1250GS engine protection?

Hartley

Hartley

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I added the BMW engine bars to my bike when buying it but have just been informed by a mate they don’t actually fully protect the cylinder head covers in the event of a drop.
He’s suggested the Machine Art covers from NN. I’ve got some other bits from them and to be fair they are well made.
Before I pull the trigger on those, does anyone have other suggestions I could look at? Need to work with OEM bars

Cheers
 
I can't comment on then machine art cylinder covers fitting with the engine bars but I can say that a drop at standstill that they work.... really well.
Couple of small dents into the plastic that are hardly noticeable
 
I have the machine art covers fitted with the OEM crash bars on my R1250GS; I also added the Touratech Extender bars to the rear of the crash bars for additional protection (as I was also told that the standard bars could flex possibly in an accident.

The Machine Art covers do fit, you have to remove the crash bars to get them on though; refitting is a bit of an art, on my near side crash bar, I had to slice a couple of mm off the rubber insert at the rear to give a whisker of clearance; also refitting the crash bars is an art, offer up the crash bars to fit and then of the 3 bolts each side, loosely screw up the rear first, then top, then the middle before tightening.
 

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Hartley said:
I added the BMW engine bars to my bike when buying it but have just been informed by a mate they don’t actually fully protect the cylinder head covers in the event of a drop.
He’s suggested the Machine Art covers from NN. I’ve got some other bits from them and to be fair they are well made.
Before I pull the trigger on those, does anyone have other suggestions I could look at? Need to work with OEM bars

Cheers
Click to expand...

I think this applies more to off roading as stones/rocks etc can pass between the bars and damage the heads.
 
OEM ones are good, apart form the stupid rubber bungs at the back that catch on your trousers.
Mine's been down on rock climbs and engine bars do little there. The cover plates however, do keep those castings safe.
I'll take a close-up of the scrapes later
 
Thanks everyone for the great response.
Like the look of the Wunderlich ones, had not seen them.
Looks like I’ll be paying Norman another visit.
Bikes on for first service tomorrow so I’ll have a look at the OEM ones too.
 
Engineer said:
The problem with close fitting cylinder hear protectors is that they trap moisture which leads to corrosion where you cant see it until its too late.
Click to expand...

Mine have been on the bike since new, four+ years now, I don't think I'm going to look underneath.
 
Engineer said:
The problem with close fitting cylinder hear protectors is that they trap moisture which leads to corrosion where you cant see it until its too late.
Click to expand...

How does something that gets very hot to the touch trap moisture? :nenau

This is up there with your radiator guard posts :blast
 
Engineer said:
The problem with close fitting cylinder hear protectors is that they trap moisture which leads to corrosion where you cant see it until its too late.
Click to expand...
And road dirt which frets away at the paint finish.
Alan R
 
CPJS said:
Mine have been on the bike since new, four+ years now, I don't think I'm going to look underneath.
Click to expand...

Best not - I had the BMW ones a few years ago, the inner rubbers bits were hard up against the head covers - they trap salty water and corrode the paint - if you have them remove often and lather in ACF50 - I didn't!
 
I had wondered about grit/dirt etc getting between the head and the cover and causing damage.
 
Hartley said:
I added the BMW engine bars to my bike when buying it but have just been informed by a mate they don’t actually.....
Click to expand...

The classic, “My mate says....”

If I’d been your mate, I have asked how often do you intend to fall off your awesome steed and how hard?
 
My mates bike fell over while stationary, and scratched the covers. My mate was only trying to give me the heads up.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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