New to forum and GS ownership with engine bar query

gmacd78

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Hi Guys,

Just a quick message to say hi from a new owner.

I've just purchased a 2020 Rallye 1250 TE with 900 miles. Not the best time of year to be buying a bike perhaps but got a good deal and trade in value for my Q7 so why not eh.

Looking to get the engine protected as soon as possible and have been looking at the Nippy Normans website, the only bars left are the Wunderlich ones which do look good, but the most expensive option. How well can they handle a slow speed drop if purchased with the additional bracing bar?

I like the stainless or black ones, how good is the finish on these with regards to corrosion?

Also, if anyone has a set of bars second hand they are looking to sell drop me a PM.

Cheers chaps:thumb
 
Very few on here have experience of dropping their bike on the engine bars. I wouldn't worry too much. Better to protect it against corrosion.

As for your question. All the crash bras from reputable after market companies will protect it. Also look at Altrider if you haven't done so. The BMW ones are good enough.
 
Hey.

I did read somewhere about people having issues with the Wunderlich ones contacting and cracking the valve covers on what sounded like a slow speed drop. Not sure if these guys had the additional strengthening bar or not?

Still getting up to speed with the GS common problems, what areas are prone to corrosion and how easy is to mitigate against?

I've ordered the Machineart Mudsling and Avant as been reading the OEM protection is rather lacking in these areas.

Also been reading about the dreaded left cylinder valve train noise so we'll see if my one develops that. In the grand scale of GS sales how common is this issue?

Thanks
Gordon
 
I had SW Motech ones on my 1200 ( The bars for the 1200 will not fit the 1250) and they protected my GS from a stationary drop on both sides. On my 1250 I've gone for the xheads instead for a change as they are not so bulky, make the bike easier to clean and if you do drop it you can buy just 1 side rather than having to buy another set. If you do get the bars if you get black you can dress any scratches with a file and touch them up with some satin black to hide the damage.

If you do drop your bike without any protection you stand a chance of holing the cylinder head cover as they are only thin (some bloke did it on youtube once during a test ride as he got off to look at it it fell off the sidestand) which would mean getting recovered. Drop it with some decent protection and you can pick it up and hopefully feck off before anyone notices.
 
tanneman said:
Very few on here have experience of dropping their bike on the engine bars. I wouldn't worry too much. Better to protect it against corrosion.

As for your question. All the crash bras from reputable after market companies will protect it. Also look at Altrider if you haven't done so. The BMW ones are good enough.
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I chucked my bike at 40mph 50 yards down the road, up a curb and into some saplings. I rode away from it thanks to my Touratech engine bars. The bike went down on the RHS, the bars kept bike high enough that the exhaust and handle bars never touched the road.
The engine bars cost £350.00. How much the cost without them?
 
I crashed the 1100s at Snetterton circa 110 mph. Only cost me the rocker cover. Can't remember the cost but that was the only time I had to replace a rocker cover because of a involuntary dismount. How many on here has the same experience as you? Very few I would say. If it does happen, did you not pay for insurance? Anyway, lets not derail the thread.
 
tanneman said:
I crashed the 1100s at Snetterton circa 110 mph. Only cost me the rocker cover. Can't remember the cost but that was the only time I had to replace a rocker cover because of a involuntary dismount. How many on here has the same experience as you? Very few I would say. If it does happen, did you not pay for insurance? Anyway, lets not derail the thread.
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When I had my spill I was half way through the NC500, without the engine bars it would have been game over and all the aggrivation that goes with it, with them I finished my holiday.
£350.00 well spent
The GS is quarter of a ton of ugly metal, hardly a 916 is it? A bit of effective scaffolding bolted on it can't spoil the looks I'm my eyes, it's a tool.
 
gmacd78 said:
Also, if anyone has a set of bars second hand they are looking to sell drop me a PM.
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To have access to PM's and several of the forums, including the sales and wants ones, you need to be a Subscriber.

HTH
 
CPJS said:
When I had my spill I was half way through the NC500, without the engine bars it would have been game over and all the aggrivation that goes with it, with them I finished my holiday.
£350.00 well spent
The GS is quarter of a ton of ugly metal, hardly a 916 is it? A bit of effective scaffolding bolted on it can't spoil the looks I'm my eyes, it's a tool.
Click to expand...

That is why I buy the Adventure model. Comes with scaffolding :D

And that scaffolding got tested at Snetterton too, on my birthday. Live and learn they say :D
 
I had a quick nosey at the Machine Art X covers yesterday actually but wasn't sure how good they were. I perhaps wrongly assumed they wouldn't offer enough protection in a fall , however, after doing a bit of digging on them today, they seem to be fairly robust.

I do like their discreet look, would almost think they were OEM to the untrained eye. Certainly something for me to consider, 99% of my riding will be done on the road, no desire to be going offroading anyway, not if I can help it!
 
gmacd78 said:
I had a quick nosey at the Machine Art X covers yesterday actually but wasn't sure how good they were. I perhaps wrongly assumed they wouldn't offer enough protection in a fall , however, after doing a bit of digging on them today, they seem to be fairly robust.

I do like their discreet look, would almost think they were OEM to the untrained eye. Certainly something for me to consider, 99% of my riding will be done on the road, no desire to be going offroading anyway, not if I can help it!
Click to expand...

They are well made and there's rubber on the back of them to act as a shock absorber. One potential downside is if you want to fit any aux lights as some use the bars to mount them on but you can get light bars to mount aux lights that bolt onto the cockpit subframe by the indicators which is what I did:beerjug:
 
Engine bars for me. Downed my GS on road, black ice, 30/40 mph. Bar ground down and flat sided, still rideable after. Would have been a right off without. Good place to mount spots as previously mentioned.
 
Engine bars can damage an engine mount if the bar hits something solid requiring a new engine.

Having had engine bars in the past (BMW & Altrider) they are excellent for low speed drops. However moved to machine art X covers. Less weight, look factory fitted and just like them.

Everyone has a different opinion and no two drops are the same.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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