Crash Bars or Cylinder Guards?

[Dr. Evil]

There's so much noise out there either way, and I'd like some definitive answers. I'm seriously considering getting some HepcoBecker crash bars for my R1150R, but I came across a whole webpage and more than one post on a few forums out there saying that putting crash bars on your R-bike is tantamount to pouring gasoline on it and setting it on fire. I'm not sure I see their logic, but I'm willing to consider it. My thought is, though, that if you bin an R-bike, and it lands on the cylinder head, it just seems like a hell of a lot of stress to put on the head bolts, to say nothing of the valve cover, and I worry that a cylinder might be thrown out of true in a low-speed get-off.

Can we get a discussion going here, or what? Thanks!

-- John

[Oilhead]

You hear the same argument from some posters on other brand forums regarding frame and axle sliders...that in certain crashes, it causes more damage than without. That may be so, but for me the whole purpose of engine guards and sliders are to protect the bike in a minor tip over. In a high speed crash, the bike is going to be most likely totalled anyways so what it does in a high speed crash is a moot point.

[jcridge]

Not much to discuss that hasn't already been said, if you have searched the world wide web, and you're still "seriously considering getting some HepcoBecker crash bars" then you already have your answer.

So I guess it's "or what" but..............there will be 2-3, 50 more chiming in, since there is no current oil thread to hang out on.

Seriously, The crash bars will take some of the impact and if properly designed will shear the mounts before causing enough stress to bend the jugs. They will protect the rider, and that's enough for me. If you end up doing damage to the engine, just be glad you lived to worry about it. I'm with Oilhead

Guards are for protecting the bike when tipping over in the gravel parking lot

John

[boxermania]

Most low speed falls will wear a hole on the valve cover, requiring a replacement. The guards are inexpensive and will save the valve cover under the same conditions. A serious spill will damage either the engine or attachment points irregardless of guards or crash bars.

Best policy, don't fall and if you must, do it while the bike is standing still.......

[owldaddy]

I had the HB bars. I took them off. I was dragging them in the twisties. I was afraid that they were going to cause an accident. Do you know the feeling you get when your leaned over in a turn, and can't lean more (because your bars are dragging), even though the road is still turning and your running out of asphalt? Pucker time.

[keithbw]

I had a twenty MPH low-side with the guards installed.
I was able to ride the damaged RR home, I am sure the valve cover would
have ground through without them.
Sacrificial part that worked as advertised in my opinion.

Brian

[brem]

I put the valve cover guards on a while back and after a couple of minor tip-overs they're the only part of the bike that shows any damage. Well worth it as far as I'm concerned.

[KiwiRR]

I can relate to Owldaddy's advice - depends on your riding style and the type of guards - be aware that cornering clearance may be reduced. I have the black plastic OEM guards that probably wouldn't stand much more than a static/slow drop. These hug the cylinder heads quite tightly, but I have still managed to scrape them along the tarmac a couple of times due to over exuberance - the foot peg blobs did seem to touch down first - and being plastic I merely wore the guards down rather than touching metal.

[Keppelj]

Valve cover guards, are we talking about the stock ones which come on the GS's or others? They do seem like an ok idea to me.

[MIXR]

Mine has the stock OEM plastic cylinder guards. Useful in a parking lot tip-over, but not a lot of protection in a slide. They MIGHT do something useful in a bigger off, but I doubt it as they are held on pretty lightly. Better than nothing I suppose.

I also went for crash bars. I didn't like the shape of the HB bars as they seemed to sit too low and would interfer with servicing, so I went with the SW-Motech bars, also sold as Hornig bars. Mine were purchased as Hornig, but arrived wrapped in SW-Motech plastic wrappers.

These are a reasonable design, and fit ok. Finish has been fairly good over the last 70,000 kms. Some surface coat crazing, but no rust or peeling paint. Some stone chips of course. They would probably fold in a prang, but might add some degree of protection. Enough to allow you to ride home hopefully. Here's a pic. I'd have something like this again as it gives you a great place to mount lights.

[Ol' Jeffers]

I love that picture!!

[Xdot]

I bet your pooch just loves riding back there. I've always been amazed how quickly dogs adapt to mmotorcycles. No wonder they are man's best friend.

[MattPie]

I'm with OwlDaddy on this one. I had the HB bars on my bike, but since I've been doing track days, I took them off. They do reduce cornering clearance a little bit. On the street though, I'd probably never notice. As others have said, if you crash hard enough to hose up the cylinders, the bike is probably hosed anyways crash bars or not.

That being said, I'm putting them back on in a bit for a trip up to Labrador. Lots of gravel would seem to increase the chance on dropping the bike at lower speeds. Plus, I can use them to stretch my legs a bit. I'll probably take them off again afterwards, I don't really like the way the bike looks with them on. Kinda screws up the lines for me.

[AirForceDirt]

I had the guards. They survived a pretty decent crash at around 40mph, and gave me an easy place to mount some lights. I took them off cuz I was grinding them like crazy in the twisties. I loved them when I had them, and I still love the bike without them. They really added a Mad-Max look to the bike (being color matched and all). Now I have the OEM plastic guards and really don't expect the bike to survive another crash like the one I had earlier.

PS. The 40mph get-off/high-side cracked the HepcoBecker bars enough that the engine rattling was able to almost completely shear it in two. After 6 months though, it hadn't made it quite all the way through.

[MIXR]

Ah yes - My crazy Australian Border Collie (ABC). He loves it as much as I do. We're working up to having him certified as a 'FarRider' (1,000 km in 24 hrs) and then I'll see about doing an IBA ride with him (1,600 kms in 24 hrs). As a pillion of course - He's not that smart!


I take the point about crash-bar looks and their ablity to offer tangible crash protection. I don't mind the looks, and find the bars useful for other things as suggested - Lights, foot-rests, etc). I think they are solid enough to save some damage in a reasonable spill. Mine went on when I was doing a lot of dirt roads as I figured I would eventually go sliding off on the marbles (I didn't). I think you would end up replacing all of the same bits in a low-side prang, but the difference might be that you can ride home whereas you otherwise might not be able to if the valve cover was entirely wrecked. They will certainly save some serious scratches in a car-park fall-over and the like.

There are a few designs out there. I picked these because they don't have the bottom rail like the HB bars. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe that's a bad thing. I'll find out when I come off some day.

Cheers guys, Mick.

[MattPie]

Ah yes - My crazy Australian Border Collie (ABC). He loves it as much as I do. We're working up to having him certified as a 'FarRider' (1,000 km in 24 hrs) and then I'll see about doing an IBA ride with him (1,600 kms in 24 hrs). As a pillion of course - He's not that smart!

That's 1,609.3 km, pal!

[MIXR]

Actually 1,610 in the IBA ride criteria.

My last was 1,627, and 1,683 before that. Measured on the GPS rather than the odo or Google maps which are usually greater!

[Grey Thumper]

My bike came with both when I bought it.



I don't like the look of crash bars on a street bike, and I'm constantly tempted to get rid of mine. Except they're incredibly useful for stretching your legs, and I do doubt how much protection the cylinder guards alone will give in a minor slide. Maybe I'll paint the bars matte black so they don't stick out so much.