Touratech Crash Bars Install Nightmare

I spent all day tryng to get these things to mount properly onto my 08 GS. I followed the instructions to the T and I just couldn't get the two holes up in the top bar to line up. Looks like they would need some bending outwarding but theses things will not budge. Anyone else ever install a set of these?

I installed these bars on my bike this winter. I had a little trouble getting every thing lined up, but I found that when I attached everything loosely, I could align everything then tighten each bolt a little at a time. Hope this helps.
Rw

Yeah I tried that and then tried tightening everything up. I called Touratech and they told me a "secret" way of doing it but that didn't work either. They said to take a picture and send them back if there suggestion didn't work.

Man! What a PITA! Good luck with that, keep us posted.

when i installed these on my hp2, i encountered somewhat the same probem.

so i first attached the upper and lower mounting brackets to the sides of the bike, then loosely fastened the two crash bar halves together, and then mounted the bars to the brackets.

it was kind of a pain to do it this way, especially getting the nuts onto the bolts on the lower left side mount, but everything seemed to fit together better.

then i tightened everything up.

i need to adjust my valves soon, and i am going to try taking the bars off this way, and leave the mounts in place.

theoretically you don't have to take these off to remove the valve covers, but the dealer said they had to when doing the 600 mile service.

ian