H&B Bars - drop damage

[Eddy802]

Overbalanced to the right (this time!) at a filling station on sunday. bike went down, all happens in slow-mo doesn't it? I ended up rolling around, and when I'd finished my gymnastics, snatched the bike back up onto it's side stand.

First inspection shows:
No damage to me.
Bike has scratches on hand guard and mirror, minor scratches on the head cover and plastic insert....

and gravel rash to H&B bars. far worse than last time I lay her down and further around to almost on top! I look down and note that the bars actually wedged directly in teh expansion gap between the concrete slabs. Perfect fit and burried half depth. On closer inspection I note that the forward side bolt is lose and when I handle it, it comes away along with the spacer for that side and someof the engine block metal!

It seems that the first 3 turns of engine block thread have been ripped out and are still on the end of the bolt.

When I later wash her down the rear indicator lens drops off. Some super glue repair has sorted that one.

Options to repair or restore the engine bar situation?
It seems the bolt only actually goes in about 4 thread turns at most (is this sufficient?) so a longer bolt , and there is room for a further 10mm at least, is one option. I daren't ditch the bars.

As a second thought I wonder if anyone has had their bars re powder coated, min could do with a looking at....

 

[Emoto]

Helicoil thread insert.

Perhaps you can find someone else doing some powdercoating and piggyback with them, otherwise you may find the cost merely a stones throw from buying a nice set of stainless steel Touratech crash bars.

 

[Tomcat]

Sorry to hear about that, bad luck. I'd been wondering about getting engine bars but was bothered about spoiling the look of the bike (I like the minimalist look ) and wasn't entirely convinced that the bars would offer much protection anyway. Even though you had bars fitted the plastic bits in the rocker cover still got scratched? I think you've helped me make up my mind....

My thinking now is - minor spill, inevitable cosmetic damage to plastic jobbie on rocker cover, handguards etc. Live with it or fix it up at own cost.

Bigger spill and cylinder snaps off or something major gets broken - insurance job.

BTW, does anyone know of a case where a cylinder HAS broken off in a spill? As a first-time Beemer owner I've often wondered....

TC

 

[Mouse]

I think your bars may have been fitted incorrectly, Eddy.

I've got H+B bars on my bike - the bolts definitely go into the engine block much further than 4 turns. Perhaps you were sent the wrong bolts?

I've dropped my bike at least a dozen times now, all at low speeds, (off roading, before you all start scoffing ) and apart from losing the paint, the H+B bars have performed perfectly so far.

 

[Mouse]

BTW, does anyone know of a case where a cylinder HAS broken off in a spill? As a first-time Beemer owner I've often wondered....

My instinct is that if you crashed hard enough to rip a cylinder off, you would have more important things to worry about!

 

[Eddy802]

Your thinking seems sound and of course is ultimately your choice.

When I first accidently lay the bike down I felt the bars had paid for themselves in that there was only a small "gravel rash" on the bar itself.

Now that I've laid it on the other side, slightly harder, and still only suffered minor scratching beyond the rash on the bars, I can only guess that without the bars the damage to the head would have been more severe. Balancing insurance V's bar cost is again a matter of choice.

I'm convinced having them fitted was a good move.

Best of luck with your choices.

 

[Eddy802]

Mouse,

You don't have the bolt length to hand do you?

The bolt is the fore of the two beneath the pot.

 

[Eddy802]

Now I think of it, I was handed 2 x bolts back when I collected my bike after installation, I will hunt them out and compare.

Are there bolts left over from an installation? Either from the H&B kit or removed from the bike to accomodate the bars?

 

[Tricky]

Engine bars

I have the black plastic protectors fitted to my 'pots' but they do appear slightly flimsy in appearance.

For minor spills (on or off road) I think engine bars are the way to go. Have added them to my list of priorities (second after a set of panniers) when I can gather the funds together.

Hope I don't regret fitting them earlier after my gentle green lane excusion on sunday........

 

[GSmonkey]

Now I think of it, I was handed 2 x bolts back when I collected my bike after installation, I will hunt them out and compare.

I think you'll find they're the original engine mouting bolts.

 

[Rakthi]

Got the original installation instructions here

on the left front it should be an inbus M10 x 55
on the right front is should be an inbus M10 x 65

The aluminum spacers are different at both sides too! left one is 30 mm and right one is 40 mm

Maybe they mixed the bolts up when installing the bars? Worth checking out and see what they have to say if it is so.

The 2 bolts they gave you are indeed the original torx that are replaced by those bigger bolts towards the rear.

 

[Eddy802]

Thanks guys - will check tomorrow

 

[Mouse]

As I remember, you can't mix the spacers up, they only fit one way.

You could mix the bolts up, or perhaps use one of the original bolts by mistake.

It does sound like the bolt used was too short. If these bars were fitted by your dealer, I'd say you have a good case for a free repair.

If required I can measure the bolts in my bike tomorrow.

 

[Eddy802]

What came off matches the measurements listed. So I'm confident that the bars were installed correctly. Yet to have less than 10mm inserted when there is space for more is either poor design, is deemed "efficient" in some way?!

What is the thinking on me putting a longer bolt in as a solution. There appears to be space to recieve a further 15mm at least.

 

[Eddy802]

For info

After Sawbridgeworth sorted the problem for me. I had this email back and forth with Motobins....

To H&B and Motobins:
Hello,

I felt I should let you know that following a stationary tumble from my
R1200GS in a garage forecourt the front right bolt of my H&B bars was
levered from the engine block bringing with it 3 turns of engine block
metal.
On inspection it would appear that the bolt provided can only be turned to a
depth of approximately 10mm into the block which seems a little shallow
given that there is at least 20mm space.

My BMW dealership have re-threaded the block and inserted a longer bolt.

I would appreciate your thoughts in this."

No response from H&B, but Motobins have been very prompt, first confirming that I'd used the 65mm bolt provided, then:

"I have contacted Hepco & Becker regarding the bolt length and the problem
encountered. The 65mm is the current specification of the bolt, however
after my conversation they are investigating as to whether the bolt should
be 70mm long.

The rear pannier frame on the left have had to be altered during the last 3
months due to BMW changing their exhaust system on late bikes. However this is the first time we have had a problem with the engine bars so it is well
worth while informing the manufacturer now rather than later. You did not
say what length of bolt your dealer fitted to your machine but I assume it
must have been approx. 5mm longer."

Just thought I'd let those with H&B bars know....