Cylinder head protectors.

115779 said:

Do you use cylinder head protectors on your Airhead and do you believe them to be necessary?

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I recently ran across an interesting treatise on this subject (can't recall just where, though).
The basic argument was that, in a low side crash, the plain rocker box covers on the cylinders have about 4 - 6 square inches of surface area that contacts the ground / pavement. The covers also have a gentle roundness to them, too. The usual "crash bar" will only have 1 square inch or so of surface area in contact with the ground during a low side crash and has a much sharper curvature to it, as well. The authors conclusion was that crash bars would be more likely to turn a low side crash into a high side one because of these factors. Of course, there are a lot of "depends" to what would actually happen, though.

"I have achieved my 70 years in the usual way: by sticking strictly to a scheme of life that would kill anyone else." Mark Twain

On Duane's site, the comment about the crash bars go along with the "multiple rollover" idea that they present more of a problem. I have them on my bike but have been considering removing them... not sure yet.

Hmmm

I bought a used pair and put them on the R100 prior to my son taking over ownership. He dropped the bike at a gas station at 0 MPH and again at a camp ground, again at 0 MPH both times with not so much as a scratch on either the paint or the valve covers. During the bar install session I removed the (BMW, but non-stock) oil cooler and simplified the routine maintenance by a factor of 10

The bike is less handsome with the crash bars on, and they will not be permanent fixtures.

No to bars

I had bars on my R80 in Germany. In a medium-speed crash, I high-sided AND the bar collapsed into the rocker cover, cracking the cover.

-jwk-
Dallas, OR
R80/7

Crash Bars Saved my Leg

IÔÇÖm very thankful my first bike came with crash bars. Two years ago I was side swiped by a Lincoln Navigator. The crash bars bent toward the engine and just barely made contact with the motor surface. If the crash bars had not been installed the bumper of the SUV would have cracked the case of the engine making the repairs much more extensive. The crash bars saved me from a broken left leg ÔǪthe bars took the impact. My Fianc?®e who was on the back broke both bones in her left leg. I think IÔÇÖll install crash bars around the engine AND saddle bags on all my bikes.

Dan
1983 R80RT
1983 CB450
1978 CB125S

krehmkej said:

I had bars on my R80 in Germany. In a medium-speed crash, I high-sided AND the bar collapsed into the rocker cover, cracking the cover.

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...and you're thinking that the rocker cover would NOT have sustained any damage if the bars had not been there? A high-side is a pretty violent incident...I think all bets are off regaring whether bars are going to help or not... IMO...

Sure, just do it

Why not? Cheap insurance. Don't stress...just do it!

Well, it definitely makes it easier to put the lower fairing bits on without them! Thanks for all the input.

My point regarding the high-side wipeout is that the guard didn't prevent any damage, and itself was just another damaged part to replace.

krehmkej said:

My point regarding the high-side wipeout is that the guard didn't prevent any damage, and itself was just another damaged part to replace.

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which is why mine are gone.

if you crash hard enough to damage a jug, you've got much more to be worrying about.

ducatipaso said:

which is why mine are gone.

if you crash hard enough to damage a jug, you've got much more to be worrying about.

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For the same reasons, that's why I have them. Hopefully, in a "perfect" world, what happens most is the parking lot tipovers or oops situations. The bars take the brunt of those encounters. And, to add what you said, if you're crashing hard enough and often enough, maybe the bars are not an issue...worry about something else...

20774 said:

For the same reasons, that's why I have them. Hopefully, in a "perfect" world, what happens most is the parking lot tipovers or oops situations. The bars take the brunt of those encounters. And, to add what you said, if you're crashing hard enough and often enough, maybe the bars are not an issue...worry about something else...

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I knock wood this isnt happening to me, but then again, my butchered bike is super light so parking lot maneuverability and whatnot is quite uneventful. The lighter it is, the easier it'll tip over, too

I don't think that engine guards cause highside crashes. What does is releasing the rear brake while you sliding. This cause the rear wheel to try to realign with the front thus causing the violent jerk. I was a motor officer and we use to practice laying the bikes down and the trick was to keep the rear wheel locked until you were stopped. This was done prior to all the new up dates in the braking systems.

Crash bars? But theyÔÇÖre already engineered in!

I was involved in my first crash a few weeks ago during a track day in the rain. A 40+ mph low side after my front wheel slipped out in the wet. After I was reunited again with my bike, I was inspecting the damage and noticed that I had ground down about a ?¢ÔÇØ off my cylinder head cover. To my astonishment, that was the only damage the bike received. Not a mark on my turn signals, handlebar ends, nothing! Granted, I think I was pretty luck, but that gave me a new appreciation for how stout and well engineered these bikes are. Quite a few bikes went down that day and I am thankful that I am just replacing a $60 cover and not pedals, turn signals, handlebars and expensive bits of plastic.

As to whether I would be forking out ANY money if I hadnt taken off the crash bars that the bike came with, or whether the crash might have turned into a highside if I had them on - as some may arguewho knows. But I know I wouldnt be getting the lean angles I have if I was using them, oil filters changes are a bit quicker and easier without them and, quite honestly, I think the bike looks a thousand times nicer without them. And I probably would have ended up forking out AT LEAST $60 to get a replacement crash bar if I had had them during that crash.

If you are worried about getting a scratch or two on your cylinder covers when you drop the bike in a parking lot go ahead and get themI cant help but think about those plastic covers people put on their couches and chairs to protect them from spilled drinks and dust when I do see guards on airheads.

And as far as guards protecting you or the bike in an accident/collision on the street? I think that there are so many variables that no one can say for sure - anyway, just my two cents.

hey herrhead I'd love to see some pix of your bike, and know more about what you've done to it.

ducatipaso

I'm out of town right now, but I'll try and send some pictures of my /7 to you when I get home. Or post some pictures on "post a pic of your airhead" - I still haven't done that yet. It's pretty much stock, except for some standard modifications (SS brake cable, S fairing, sport seat, Ikon and Progressive suspension, etc.) I even run the bike with points and condenser (although I might switch to a Dyna III soon). I would really like to find someone who raced/races old airheads to talk about how to get the bike a little more track ready. I'm not really interested in racing (just yet), but I wouldn't mind getting some more information.
I guess I will post an official inquiry to the masses later and not begin to sidetrack this post.

Just dropped my R80 ST with a Hannigan fairing getting the bike off the centerstand last week. First time I ever dropped it. The crash bars were removed from the bike earlier, and there was absolutely no visible damage anywhere, not a scratch. So much for crash bars being necessary to protect the bike... do miss the sidestand though.

Unfortunately, I have some experience here having crashed an R75/6 and an '84 R100, both with protectors. There are, or at least were, two types of these available. One is the BMW type that connects at three points, one being behind the cylinder on the lower frame rail. This type is more likely to to cause frame damage in a crash. I had these on the R75 -- it didn't matter one way or the other as the hit was so hard it took out the protector, the cylinder, the frame and quite a bit else. The other kind mounts in two places, both in front of the cylinder. I had these on the R100 when it (we) went down at about 50-60. The bike, well after we had parted company, did high side and flip to the other side. Both cylinder protectors were trashed, no damage to the cylinders or the valve covers. I replaced those protectors and thought it cheap at the price since they were about all that needed replacing. If an airhead was my only bike, or my principle bike, I wouldn't be without them.
That said, the R90S looks much cooler without them and I don't ride it as hard as i did my other two airheads which were my only bikes at the time.