As I try to keep things as simple as possible on my bike I haven't added much of anything except passing lamps and beach bar, but a recent accident has me thinking about installing an engine guard (aka "crash bar) on my CrossBones. Obviously, the pros are that it protects the front end, the gas tank, and it would prop the bike up in the event of a fall-over (thus making it easier to right the bike up). The cons as I understand them are that they can bend the frame (because they are attached to it and would transfer the moment force) in the event of an accident, thus totalling the bike. I am not sure about the hazards involved in a bad crash - would they help or make things worse? I would think it would protect your legs but if the bar got squashed inward they would crush your leg. Are there any other pros and cons you know of? I am guessing there's no insurance credit for an engine guard.

FWIW: I was surprised to learn that the 1936 EL Knucklehead came with an engine guard as stock equipment.

 

Yup, back in the day ('30's-'60's) all big Harleys came standard with "crash bars"-excuse me, "engine guards" (at least they were included in the mandatory "equipment groups" you had to buy).

In my case, the engine guards have saved my primary cover and exhaust system from damage in a couple of driveway/parking lot mishaps. First time I was pushing the bike up the driveway and slipped, dropping it. Second time, I forgot to remove the brake rotor lock. I can say that having the engine guard makes it MUCH easier to pick up the bike from a drop.

That's made the engine guard worth it to me. Besides, an "old school" style FL like mine looks incomplete without the guard. As far as a crash at speed, I figure I'd have worse things to worry about than whether the engine guard would bend the frame. Accidents, and the consequences of them, are hard to predict, so I try not to overthink them.

 

I bought them for them helping in crashes but also so I could mount some pegs on them.

 

Your "con" that if it gets bent, it could crush your leg is outweighed by the fact that it should allow you to get your leg out before the bar collapses far enough to crush your leg.

 

The guards will bend at their mounts before they bend the frame.


I've had my leg under my bike when on its side a couple of times. The guard kept the bike off my leg.

 

Somewhere to move your feet to when cruising. I have the mustache bar with the black pads, and I've added highway pegs. I like the options.

 

As has been said, engine guards give you an extra place to put your feet on a long run, which can be very helpful. If you spend the money and get a good engine guard, it will also protect your legs when your bike tips over on its side. A friend of mine had one on his Heritage and he escaped injury to his leg and his bar was only slightly bent afterwards.

 

And the upper center mount is where they bend the frame. When an insurance adjuster see's that mount bent between the frames down tubes, they consider it a bent frame and typically total the bike.

 

Engine guards are a great place to mount highway pegs.




They can also be a bike & leg saver...way better to have it sliding down the road on the engine guard and bag guard than your leg or bags, etc.

If the bike is hit hard enough to bend the frame mounting tab, yes that will total the bike, but if you have insurance, might be better to replace the bike than to run one that was hit that hard.

Here is a pic of my Ultra that was T-Boned...you can see that everything folded up/bent toward my leg. The highway peg on the engine guard hit my knee and broke it. I think it is impossible to know if there was no engine guard there...would it have been better to just be hit by the truck, or did the engine guard absorb some appreciable amount of the impact before giving way and hitting me?

 

Cons: your bike looks like an old man's ride

Pro: it'll save you money if you can't hold it up on your own.