cylinderheads guards( any good?)

[finsally]

Thinking about fitting some cylinderheads guards to my r1150r.as a cheaper alternative to engine guards.
Anybody got any thoughts?

Cheers Bob

[jcridge]

Cylinder guards are good for tip overs and low speed / low side get offs, basically they are sacrificial parts designed to save the covers and sparkplug wiring only. Engine guards protect over and above all that, plus provide the rider with additional protection in the event of going down at speed.

[iowabeakster]

My right side cylinder head guard has been used three times. Two of them are from tip-overs standing still, one from praticing U-turns. It is scuffed up, but the valve cover is still pristine. I agree with the post above, they would not provide protection from a real crash.

[Lion_Lady]

The plastic guards are a great money saver for the typical garage tipover. The plastic guards on both sides of my bike have scratches from tipovers, but the cylinder heads are fine.

My view on protecting the cylinder heads from crash damage is different... that's what insurance is for. Steel engine guards are HEAVY and I'm not inclined to add an extra 30 to 50 pounds of weight to my bike "just in case." To me, it simply ain't worth it. Besides, they look like crap on a Rockster.

P

[jfslater98]

They're sturdier than I thought, and $70 each for replacement. This was the result of a 30 mph slide. A little bit of the valve cover was scratched up, but that big paint bubble was already there, so I wasn't bothered much by it.



Here's a closeup, zoom in when you get there

[riceburner]

I've seen an R1100S with those BMW plastic covers be knocked off and the bike went "over-top" and the guards didn't stop the magnesium cover being holed.

I have a pair of Stanton guards that provide full coverage. (no longer available, but Steptoe on UKGSer makes a similar piece of kit now)
They're ally so not too heavy, and they work, repeatedly.

[Lean Angle]

I slid my old R1100R at 50kph (oil slick at the apex) and the oem plastic guards were a mess. But although the heads were also a mess, the plastic guards probably protected it just enough from getting punctured and leaking oil, so I just picked her up and rode her home. Luckily the passenger bus behind was able to brake in time, his front right wheel stopped a foot from my helmet . Bike slid about 75 feet away, while the sidewalk gutter stopped my slide. Coincidentally, that was the day I bought my 1st ever riding jacket (Joe Rocket), been riding on that same "lucky jacket" since.