Has anyone had experience of this Touratech engine bar protector
- Thread starter Markyboy
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Deleted account 211025001
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Better than cylinder head guards at doing what, that is, what do you want them to do?
No charge
Andres
- Look like a world weary traveller in the Ace Cafe car park? Possibly better.
- Look more like a blinged up GStwat? Definitely.
- Protect the head better when you slide down the road? Doubt it.
- Protect the head better from glancing blows as you wrestle your mighty steed up a rocky track in the Mongolian Steps? Doubt it.
- Give you more pleasure than the financially equivalent 6 tanks of fuel? Nah.
No charge
Andres
I don't know about better, but they are easier to fit on the GSA compared with the CNC cut ones that bolt to the mounts around the valve cover as you're using the crashbar itself as the mount. I tried mounting some of the other CNC Ali guards and found that the crash bars wouldn't permit enough clearance at one end to line them up properly despite the adverts for them clearly stating that they were a GSA fit. What I would say is that it's sensible if going that route to consider fitting the Touratech reinforcing struts first. Touratech fairly make the point that the cantilevered design of the BMW OE bars runs the risk of them bending and crushing the valve covers if the bike is dropped. I didn't fancy dropping mine to test the theory so fitted some of their reinforcing struts instead 
One point of note if fitting their struts....the idea is a sound one but the execution is, well, a little Heath Robinson in engineering terms, especially for the rather steep price tag. Imho they ought to have been refined at the point their struct joins with the crash bar. The tubing ought to have had a properly made connecting sleeve (colleted in two halves so that it could be easily bolted together). Instead they've just cut a relief into the strut end that (protection tape supplied used or not) perhaps would cut through the tape and scratch up the OE bars if the bike were to be dropped....that would be the least of your worries though compared with your valve covers being ruined.
I wasn't happy with the quality of the fixings supplied either. The small M5 bolts imho (I may be being fussy here but I am an engineer and we're all like that LoL) ought to have been torx head in place of the all too easy to strip small Allen head. I changed mine for proper Torx head bolts to match the other OEM fittings used by BMW. They state a very low torque setting for these but I wasn't happy that the bars would stay in place in the event of a spill, so torqued mine up a little tighter as I don't like relying solely on a light torque setting and over-reliance on the interference fit created by the protection tape supplied which you're meant to wrap around your crash bars first. I did speak with them on this point and have to say the response was a little defensive, resorting to "we never get complaints and loads of these are sold"....are loads examined after bikes have been spilled though? I'd have preferred a better engineered solution to the connection with the crash bar end of the fitting personally. If you don't fit the tape, the strut band connector is left too loose and sloppy a fit and will move around. They provide a good solid solution once properly fitted though.
One point of note if fitting their struts....the idea is a sound one but the execution is, well, a little Heath Robinson in engineering terms, especially for the rather steep price tag. Imho they ought to have been refined at the point their struct joins with the crash bar. The tubing ought to have had a properly made connecting sleeve (colleted in two halves so that it could be easily bolted together). Instead they've just cut a relief into the strut end that (protection tape supplied used or not) perhaps would cut through the tape and scratch up the OE bars if the bike were to be dropped....that would be the least of your worries though compared with your valve covers being ruined.
I wasn't happy with the quality of the fixings supplied either. The small M5 bolts imho (I may be being fussy here but I am an engineer and we're all like that LoL) ought to have been torx head in place of the all too easy to strip small Allen head. I changed mine for proper Torx head bolts to match the other OEM fittings used by BMW. They state a very low torque setting for these but I wasn't happy that the bars would stay in place in the event of a spill, so torqued mine up a little tighter as I don't like relying solely on a light torque setting and over-reliance on the interference fit created by the protection tape supplied which you're meant to wrap around your crash bars first. I did speak with them on this point and have to say the response was a little defensive, resorting to "we never get complaints and loads of these are sold"....are loads examined after bikes have been spilled though? I'd have preferred a better engineered solution to the connection with the crash bar end of the fitting personally. If you don't fit the tape, the strut band connector is left too loose and sloppy a fit and will move around. They provide a good solid solution once properly fitted though.
Better than cylinder head guards at doing what, that is, what do you want them to do?
- Look like a world weary traveller in the Ace Cafe car park? Possibly better.
- Look more like a blinged up GStwat? Definitely.
- Protect the head better when you slide down the road? Doubt it.
- Protect the head better from glancing blows as you wrestle your mighty steed up a rocky track in the Mongolian Steps? Doubt it.
- Give you more pleasure than the financially equivalent 6 tanks of fuel? Nah.
No charge
Andres
Hi Andres, I'm taking my GSA off road and want to stop damage to the heads as I will defo fall off. So do I go head protectors that bolt to the head or these ones that fit to the engine bar and hopefully stop a stone or rock going through the guard and hitting the head.
As you describe I also like to farkle up my bike so I suppose I'm one of those GStwats. But at least my GSA goes offroad and is enjoyed i suppose.
I don't know about better, but they are easier to fit on the GSA compared with the CNC cut ones that bolt to the mounts around the valve cover as you're using the crashbar itself as the mount. I tried mounting some of the other CNC Ali guards and found that the crash bars wouldn't permit enough clearance at one end to line them up properly despite the adverts for them clearly stating that they were a GSA fit. What I would say is that it's sensible if going that route to consider fitting the Touratech reinforcing struts first. Touratech fairly make the point that the cantilevered design of the BMW OE bars runs the risk of them bending and crushing the valve covers if the bike is dropped. I didn't fancy dropping mine to test the theory so fitted some of their reinforcing struts instead
One point of note if fitting their struts....the idea is a sound one but the execution is, well, a little Heath Robinson in engineering terms, especially for the rather steep price tag. Imho they ought to have been refined at the point their struct joins with the crash bar. The tubing ought to have had a properly made connecting sleeve (colleted in two halves so that it could be easily bolted together). Instead they've just cut a relief into the strut end that (protection tape supplied used or not) perhaps would cut through the tape and scratch up the OE bars if the bike were to be dropped....that would be the least of your worries though compared with your valve covers being ruined.
I wasn't happy with the quality of the fixings supplied either. The small M5 bolts imho (I may be being fussy here but I am an engineer and we're all like that LoL) ought to have been torx head in place of the all too easy to strip small Allen head. I changed mine for proper Torx head bolts to match the other OEM fittings used by BMW. They state a very low torque setting for these but I wasn't happy that the bars would stay in place in the event of a spill, so torqued mine up a little tighter as I don't like relying solely on a light torque setting and over-reliance on the interference fit created by the protection tape supplied which you're meant to wrap around your crash bars first. I did speak with them on this point and have to say the response was a little defensive, resorting to "we never get complaints and loads of these are sold"....are loads examined after bikes have been spilled though? I'd have preferred a better engineered solution to the connection with the crash bar end of the fitting personally. If you don't fit the tape, the strut band connector is left too loose and sloppy a fit and will move around. They provide a good solid solution once properly fitted though.
Thank you for your comments it's great advice.
Deleted account 211025001
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FWIW I had bars and plastic (BMW) protectors on my 1200 (hexhead) ~ the bike was used quite a bit off road in the Peaks (mostly rocky) and they did their job perfectly. The plastic protectors got scuffed to feck and the bars dinted and scrapped but never a punctured head (or scratched for that matter).
Andres
Given that sand, mud and small bits of gravel always find a way of getting stuck in small places, best check the clearance to the rocker cover. Also, one proper bash on that and it may as well touch the rocker cover.
FWIW I had bars and plastic (BMW) protectors on my 1200 (hexhead) ~ the bike was used quite a bit off road in the Peaks (mostly rocky) and they did their job perfectly. The plastic protectors got scuffed to feck and the bars dinted and scrapped but never a punctured head (or scratched for that matter).
Andres
Hi Andres, well as your advice is go for the plastic head covers I think I'll go that route. As Morety stated the fasteners on the Touratech don't look strong so one bash and that could hit the head.
So thanks for the info. Just got to find out who sells the plastic covers.
Deleted account 211025001
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................
Andres, does my bike look like a blinged up GStwat bike?
Absobloodylutley
Andres
Hi Mark
I'd be interested in a link/source for those plastic ones if you find some. Might do the same.
Hi Morety, it's a full LED kit from Denali that I purchased from the Adventure Bike Shop advertised on this forum.
I bought the Denali cansmart plus the D4 lights, the B6 rear brake led lights, the fork lights and the soundbomb horn. It's a plug and play kit. I think Craig was the guy that sorted it out however the fork lights needed to be ordered from the US so came a couple weeks after the rest was delivered.
Cracking bit of kit and you can change the colour from yellow to white easily with a plastic lens. The white was too bright so stuck with yellow.
I bought the Denali cansmart plus the D4 lights, the B6 rear brake led lights, the fork lights and the soundbomb horn. It's a plug and play kit. I think Craig was the guy that sorted it out however the fork lights needed to be ordered from the US so came a couple weeks after the rest was delivered.
Cracking bit of kit and you can change the colour from yellow to white easily with a plastic lens. The white was too bright so stuck with yellow.
Nippy Norman sells the plastic Machine Art ones... worth looking at.
Deleted account 191119001
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GSA
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I don't know about better, but they are easier to fit on the GSA compared with the CNC cut ones that bolt to the mounts around the valve cover as you're using the crashbar itself as the mount. I tried mounting some of the other CNC Ali guards and found that the crash bars wouldn't permit enough clearance at one end to line them up properly despite the adverts for them clearly stating that they were a GSA fit. What I would say is that it's sensible if going that route to consider fitting the Touratech reinforcing struts first. Touratech fairly make the point that the cantilevered design of the BMW OE bars runs the risk of them bending and crushing the valve covers if the bike is dropped. I didn't fancy dropping mine to test the theory so fitted some of their reinforcing struts instead
One point of note if fitting their struts....the idea is a sound one but the execution is, well, a little Heath Robinson in engineering terms, especially for the rather steep price tag. Imho they ought to have been refined at the point their struct joins with the crash bar. The tubing ought to have had a properly made connecting sleeve (colleted in two halves so that it could be easily bolted together). Instead they've just cut a relief into the strut end that (protection tape supplied used or not) perhaps would cut through the tape and scratch up the OE bars if the bike were to be dropped....that would be the least of your worries though compared with your valve covers being ruined.
I wasn't happy with the quality of the fixings supplied either. The small M5 bolts imho (I may be being fussy here but I am an engineer and we're all like that LoL) ought to have been torx head in place of the all too easy to strip small Allen head. I changed mine for proper Torx head bolts to match the other OEM fittings used by BMW. They state a very low torque setting for these but I wasn't happy that the bars would stay in place in the event of a spill, so torqued mine up a little tighter as I don't like relying solely on a light torque setting and over-reliance on the interference fit created by the protection tape supplied which you're meant to wrap around your crash bars first. I did speak with them on this point and have to say the response was a little defensive, resorting to "we never get complaints and loads of these are sold"....are loads examined after bikes have been spilled though? I'd have preferred a better engineered solution to the connection with the crash bar end of the fitting personally. If you don't fit the tape, the strut band connector is left too loose and sloppy a fit and will move around. They provide a good solid solution once properly fitted though.
what you have said is is interesting as mine arrived a couple of days ago and i hope to fit them to-morrow, the one thing you could help me with is the two tubes are difarent in size can you tell me which side does the longer bend go left or right when sitting on bike:0)
I think they can only go on one way (Longer mid bar section should be on the left hand side...it's about 11.5cm compared with about 10 cm on the RHS one measured c/c of bends). Hope this helps.
M.
M.
Deleted account 191119001
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Same as me, I just got some longer bolts for the bottom of the engine bars, to make sure I had enough thread holding due to the spacing out, think I got 2 cm longer bolts, but it may vary depending on how much you spaced out, I used Wunderlich engine bars.
