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New engine guard

This is why I wanted these engine guards... This is pretty easy to happen, 'specially if one is a bit fatigued....


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pwdFfAbyC-M" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

https://www.youtube.com/embed/pwdFfAbyC-M
 
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AntonLargiader said:
I'm against any guard that compromises cornering clearance, and these fall squarely into that category. Both my wife and I have ground valve covers or plastic guards, as have friends, and I recently repaired some crash damage for a local rider who hit a guard such as these to the pavement. It doesn't look like a lot of clearance that you are losing... until you lose it, and you can see it's actually a lot.
Click to expand...

Very good point. I once experienced a slide into the oncoming lane due to dragging an engine guard which unweighted the front tire with the expected result of a loss of traction. I was lucky that 1. no traffic was coming my way, and 2. the tire regained traction and allowed me to get back to where I belonged - in my own lane.
 
BC1100S said:
Very good point. I once experienced a slide into the oncoming lane due to dragging an engine guard which unweighted the front tire with the expected result of a loss of traction. I was lucky that 1. no traffic was coming my way, and 2. the tire regained traction and allowed me to get back to where I belonged - in my own lane.
Click to expand...

Engine guards don't touch the ground, people do. We need to learn how far we can go down in a turn depending on the bike or setup or accessories. My previous bike was a 600 CC Yamaha with straight 4 engine, the tank was sticking out more than the motor. I lost several inches of clearance moving to a boxer engine, already adjusted to it. And there are short people who have to lower their bikes to have proper reach. They lose more clearance than us with the engine guards. Of course if one choses to have just one exact setup definitely should avoid putting an engine guard or anything on.

With that, yesterday the Miss and I went out on a short trip and parked right next to this 'thing'. If you think you have low clearance with an engine guard check out those factory runners and driving lights on this bike, it will redefine ground clearance.

7-6-19 Prescott.JPG
 
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Paul_F said:
I don't know if my longer front rear fender would work on your bike but on my '98 R1100RT, I found a rear front fender off a K1200LT that was much longer than mine and fit with absolutley no modifications. :thumb
Click to expand...

Paul: I ordered a used one in good condition off of eBay .. thanks! Was only $25 shipped so worth the try.
 
robsryder said:
...I found it desirable to slightly bend the front tab so that I could use 4 stainless steel m6 washers as spacers....
Click to expand...

Be aware that doing so weakens the connection, making it more likely that you bend the bolt and damage the boss in a tipover. OTOH mounting it directly still gives the risk of breaking the back out of the threaded boss in a drop - I've seen that many times. Those M6 bosses were not intended to support rigid guards. The BMW guards that mount there are flexible and act as cushions and abrasion resistance against the valve cover rather than trying to support the entire bike (which is what the ZTechnik guards are trying to do).

happy wanderer said:
I have those guards on my 1100RT and the belly pan scrapes before they do. :scratch
Click to expand...

Is your bike lowered or heavily loaded? Most RTs that I see drag the side fairings, just ahead of the rider's foot, in aggressive cornering.
 
Paul_F said:
I don't know if my longer front rear fender would work on your bike but on my '98 R1100RT, I found a rear front fender off a K1200LT that was much longer than mine and fit with absolutley no modifications. :thumb
Click to expand...

So I decided to go with the RT fender, it fit perfectly and gives me another few inches. Thank you for the suggestions!

98 RT Fenders 7-8-19 3.jpg
 
tibork said:
So I decided to go with the RT fender, it fit perfectly and gives me another few inches. Thank you for the suggestions!



You could also add a Fenda Extenda on the bottom of that and get another 4 or 5 inches of keeping the slop down protection. I put one on my RT and it really helps to keep the front a bit cleaner with less back spray.
Click to expand...
 
I agree with Anton. I have the valve covers, not the guards. I low-sided once on a low speed turn at an intersection just sprayed with anti-icing fluid in preparation for a winter storm. The cover was scrapped as well as the handlebar end and the tip of the muffler. I continued my ride with no visible damage other than cosmetic. Removal of the cover and corrective hammering got it to fit properly. I can see how a guard could have broken the mounting bosses on the cylinder making the repair more expensive and inconvenient.

As to the other subject in this thread, I added the fender extender after spending too much time cleaning my oil cooler. Money well spent.
 
tibork said:
Engine guards don't touch the ground, people do. We need to learn how far we can go down in a turn depending on the bike or setup or accessories.
Click to expand...

Hmm, where have I heard that rationale before? :)

Agreed on learning what one's maximum angle of lean is. The caveat here is when you get surprised by a corner that's tighter than you expected. Which is what happened to me. The alternative is to stand the bike up and grab a fist full of brake, which typically leads to a rapid exit into the ditch, or the classic "lay 'er down".

But while we may not agree on the style of valve cover protection to use, I'm happy that you found the solution you were looking for. :thumb
 
BC1100S said:
The alternative is to stand the bike up and grab a fist full of brake, which typically leads to a rapid exit into the ditch, or the classic "lay 'er down".
Click to expand...

I would propose that the alternative is to transfer body position (hang off) to the inside of the turn while allowing the bike to become more perpendicular to the pavement, while continuing through the turn. This ought to be practiced occasionally at less than touchdown angles.
 
PGlaves said:
I would propose that the alternative is to transfer body position (hang off) to the inside of the turn while allowing the bike to become more perpendicular to the pavement, while continuing through the turn. This ought to be practiced occasionally at less than touchdown angles.
Click to expand...

And if one is already doing that....:laugh
 
I have considered the argument that the engine guard, as I had it mounted, increases the likelihood of damaging the front aluminum mounting boss (adjacent to the exhaust header) in the event of a tipover. I find the argument compelling and thus have removed the engine guards and reinstalled the OEM valve cover protectors.

One of my interests in the engine guard was for mounting an LED aux light in a lower position. I find that I can mount the LED aux lights in the same location by using a short aluminum bracket (about 4 inch long x 3/8 x 1/4). The photo below illustrates this -

r11rs-auxlite.JPG
 
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