Engine Guards

MilwDave

MilwDave

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Maybe it’s just me but the engine guard offerings for the R18 don’t appeal to me.
Something along this style with curves that mimic the cylinder covers would look better IMHO.

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I ordered the engine guards from BMW the day I bought my R18 Classic. After over four months of waiting, they finally got here and now I wonder if they would do any good at all, they only protrude about 3/8ths and inch at the most and look like they would offer no protection if the bike fell over ??? Later I saw that Hornig offers a guard that really looks like all the business but is black.... just my thoughts ! ! BTW this is my 5th BMW and never had one on its side yet, lettuce hope my luck holds out ! !
 
buellwinkle said:
I ordered the engine guards from BMW the day I bought my R18 Classic. After over four months of waiting, they finally got here and now I wonder if they would do any good at all, they only protrude about 3/8ths and inch at the most and look like they would offer no protection if the bike fell over ??? Later I saw that Hornig offers a guard that really looks like all the business but is black.... just my thoughts ! ! BTW this is my 5th BMW and never had one on its side yet, lettuce hope my luck holds out ! !
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Darn, that is sad to hear. Wold have hoped the bmw brand guards would offer more protection then that.
 
I read that the valve covers are just jewel to make the heads look good. On my old /5 they actually we concaved to allow space for the valve rockers. Too bad someone does not make some that are flatter in design, granted that might not ‘look’ good to most anyone though but might allow more clearance space in case of a drop when stopped.

Wait, it is coming back to me now. The best way to buy the bike you want is…from someone else …that already spent the coin to add all the extras you want then sells you the bike at a large discount…low miles…and locally.
 
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I purchased the BMW brand engine guard for my R18 Model B, which was installed at the time of purchase with the thought I wanted to add the leg rest and the leg wind protection typically found on the Transcontinental. I did eventually install the leg rest; however the look and feel didn't appeal to me and eventually removed & sold the leg rest.

I did post pictures of a Model B that looked pretty beat up after going down, where there was damage on the cylinder head cover that the engine protection bar didn't "protect".

I think the engine protection bar and perhaps the Wunderlich case protection bar is good for one of those "Oh $%!*" moments when making a tight U-Turn, or accidentally pushing the bike over in the garage when trying to get the snow blower out and definitely NOT anything at +30 MPH..

I agree... I like the naked look (not protection bars)
 
IMO the guard will do more harm than good if you were to come off at reasonable speed. The bars will likely help if you dropped the bike at a standstill but I imagine at 30mph plus they’ll be no help at all. I like the OEM bars looking from behind the engine but I think they look odd from front on with the exhausts running through them.

When I worked at HD we had a Street Glide Special dropped off after an accident for an insurance appraisal and the OEM guard had been pushed up into the bottom of the fuel tank, as well as the spine of the frame. Needless to say it was a write off.
 
Alex-B said:
IMO the guard will do more harm than good if you were to come off at reasonable speed. The bars will likely help if you dropped the bike at a standstill but I imagine at 30mph plus they’ll be no help at all. I like the OEM bars looking from behind the engine but I think they look odd from front on with the exhausts running through them.

When I worked at HD we had a Street Glide Special dropped off after an accident for an insurance appraisal and the OEM guard had been pushed up into the bottom of the fuel tank, as well as the spine of the frame. Needless to say it was a write off.
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When Indian rolled out the Roadmaster they posted videos of the effectiveness of the engine and bag guards. They provide 100% protection.
I don’t want to tell you how I know that they work. In a slow fall there is zero damage but like any bike going down at speed they wouldn’t likely hold up.
 
Ulrich said:
For whatever it's worth ... I like my BMW oems ... never went for the foot rest .. if I feel the need to sit in a gynecologists chair, I put my heels on them just far enough away from the header pipes not to melt my boots :)
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That would be a strange chair indeed to be sitting in lol. I got them just because they are so ‘out there’. Sort of like the Rock/Roll/Rain theme.
 
MilwDave said:
Maybe it’s just me but the engine guard offerings for the R18 don’t appeal to me.
Something along this style with curves that mimic the cylinder covers would look better IMHO.
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If there was a “loopy” guard available like your pic, I’d be first in line. Otherwise, meh to everything else I have seen. I think the bike is beautiful without them.
 
R12C-R18TC said:
Other than for a static drop, I don't expect the engine guards to protect the bike much.
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Agreed! ... but I do like the looks 😁

... and that is the nice thing about these bikes .. you can have it your way! There is no wrong (IMO) because everybody has different taste ... not 'Cookie Cutter' bikes ... YES!
 
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