Hope somebody can help me. My 06 DWG is in the shop getting the recall service done, as well as a bunch of other education fund draining services , and I still don't have it back. As usual I've been spending my week looking at pictures of other bikes, catalogs, etc. One thing I've noticed is that there aren't too many wide glides with engine guards. Funny thing is, the first Harley I ever rode was a DWG with engine guards. I was wondering if anyone has a Wide glide with the guards...if so, I'd love to see some pics. I'm trying to decide if I should call the dealer and ask them to install a set (if they're even available for 06). I guess the whole reason I started thinking about this is because I've been watching my bank account go down since I bought this bike ...not to mention a recent thread talking about people dropping their bikes. I just would hate to think about what would happen if I dropped my bike...I'm spending so much time, effort, and money on this bike, I think I'd slit my wrist if it fell.
So do you guys think the guards are worth it? I mean...do they really protect the bike from major damage. Plus..are they easy to install?
I'm not sure if I even like the way they look on the Wide glides. Decisions decisions...
I'd appreciate any responses, opions, and especially pics.
Thanks.

Todd

 

Great idea for a thread. I've been wondering about this. I had a mini-drop after having my 01 WG for only a couple of weeks. I was stopped in a parking lot and having a little trouble getting into neutral so I rolled forward a bit (with the jiffy stand down) which helped me get into neutral but unfortunately pushed the juffy stand back enough so that it wouldn't engage.[:@] It went down real slow on the left side. Ironically the only contact it made with the ground was on one tiny spot. See my picture below. The scratch is so slight that I haven't bothered to replace the chrome cover.

I don't mean to imply that a person shouldn't consider a guard to protect themself or the engine. I just thought I would share my experience. I'm eager to see the feedback you get on this thread.

[IMG]local://upfiles/5489/D2AC6F7CCD6E4A54827AA86120391911.jpg[/IMG]

 

if it was`nt for engine guards,i would be crippled today.i wont ride without them..
your legs.also good place to install running lights.

 

I found this discussion enlightening. Not much talk about wide glides though.

Engine Guard Discussion

 

Hey Todd,
I did a Google Images search and found these:


[IMG]local://upfiles/5489/94D7F58D8C5446EEA31921769959C699.jpg[/IMG]

 

In my opinion, they just don't look good on a WG. But they might be a safety thing, so do what you think is best for you.

 

I think it depends on which bar you get as you can see in these pics.

 

Thanks guys for the replies...this has been really helpful...At least I have a better idea of what they look like...keep the pics coming. I'm starting to think that I won't be having them installed during this service...but perhaps the next...just because there's no real rush.

Dave...thanks for posting the link to that thread! The guy with the Deuce was in the same boat as me.... I read all the replies. Unfortunately, there's no real arugument to persuade me one way or the other. It's obviously a good thing for protecting the bike (and in most cases yourself)...but the looks part of it is completely up to the individual...
I'm still not sure I like the way they look...guess I need to keep checking out different pics...maybe they'll grow on me.

Thanks again everyone!

Todd

 

Yeah, I can't make up my mind either.

 

This is just my opinion. I think they ruin the looks of a dwg. If I was to install some to protect it from a drop. I like the Lindby bars. I dont think they could be relied on to protect your legs except in a small percentage of circumstances.