crash bars
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 493
Likes: 0
From: Newfoundland, Canada
Crash bars in my opinion are all about safety for your legs (and maybe a little about preventing damage to the bike). When these damn dogs run out in front of you, can you imagine hitting one at 40 mph with your right leg. It would break like a pretzel. These things are "protectors" for your legs. Should you hit a box or anything else in the road that fell from a truck, it'll take most of the impact allowing you to "ride another day."
Its sorta like a helmet for your legs. 99% of the time they're ugly, 1% of the time they pay for themselves 20 times over.
My .02 cents
Its sorta like a helmet for your legs. 99% of the time they're ugly, 1% of the time they pay for themselves 20 times over.
My .02 cents
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Yea, they might look "dorky".....but a heck of a lot cheaper than repairing or replacing a tank, bent handlebars, broken or bent levers, busted off turn signals, scratched to hell primary cover, horn cover.........and the list goes on.
I have a custom color limited edition tank, as does my husband. We found out the hard way how much it cost to replace a tank ....... $999. plus installation when my bike fell onto my husbands while trailering them to the dealer for winter storage. My clutch lever actually dented and gouged his tank all to heck. If you have special graphics or a special paint job, you'd be crazy to ride a bike without protection
It was the very first option we both put on our bikes. The one time I ever dropped mine, those guards paid for itself 5 times over.
I have a custom color limited edition tank, as does my husband. We found out the hard way how much it cost to replace a tank ....... $999. plus installation when my bike fell onto my husbands while trailering them to the dealer for winter storage. My clutch lever actually dented and gouged his tank all to heck. If you have special graphics or a special paint job, you'd be crazy to ride a bike without protection
It was the very first option we both put on our bikes. The one time I ever dropped mine, those guards paid for itself 5 times over.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 148
Likes: 14
From: Just North of Inverness,Scotland
Anybody ever fitted soft lowers to their crashbars on a Dyna?
I have a friend you uses them on his Glide,if it starts pouring when we are out on a ride he just clips them on and they really seem to take the worst of the weather off his legs,whereas I just get soaked!
I have a friend you uses them on his Glide,if it starts pouring when we are out on a ride he just clips them on and they really seem to take the worst of the weather off his legs,whereas I just get soaked!
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,641
Likes: 5
From: West Branch, Michigan
Thanks Thornhammer..... It's a color that stands out easily in a sea of black and red bikes, that's for sure.
As for my bike expressing itself Worstpirate...... That's funny!! I'll bet it was pissed it was being put away for the season. We clean and wax a them up in the fall before we put them away. If we both rode our bikes to the Dealer and dropped them off ( 60 miles away), we'd have no way back home. Believe me, we'd rather have been riding.
As for my bike expressing itself Worstpirate...... That's funny!! I'll bet it was pissed it was being put away for the season. We clean and wax a them up in the fall before we put them away. If we both rode our bikes to the Dealer and dropped them off ( 60 miles away), we'd have no way back home. Believe me, we'd rather have been riding.
Stage I
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
I just dropped my 08 FDX after having it a week. A slow left turn at the wrong angle across a stream of water in the gutter and I was down. Bent handlebars and foot shifter, softball dent on the tank, scratched signal lights and clutch. Grand total $4000, increased insurance premium next year and 6-8 weeks...yes that's right...waiting for HD parts to arrive. Wish I had known about crash bars before this happened. They would've been put on immediately and saved me and insurance a lot of money.
They may not look cool but neither does not having your ride for 2 months. If I keep the bike after the fix, they're going on.
They may not look cool but neither does not having your ride for 2 months. If I keep the bike after the fix, they're going on.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 348
Likes: 0
From: Jensen Beach Florida
As you may have read in my recent thread I also dropped my 11 Dyna which was still like new. My wife was on the back and her legs would have been crushed and burned if I did not have an engine guard. It went over on the pipe side and her legs would have been trapped under the very hot pipes until I could have lifted it off. That alone was worth sacrificing a little of the "looks issue" with the bars. O.K. so enough with the safety issue which a lot of guys don't want to here about but maybe you will care about the bike damage.
I had no paint damage except to the engine guard which is gloss black. I touched them up and they looked good enough to leave that way and prevent rust. Only minor very hard to see scratches on SE pipes and rear turn signal. The windshield got a few scratches and that cost me $92 to have replaced. I decided to get the bars coated locally since they it was only $50 to powder coat so total damage $142 to bring it back to almost like new condition. I have the optional Candy Root Beer metallic color so I am sure glad I did not have any paint damage. The black bars do not stand out as much as the chrome and they don't look to bad. The bike may not look as nice as without the bars but they aren't that bad and once you drop it (and you will sooner or later) you will be very happy you have they on.
I had no paint damage except to the engine guard which is gloss black. I touched them up and they looked good enough to leave that way and prevent rust. Only minor very hard to see scratches on SE pipes and rear turn signal. The windshield got a few scratches and that cost me $92 to have replaced. I decided to get the bars coated locally since they it was only $50 to powder coat so total damage $142 to bring it back to almost like new condition. I have the optional Candy Root Beer metallic color so I am sure glad I did not have any paint damage. The black bars do not stand out as much as the chrome and they don't look to bad. The bike may not look as nice as without the bars but they aren't that bad and once you drop it (and you will sooner or later) you will be very happy you have they on.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 944
Likes: 2
From: Ct
lindby bar looks great, the mustache bar is good and some custom bars are nice, br customs makes a sick one like the lindby but with a nice angle to rest your feet and stuff.
I am thinking about using lower fairings so I might actually use a stock one, lol even though I hate how they look.
Try not to drop your bike whether you have them or not, mmmk.
Lump
I am thinking about using lower fairings so I might actually use a stock one, lol even though I hate how they look.
Try not to drop your bike whether you have them or not, mmmk.
Lump