. I hit a deer in 2006 and smashed my ribs, but the bike was still rideable (had I been able) after the prang.

I didn't have head guards fitted at the time. The dynamics of the prang were quite odd - the steering got turned on full lock at 50mph, so the bike went a long way over before it began to slide and it stayed in that position, so the panniers and tank took a lot of the energy. I'd normally expect the bike to slide on the crashbars, pannier and wheels...

 

[k80matey]

If you PM me your email I'll send you a pic of Steptoe's very fine head guards fitted on my bike. Can't post pics on here too thick!

 

[MikeO]

If you PM me your email I'll send you a pic of Steptoe's very fine head guards fitted on my bike. Can't post pics on here too thick!

These are Stantons, who originally made the ones Steptoe used as a pattern

 

[k80matey]

Good Mike!

 

[k80matey]

These are Stantons, who originally made the ones Steptoe used as a pattern

Just noticed Mike, head guards AND bars. - I have a set of H & B bars which I've been thinking of selling as I've never fitted them. Any benefit to having both? I know it will add more weight!

 

[STUBBS]

 

[MikeO]

Just noticed Mike, head guards AND bars. - I have a set of H & B bars which I've been thinking of selling as I've never fitted them. Any benefit to having both? I know it will add more weight!

Belt and braces - being concerned about adding more weight to the ADV is like worrying about having a 'wafer-thin mint' at the end of a meal...

 

[MattW]

Hi motobiker
I guess I shouldn't have mentioned the extended trip because in many ways it's irrelevant - fact is you can have an accident on your way to Tescos just as much as you can on your way to the market in Chile. The consensus I'm after is anecdotes of accidents from people with crash bars or engine guards and the ensuing damage the different systems made/saved - such as Packer's post.

Tsiklonauts set up sounds interesting - where would I find a picture?

Thanks for the posts

As with Packer, I dropped my 1100 (on road) with Steptoe head guards and Vern panniers. Small scratch on both which I'd be hard pressed to find now.

Ditched the engine bars for head guards years ago because they weighed a ton and made servicing a right pain in the arse. They also looked rubbish

Edit: picture of Steptoe head guards (and Vern panniers) as requested earlier:

 

[k80matey]

Belt and braces - being concerned about adding more weight to the ADV is like worrying about having a 'wafer-thin mint' at the end of a meal...

ADV - no; 1100GS!

 

[gspod]

Great thread with fantastic posts - thanks all.

I've got a pair of 'Ard cases' which were excellent in a spill in 2010.

At the moment I'm favouring head guards, panniers, quality hand gaurds and rubber indicators - but I'm still open to pursuasion

 

[Steptoe]

Whatever you choose, ditch the bmw ADV bars - i've seen too many bikes sustain huge damage, enough to write them off, purely due to the ADV crashbars.

They act as a pivot point and flip the bike over and wipe out the tank, clocks, beak and even the bar controls. So a minor slide can turn into a disaster.

A different bike.

The above bikes were all written off solely because of the damage CAUSED by the adv crashbars. And i've seen many other examples .


And i just so happen to have a new batch of headguards arriving very very soon...