Engine guard flex fix

[Chiro]

After reading the excellent thread on this site on how to fix the flexing problems in the engine guards, I made the repairs yesterday. I did it as the thread said to, and without a glitch. I just can not believe that Yamaha does not know that this is a poor design and a real weak spot. God forbid anyone dropping their bike prior to doing the fix, I'm sure a lot of bodywork would have to be done. The hardest part of the entire job is taking off the floorboard mounts, they are torqued on and with blue locktite. The 1" 3 piece bar clamps were the most expensive items on the list, at $7.99 each from J&P Cycles. Part # 7000127 . Do yourself a big favor and make this fix, you will not believe how solid it makes the engine guards!

[wes0778]

After reading the excellent thread on this site on how to fix the flexing problems in the engine guards, I made the repairs yesterday. I did it as the thread said to, and without a glitch. I just can not believe that Yamaha does not know that this is a poor design and a real weak spot. God forbid anyone dropping their bike prior to doing the fix, I'm sure a lot of bodywork would have to be done. The hardest part of the entire job is taking off the floorboard mounts, they are torqued on and with blue locktite. The 1" 3 piece bar clamps were the most expensive items on the list, at $7.99 each from J&P Cycles. Part # 7000127 . Do yourself a big favor and make this fix, you will not believe how solid it makes the engine guards!

 

Got the link to that thread handy?

[StarRider07]

Got the link to that thread handy?

 

Yes, this link would be handy. Can't find it. Anyone?

[Owen]

here you go

[Eck]

flexing problems in the engine guards, I made the repairs yesterday.

 

I just can not believe that Yamaha does not know that this is a poor design and a real weak spot.

 

Chiro,

I would like to share with you MY opinion on this subject if I amy.

 

I truely believe Yamaha does know the design well and that they actually designed it that way...."intentionally".

 

Reason:

Being that you stiffened and or beefed them up, now they wont bend or give way and it just may be more dangerous now where they could grab and flip your bike over like a toy..

 

Now this is only my opinion, and there is nothing to back it up, but I really think they are designed that way..

 

I just hope your not moving if you ever do lay your bike over..you just may WISH the crash guard did give way...........then again, I could be wrong..

[Chiro]

Well, if that is the case, then 23 of the last 24 new bikes that I've owned have been designed wrong. Why would you even waste the time to put on engine guards that will not protect the engine in the event of a mishap? Perhaps you are right, but I sure hope not.

[frogmaster]

FYI:

 

Last Fall I laid my RSV-08 on its left side (low speed maybe 10 mph) at 6:45pm, called Progressive at 8:45pm Friday Eve and Saturday at 8am Adjuster called me says he will be at my house in 1 Hr ((Can not complain about service at this point)). First thing he says is 80% of all his Bikes are TOTALED. Reason if there is ANY FRAME Bending or Cracking it is PARTY OVER = TOTALED. When he looked at my bike says all the components had bent and saved the FRAME.

 

Not saying good or bad just sharing information of real life situation about similar discussion or Strengthening and Reinforcing.

[Chiro]

Hey, as for the link, if you go to the Technical Library. Click on the 2nd generation and Royal Star Technical Library. Then click on the Body, Plastic, Paint, and Seats section. Scroll down to the thread:Crash Bar Supports. This will show Pics and explain it rather well. Or, you could just go up and hit search (up in the blue area) and type in Crash Bar Supports. It will then come up.

[Seaking]

I just got my clamps in and will be installing this mod on this winter. My buddy spun the bike out at a construction site and what a mess it made of his bike.. he hit a pot hole, his foot slipped on the dirt and the hand dumped the throttle and spun the bike out against that guard.. In this case, if he had the stiffener installed he would have had less damage..

 

The weak part of this mod, where it bolts to the floor board support should shear off if you hit something hard enough to cause catastrophic damage.. You're only looking to add 'stiffness' support to the guards, not reinforce them.. But to each his own.. I'm using small enough bolts to do the job but still be able to come apart should the worse ever happen.

 

just my opinion..

[Chiro]

I guess, if it's between the frame of the bike getting bent during a not so catastrophic accident, and my leg getting crushed, I would choose the former. No crash bar is good at the time of a blowout at 65mph, and that's not what I'm talking about. BUT, a engine guard should be able to hold up the bike during a drop over, and should really be able to withstand the torque of a highway peg without bending. I can replace a bike, but not a leg.

 

PS: This is what is so great about this site, we all talk about things that we often think and wonder about. Thanks ALL for adding your 2 cents. You have made me think!

[Dave77459]

PS: This is what is so great about this site, we all talk about things that we often think and wonder about. Thanks ALL for adding your 2 cents. You have made me think!

 

OK, so here's a couple pennies. I took the Ride Like a Pro course, where we learn slow speed maneuvers. I put plastic casings over the engine guard, just to protect the chrome. Yes, I dropped the bike. Many times. Slow enough that I could lower it slowly with my foot. No damage to the bike. That is, the engine guards were strong enough to survive a drop.

 

I was at a stop light, and then proceeded across a road covered with metal plates. It was raining and I probably was going to slowly. Or maybe the uneven, saggy steel plates provided no grip. I dropped the bike. The engine guard bent enough that my right floorboard was bent up, not flat. I pushed it forward so that the floorboard would lay flat. The stock engine guard did the job, again.

 

I was traveling in a light drizzle, and a stopped car suddenly changed lanes in front of me. I laid the bike down rather than t-bone the car. I slid some distance on the wet road. I had to bend the right engine guard back again. It did the job, again.

 

I was at a gas station, and the front wheel slid on steel gas tank access covers. The bike went down on the left side with my wife on the back this time. It was slow, I lowered the bike, but the sliding front wheel was enough to have it go down fast enough that the guard bent and I had to kick the guard back to let the floorboard sit flat. But it did the job.

 

My point is that at slow speeds or stopped drops, the guards are plenty strong enough to protect the engine. I think if I am ever going fast enough where they fail to do the job, I'll have other things to worry about.

 

Just my view.

 

Dave

[Carbon_One]

Gonna add my on this since I've dropped the bike twice, once without the supports and once with em in place.

First drop was a 15 mph drop when the front wheel slid out on some oil in the road. The left bar literally folded back and up over the foot rest and shifter.

The second drop was at about 45 mph. High sided the bike after locking up the rear wheel. Went down on the right side bounced over to the left side where it slide to a stop. Both bars were bent back just out side the ends of where the supports were mounted. While there was some major body damage to plastic, the insurance company (Progressive) didn't write off the bike. I think that without the supports keeping the bars from folding up all the way there would of been much more damage to the bike.

There's always exceptions to what can happen of course.

Oh like many others I've dropped the bike at stops when the bike decided it was rest time. Never had any problems with the bars wanting to fold in those situations either. Scruffed up the bottoms some but if you didn't look underneath you'd never know.

Personally I like the supports more for the fact that they'll keep the lowers from being broken due to excessive flexing. The added rigidity helps in slow speed drops better I think and can add an extra measure of protection to you and the engine in most cases.

Larry

Edited January 17, 2010 by Carbon_One

[Seaking]

A lot of good comments based on various personal opinions.. however my primary purpose of installing this mod is so I don't have the flexing of the bars when I press my feet against the pegs when I'm riding.. sorta gives me the willies that it might flex outwards when I put my weight against it..

 

When I ride, I've got my legs stretched out on the boards, with my toes resting on the pegs, when I need to sit up right and proper I push against the pegs which flexes the bars forward..

 

I'm going to be taking the advance rider's course this spring as I believe they're making all instructors take it anyway.. what did you do for putting plastic guards on over the chrome to protect them?

[s allen]

I will be going with the extra braces for mine. This was the first thing I noticed after I put highway pegs on. Put my feet on the pegs and the bars flexed. I think they should be at least strong enough to hold the weight of the bike when layed down or droped at the slow speeds. Of course this is just my opinion.

 

 

Steve

[BigBoyinMS]

The pegs were my reason for adding them too. When I put my big old boots on the pegs it felt like the guards were made of rubber.

By the way, using my cordless drill I had room to drill the floorboard bracket on the right just by it leaning on the kickstand. To drill the left bracket I let the right side frame lean against the bike lift. It was as stable as I needed.