Query - Touratech Hand Guard Extenders

[BikerBob]

I've just purchased a pair from Nippy's to fit to the original BMW Guards on my 1150GS however when I offer them up the angle they are moulded to seems to be a bit too "tight". The Touratech Guards as mentioned in the blurb are "stronger & thicker" therefore don't seem that easy to spring out to match the curve of the BMW ones. This makes it difficult to accurately determine where to drill the screw holes. The concern then is by pulling the BMW ones in to meet the Touratech's will it stress them and eventually cause the securing screws pull through the plastic?

I have contemplated applying some heat to the Touratech extenders but they are quite rigid and I'm a bit reluctant to do this (shouldn't have to anyway).

Just interested to see if other people have had this issue. I don't want to drill the original guards and then be unhappy with the fit of the Touratech ones.

I'd rather give them up as a bad job and return them for a refund!

Regards Bob

 

[MikeP]

Mine have been on for nearly four years and no sign of the OEM BMW guards splitting or the TT extender fittings pulling through the plastic.

Bearing in mind that what the TT parts have to fit to is just flexible plastic, they are never going to be a perfect fit 'out of the box.'

It's possible to twist the OEM guards out of shape by loosening the fixing at one end or the other, then re-tightening it.

Before fitting, I'd put the TT parts into a bowl of boiling water, that will soften them enough to make them easier to fit, without the possibility of getting heat into them unevenly, possibly causing them to buckle a bit.

Then loosen either the inboard or the bar-end fixing so that there's no twist in the hand guard.

Offer up the TT extenders and fit one of the fixings before drilling and fitting the second one. With one fixing in place you will be able to make sure the TT part follows the line of the OEM guard.

The extenders do their job (I have never felt the need to add muffs) but it depends on the angle that the OEM guards are. I've seen some bikes with them tilted so far downwards that they provide little or no protection.

I loosened the fixings and moved them upwards (a lot). The only thing you need to be careful of is to make sure that the levers can move to their fullest extent without fouling the shield.

 

[illustratedman]

Gaurds

Had no problem fitting mine, seemed a pretty good match to the shape of the oem's. Just dont expect the touratech decals to last any length of time.

 

[BikerBob]

Thanks Chaps,

Having spent a bit more time in the garage this morning it looks like I can manipulate them to achieve a better fit. The ones I've received from Nippy's don't have a sticker on as the logo is moulded in. The blurb seems to infer they are now manufactured from a stronger plastic so I wonder if they may be slightly different to the ones you have?

Regards Bob

 

[forry]

Thanks Chaps,

Having spent a bit more time in the garage this morning it looks like I can manipulate them to achieve a better fit. The ones I've received from Nippy's don't have a sticker on as the logo is moulded in. The blurb seems to infer they are now manufactured from a stronger plastic so I wonder if they may be slightly different to the ones you have?

Regards Bob

Try heating them with a hair dryer or heat gun Bob

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Try heating them with a hair dryer or heat gun Bob

An excellent idea

I also removed the handguards and used a pillar drill for drilling the holes

 

[illustratedman]

Hand guards

Thanks Chaps,

Having spent a bit more time in the garage this morning it looks like I can manipulate them to achieve a better fit. The ones I've received from Nippy's don't have a sticker on as the logo is moulded in. The blurb seems to infer they are now manufactured from a stronger plastic so I wonder if they may be slightly different to the ones you have?

Regards Bob

Just had a look on NN's and they are different from my old un's.