How best to protect the valve covers

  • Thread starter Thread starter tubby
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tubby

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I am waiting for my new 1200gs. :)
I have heard differing opinions on what protection to add to protect the valve covers in the unhappy event :( of dropping it. I have been told that at the off road school they just use the bmw metal covers. Can anyone confirm this please? :nenau
 
I did one of the BMW off road courses last year. Simon Pavey (good name drop) stated that none of their 1200GS bikes had any engine protection bars fitted as they kept breaking (the bars that iss, not the engines)

They used to use engine bars but stopped or so we were told
 
But the BMW school would presumably use BMW engine bars - which are reputed to be not so good (no opinion on this myself but that's what others say).

My H+B engine bars have taken a lot of abuse and protected the valve covers from any serious damage. I have a few little scratches but fitting the BMW plastic covers as well would have prevented that I think.
 
That's true but they can still be torn off pretty easy.

I would advise you to get engine bars as they save the bike so well. The bike at the BMW course are dropped so often that I am sure the bars cant stick the beating and the covers are instantly replacable.

The guys at the course are also not worried about how the bike looks at the end of the day...as long as they still run. I would imagine that you will want the bike to look as good as possible after an 'off'.

Yours (I hope) would not be dropped as often but having only the covers may not stop the bike from getting more damage in other places especially when you consider the speeds you could be doing on road as opposed to off road.

Image-D043F05297FD11DA.jpg


Image-D0440B5297FD11DA.jpg
 
I seem to drop my bike quite regularly while stationary - short legs and short attention span - I have only got the BWM metal covers, and they seem to protect it very well, 130 quid well spent, I also have the panniers fitted all the time so there is no damage to the bike so far.
 
If you're just talking about road riding the plastic covers are fit for purpose. Mine's been down a couple of times (not always due to me!) and they saved the rocker covers. Unlike metal bars / plates they don't mark. Bars are really more for off road.
 
Get the H&B bars. You know it makes sense. :thumb

when we did the MBW course a year ago they told us there were no bars or protection on the bikes as MBW or torawreck couldn't supply them.

so I did this to the bike :D
 

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Best way to Protect Valve Covers??

Keep it upright??????????????????? :thumb
 
Hey Mouse, don't s'pose you've got the time and / or inclination to take and send me a couple of photos of your crash bars (One from each side) to show me how they fit / protect? Can't find pix anywhere and it's a toss up between H&B or SW Motech and my bike arrives tomorrow!

Fanx in advance
 
Hi Tubby

My R1200GS was fitted with the plastic guards when I got it, and after a stationary fall, the raised bits are a little chewed.

The ongoing debate about what's best in the protection market has resulted in me taking the easy route and asking Rainbow to fit the metal protection guards when I take it over this coming weekend for it's brake check.

I don't do offroad, but don't fancy leaving the engine unprotected...

Might get some crashbars later... when I start getting a bit more use out of it.

PS, never had bullbars on the Landy... did fit a full safety cage though!
 
If it helps, I've just bought an ex BMW off-road riding school bike. The cylinder head covers were all they'd fitted & the rocker covers looked liked new -though plenty of scratches elsewhere on the bike. BUT when I tried fitting my own covers, the threads had been damaged where they screw in at the front of the cylinder head. I managed to fit them with shorter spacers & they should protect against a low speed drop. If it's a high-speed crash then I'm more worried about me than the metalwork.
Cheers
Trevor
 
Hi all

I had a word to the one guy at the shop that does allot of riding with his HP2 and 1200GS. He told me that the engine bars work great but the alu head protectors is more then enough protection for the day to day spills. You can as well buy 2 sets of cylinder head covers for the price of one crash bar.

My 2 cents worth..

Slippy
 
I have both H&B bars and BMW black plastic cylinders protection. Works well together.
 
H&B Bars

I pivoted 90 degrees exiting Steilstrecke Kurve on the Nurburgring on my H&B bars... no other damage... Can't recommend them enough - they do limit the lean angle in the corners tho :P :D
 
Yes, the lean angle is limited to approximately this:

P1050030.JPG


By the way, if you have H+B bars it's worth while checking that the bolts are properly tight from time to time. I had neglected mine, and the small bolts that hold the centre section onto the front subframe (the black brackets above the cylinders) had worked loose. When I dropped the bike (as shown above) the left hand bolt presumably got a good whack from the loose bars and sheared off.

I've just spent a happy lunch hour drilling it out, now I need to find a replacement captive nut and a new bolt to match :)
 
Yup, something like that, but a bit less, as the suspension is usually compressed in the corner... well, untill you start putting more weight on the bars that is... :P :bounce1

Nice pic by the way :D
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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