--- In
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Christopher Eckert"
wrote:
>
> I am trying to choose a set of crash bars, highway pegs and bash
> plate. I plan to buy the bash plate from whom ever I get the bars
> just to simplify my life. That's me, mister simplification.
>
> Options so far seem to be as seen below. I think my questions are
as
> follows but I may have missed stuff so all info is welcome.
>
> Question 1) Have I missed any reasonable options?
>
> Question 2) Anybody tried the very affordable Whitehorse crash bars?
>
> Question 3) Other than protecting the plastic side panels, how much
> do nerf bars get you over the basic crash bar, is the radiator
> commonly damaged in falls?
>
> Options currently on the table
>
> Option 1) Twisted throttle Nerf = $425. $240 for bars plus $125
for
Chris,
Many riders will never need a metal skid plate. cough. I saw one
last week that was 'deformed' a full 1/2 inch after it fell on a
boulder.... Judge by your riding conditions on what you will need.
I have highway pegs with my PD-Nerf bars--I use them infrequently,
and then only for a few moments. I think they are a waste of money--
and rarely see any KLRista riding with his feet on them--although
they usually come as part of the 'deal'.
On the other hand--
You pose an interesting question that validates a specific course of
action to armor your bike: What will break when I fall down. (If you
ride, you will fall down; if you ride fast, you will fall down HARD.)
That said;
I am by no means an expert, but do have some recent, experience with
two types of radiator protection--real, fall down, bone-breaking
experience.
I have one KLR that I have equipped with HT PD-Nerf Bars. Two years
ago, I had a 15-20 MPH tip-over that collapsed my collar bone
longitudinally and broke 6 ribs. The bike 'flopped' over in a quasi-
high side while encountering a rut; the HT- PD Nerf Bars plus the
Barkbusters were the huge winner. $30K dollars damage to me; zero
damage to bike--just tweaked the Nerf bars slightly. Admittedly, it
fell on the right side but there was no damage to the tank faring or
displacement of the overflow bottle/assembly. The HT PD nerf Barf did
their job--understanding the bars don't make the bike superman would
ride, but give the bike a measure of protection not expected from any
other product out there.
Fast forward to the past three weeks. My 2d KLR had a "C" shaped
radiator protector, nothing on the right side when I took off on the
GDR for a 5,500+ mile trip from Canada to Mexico. My riding
companion John had the PD Nerf Bars installed on his bike. Our
riding conditions were far from ideal, and we both fell down a lot.
I fell down more in one day than I have fallen down in the past 2
years. One of the falls was in a boulder field. John fell down
twice in the same boulder field, but with a better armored bike. It
would be the theme of the ride--the Great Fall Down Tour. I think it
would be a full week before we could go all day and not drop the bike-
-mud, sleet, rain, snow, hail, spit and anguish. Something for
everyone!
All that damage from dropping was masked by my panniers--I thought I
was going unscathed...not so fast Virginia! Nearly at the end, while
licking my wounds and repairing the damage in the garage of Jeff
Saline, the first thing I noticed as I stripped off the tank were
both tank shrouds were broken--followed by that sickening feeling
that you would get when you see that the fan blade was NOT in the
proper location.
YIKES!
No previous grinding noise, an occasional cycling of the rad/fan--
When did that 'break'?
Who knows.
Could have been on the first fall down on the left side, could have
been in the last few hundred miles when I dropped the bike on the
left side in a rest area in NE New Mexico.
Further inspection showed that the "C" shaped rad protector did its
job--on the leading edge of the radiator. The aft edge was pushed
in, pushing the lower left mounting point of the rad/fan/shroud into
the fan and its subsequent self destruction; ripping the blade
assembly from its aluminum hub (which was remounted and potted in
with JB QUICK Weld). The "C" shaped rad protector did only a partial
job--earning a grade of C-. I am certain the PD Nerf bars would
have given greater protection...as I am certain that the contents of
the panniers contributed to the 'damage' sustained. Got to put all
the adventure stuff somewhere...and while we are at it,
Those big beautiful metal panniers you see on the backs of bikes
are 'future leg breakers'. Both John and I sustained great physical
pain and damage when his KLR fell on him three times, me once, while
trying to wrestle his KLR out of the bolder fields and the mud. I
would not walk across the steet to get them if they were free. Yes
strong words, but they will hurt you, if not cripple you if you are
unfortunate to be under them when the bike falls.
John's bike, equipped with the HT PD Nerf bars fell more often than
mine, and did not sustain any of the damage I have
described...although he was not riding with tank panniers. In one of
the two fall downs in the boulder field, John fractured an ankle bone
(trapped under the metal rear panniers); no sustainable damage to the
bike. The nerfbars did their jobs.
Admittedly, my bike with tank panniers strike the ground before the
handle bars/barkbuster devices, thus supporting the weight of the
bike and transferring that weight directly to the tank shroud/rad
assembly/tank overflow, depending on which side you drop the bike. I
contributed to the damage by having tank panniers, cough, I also
contributed to the damage by engaging in such a ride. shrug.
Point is, the Nerf Bars give better protection. I wished I had
demounted them from the 01KLR and remounted them on the 98KLR for
this ride. shrug. 20/20 hindsight. smile. we still had fun!
Now that you think I am a Happy Trails zombie--there have been some
issues that have been discussed here in the past; some, to include
me, have had the Nerfbars interfere with the steering head position
when the wheel is turned full right. That was corrected by cutting
off the mounting point and pulling it aft. I also have had two welds
fail; was it from dropping the bike? Could be. Could have been a
poor weld.
It is nice to have a kind, fellow KiLeRista with a welder that can
fix such things....
Now, as to your question of who to buy from.
I am not certain who manufactures what in the list of suppliers, or
who is selling what from your list of descriptors: but I do
know/have seen that the HT product is of a heavier gauge pipe than
the copycat Nerf bars sold by some other companies (of which I have
no immediate recall of that brand).
If I wanted maximum protection, I would buy the HT PD Nerf Bars.
Yes, I would pay a little more for the heavier gauge pipe. If you
ride, you will fall down. If you ride fast, you will fall down HARD,
cough, but I said that already.
Buy the protection once and protect the vulnerable parts. The
protection cost is about equal to the replacement cost of what you
will break. One tank faring on a pre 08 with decal is some $100.
shrug. Mine have been repaired with pop rivets and reinforced with
strips of aluminum. It is well on its way to joining the happy ranks
of Mad-Max bikes. You ride yours very much, and it will begin to
have a look of Mad-Max as well...
Armor up, change the gas. Repeat.
HTH
revmaaatin.