When I have the engine guard conversation with myself, I say exactly what you have said. Strong arguments!

 

This is confusing....your bag looks like it has a bib on it....the stock bag has a lock which I don’t see on yours and does not have HD emblem on the top. Veddy Interesting.

 

Ah, sorry....yes...it’s the stock bag, but I hated the visible latch so much I covered them with stickers. They’ve lasted great. I’ve changed them a few times for “style”. I can’t lock them, but I rarely leave anything particularly valuable in them. Also the service guys at my dealer had zero idea how to open them when I left it for the 5k service. I had to go into the shop to show them so I figure most people wouldn’t figure it out.

 

According to Harley, that's all it does. Read their warning on their engine guards:
I've gone back and forth over the engine guard. I think it looks hideous, and it's gigantic, but Harleys are expensive and a Mustache engine guard gives you some highway peg capability, so maybe choking down the hideousness would be worth it. But I just can't bring myself to put that giant ring on.

Found an alternative that may be more acceptable, if more expensive:


Says it fits the '18 Street Bob and Low Rider models, but it may not fit the others because of the forward controls. Still, an interesting idea, perhaps someone will figure out a way to make a similar product for the Softails with forward controls.

And if you look at the "rear pegs", it looks like that's actually another crash rod back there.

 

have noticed the street bob is getting alot of the new items ahead of the pack. Could be a good indication of what will cross over, or be available for the rest of the softail series shortly.

 

Subscribing to thread as a new Heritage is on my top 3 list to choose from.

 

Well Beauty is in the eye of thye beholder. I find the black mustache engine guard very pleasant to look at. I do not think it looks tooooo big at all, in fact I think it looks just right.

Not sure that straight pipe type guard would help much in a tip over lay down situation or a slow slide. Nothing to slide on. Probably would just spin you around into more trouble.

As far as what HD says...they are going to state that disclamer as a CYA. Way back, when I was a lot younger, I had to lay my bike (A 750 Kawasaki tripple back then) down at about 40 MPH because a "little Old Lady" pulled directly out in front of me. Slid a long way on the "Engine Guard (AKA Crash Bars)" without ever scraping any flesh. Little bit of damage to Handlebars and signal lamps, but not much else. Managed to ride the bike home. So I know they work even if I dont ever want to experience that again.

I guess the simple question is: Is your perceived appearence more important than some degree of protection in a fall/lay down situtation? Your choice!

 

Too funny....that explains the "great bag mystery"!!

 

it's the little things...

 

Everyone's got to make that decision themselves, certainly. Interesting though, the folks who make that straight bar guard told me that they are also making engine guards for the forward-control Softails, and just sent a picture of one on a Fat Bob. It's very different from the round guards, the mustache, and even the other straight bar I showed in the other pic. I'm not sure whether I like it or not, but I think I may come around to it. It's got a long wide bar at the top for highway pegs, and then it also has some protection bars at the bottom; the bottom ones stick out just far enough that they form an angle which should protect the pedals and all the expensive stuff, and the bar at the top looks as wide as the handlebars, yet the whole thing doesn't look like a great big loop. They're showing it on a Fat Bob but it should be equally applicable to the Heritage or any of the other forward-control bikes. Jury's still out on whether I like it or not...


... but the more I look at it, the more I think I like it... they say they're not up on their website yet but should be in a couple of weeks.

Here's a different pic, you can see how the small bars at the bottom and the big bars at the top form an angle which should completely protect the pedals and everything else...