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With touring bike, its not if its going to be dropped/tipped over, but when.
So would forgot the lets look clean thing, and leave front and rear crash bars in place, since when it gets dropped with crash bars, no harm/no foul.
Plus, when you have to bring it back up, the crash bars hold the bike up higher/give you a grab point, so easy to get back up in the end.
Plus may be a time on the road that you don't have lift, and sometimes you may end up putting it on its side on the crash bars, so you can do what you needed as well.
My 2019 EG Std. didn't come with them ,I've dropped an EG before (I've owned 3 now) so I bought a set of aftermarket bars and installed them.
I bought the bike new as a stripped down EG as I didn't want the infotainment system and extra lights etc,just wanted a basic bike I could add what I wanted to and not pay for stuff I didn't want.
Also easier to clean and less crap to fail,having owned and Ultra and a Classic I wanted simple.
I added a tourpac,two up seat (Hammock it came with a solo) saddle bag crash bars,passenger footboards and grab bar rails etc.
It often gets mistaken for a Street Glide,I spent a lot less though even with the mods.
I have since upgraded to Ohlins suspension front and rear and have ordered Truetrack for front and rear,can't wait to add that.
I'd think twice about removing the saddlebag crash bars,they've save me a couple times over the years.
As mentioned if you ride a lot it's not a mater of if but a mater of when you'll have one go over.
I put 200,000 miles on my last one (2000 Classic) alone and it went over once,bars saved it from any major damage.
All three have gone over at least once,it happens.
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Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
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Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
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Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
