What's the true cost of going behind bars?

[judge]

I am weighing up shodding the 'Hack' with engine bars, I was sold on H&B's bars as in the main they are considered to be the best, even if they are a tad 'scaffold-like'. I understood them the be the most enclosing bars which are likely to save parts of the engine from damage in the event of a downer. I also thought they were the best in terms of not getting in the way of servicing and yet I read on another thread where a dealer needed to remove them during a service.

I've posted here as I don't wnat to prolong the dealer bashing but want to know what 'hit' I'm going to take for these or any bars being on the bike.

(And yes I know I have to trade this off with the potential costs of the wrong bars exposing the bike to damage.) I fang u

 

[MacDram]

I also thought they were the best in terms of not getting in the way of servicing and yet I read on another thread where a dealer needed to remove them during a service.

Hi Judge,

I've got these bars on an 1100 and I can get the rocker covers off without a problem (plenty of room).

However, the alternator cover will not come off. Maybe it would with a bit of persuasion, but as yet I've had no need to try (e.g. I position the tappets by turning the rear wheel).
When that cover does need removing, I think the H&B bolts will only require to be slackened, not removed.

Oil filter & sump plug are no problem.

Spark plugs likewise.

Can't think of any other things they'd be in the way of.

Hope that helps........no doubt folks with 1150s will tell you it's all different on them!!

By the way, the bars I have are the nice neat ones, not the type that come up around the headlight, over the screen and above your head. (Sorry, I exaggerated a bit there, but you know what I mean).

 

[RickA]

Bars

Another thing they get in the way of - your shins!

Even in a fairly low speed launch over the bars, they don't arf whack your shins!

Allways make sure you wear good 'crosser type boots but they will still hurt like f**k!

Be careful!

Cheers, Rick.

 

[MikeO]

I know 1100s have different head/rocker covers, but I couldn't get my Adv's covers off without slackening the bolts on my H&B bars. No big deal to do so, however.....

Mike

 

[Commuter]

No Problems

Andy,

I have had mind on since new and they have protected in three incidents already (One you witnessed on soft grass)

Scratched left bar is better that new rocket cover and protector.

Wollastons and Park West have never had a problem that I know of and no extra charge for them being there. I notice a small scrap on the rhs one after first service but touched up fine!!

Take that advice on the shin protection, I have caught myself and few times in kamakzi filtering technics.

Now would you like the URL for some couriers sir.......

HTH, Nick

 

[Corsican Dave]

if you even THINK about going off-road, you'll save the money spent on the bars many times over! unless you're being a boring twat, you're bound to come off (usually slow speed, uphill turns) and you will damage things. you will instantly become more confident off road once you've had a spill with the bars on. plus it's not quite so far to pick the bugger up.

another point: when you're being really radical, you can scare the shit out of yourself when the bars touch tarmac for the first time!! after that, you can impress sports-bike riders with the fireworks display...

d

 

[judge]

To qualify my initial post I'm not concerned about the initial expense its being hit for removal/re-fitting when servicing that bothers me. But thanks all the same

 

[Phil Reynolds]

Judge my boy, you should've asked me this morning. As you know I've got H & B bars, and when it was serviced recently, the rocker covers came off without having to take the bars off. Similarly for the plugs oil & filter as well.

Just do it! - you know it makes sense.

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

On my GS11 I had to take the top set off to replace a blown headlight bulb Not the sort of thing I would like to do at the side of the road.

Serviced mine yesterday and went to replace the alternator belt and found that the belt cover wouldn't come off without removing the bars, which ment almost removing the petrol tank to get to the engine bar mounts. Needless to say the top and bottom bars now decorate the walls of the garage.

 

[MacDram]

Serviced mine yesterday and went to replace the alternator belt and found that the belt cover wouldn't come off without removing the bars, which ment almost removing the petrol tank to get to the engine bar mounts. Needless to say the top and bottom bars now decorate the walls of the garage.

Paul,

How often will you replace the alternator belt?
I think you'd be better to at least use the bottom bars and have all the protection they offer for the time it takes you
to reach the belt replacement mileage.

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

Paul,

How often will you replace the alternator belt?

In 31,000 miles more often than I've needed the bars... sh1t, now that's tempting fete