Triumphrat

I've just received a set of Touratech Bars and am ready to fit them (after the Czech GP). I've bought a good T55 Torx and I've read through the (translated) instructions and am a little nervous about fitting them myself now. I've also had a peak at the NZ web-site for the Thunderbike bars (they use the same mounting points) and there are conflicting ideas about the number of bolts to be loosened at once and the torque settings for re-tightening.

Touratech recommend loosening all 4 bolts, whereas Thunderbike recommend doing one side at a time to avoid the engine dropping (makes more sense to me). Thunderbike also warn about stripping Ally threads, my Tiger ('04) appears to have nuts and bolts for the top engine mounts and not threaded into the casings as this might suggest. Can anyone confirm this?

Touratech don't give the Torque settings for re-tightening the bars, Thunderbike give 80 Nm for the top bolts on the '04/'05. I don't have the Triumph Manual and Haynes don't do one , can anyone confirm or deny these figures?

Any other advice would be gratefully received

Bushwhacker

I just did the Ma's Guards on my 05.

The top bolts are all bolts and nuts.

I did the right side first and did not re torque the bolts before I did the bolts before I did the left side.

The engine appeared to slip slightly and I had a tough time getting the top rear bolt back in.

One other thing. To get to the nut on the front left bolt, I had to loosen the oil cooler and let it drop down out of the way.

Had I done this side first it would have been much easier to do the right side, so I recommend loosening the oil cooler before you start.

I do not know the torque specs. I just cranked those suckers down hard and I will check them periodically and the next time I am at the Dealer I will have the dealer torque them to specs.

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Badger955

In the Triumph manual it states: -

Upper crankcase to frame 80Nm
Lower crankcase to frame 80Nm
Cylinder head to frame 80Nm

I shall be fitting a set of Touratech crashbars in the next couple of weeks so any other interesting info gratefully received.

Bob

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Cheers Guys!

Job Done!

Bushwhacker: Good point. I did the right side first but tightened (not torqued) the bolts up before I did the Left. There was no engine slippage. Indeed, the inside nuts by the oil cooler are a pain but I managed to get a 17mm spanner in to hold them in place. Just try not to lever against the oil cooler or you'll flatten some of the cooling fins. It might be a good idea to loosten the cooler off first, I didn't seem to need to.

I have tried to tighten them up to 80 Nm with the torque wrench but I just don't feel confident enough to whack 'em up that far. I've tightened them up till they feel real tight and I've taken it out for a good run, gently at first and stopped every few miles to check for slack then took a good thrash down the Motoway and nothing has come loose yet (touch wood!). I'll probably do the same next time I'm in for a service and get the dealer to torque 'em up to be sure.

Badger: Only advice is -
1. Don't slacken off all 4 bolts!
2. The two big washers replace the big shim on the left-rear bolt so the Bars clear the bracket yet the locking thread on the nut still sees thread on the bolt. This was a total mystery from the instructions. Their English is obviously better than my German but they are still incomprehensible as instructions. My GiVi instructions where better and they were really badly translated from Italian.

Thanks for the Torque settings but I just can't confidently get those ally bolts that tight

It's just started P***ing down so I'll not go out and take pics now, I'll post some photos soon though.

tango

Rob I hope you're not confusing Nm with ft/lb, they will torque up to 80Nm no prob's I've done it myself, it's not as tight as you might think.

Do one side at a time, and yes it does make it easier if you drop the oil cooler.

Once they are fitted you will hardly notice them, the one thing I don't like about them is the cross bar touches the exhaust down pipes, it just irritates me, it will in time make it a weak point.

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Fatbob

If you have a centerstand it helps much. You should block up the engine tight so it does'nt slip, and only do one side at a time. The advice about the oil cooler is good, I flattened a couple fins on mine, no leaks!
I tightened the bolts to 60 ft-lbs (80 nm) no problem.

Thanks for the thought, it is a valid point and may have been a problem. However, I know my units and my torque wrench is set to 80 Nm.

It just seems that tweak too far on the torque wrench. Now the engine's been hot and cooled down again, I'll tweak 'em up a little more.

Mine is a good three mill clear. I guess the consistency in manufacture varies ever so slightly. Also, have you fastened the crossbar on the inside or outside of the lugs on the outer bars? I bolted mine outside and it's clear of the exhaust.

A good bit of advice. I used a trolley jack and a blck of wood to be sure there was no slipage. Doing one side at a time made sure it didn't slip anyway.

80 newton meter = 59.0049718 foot pound-force to be precise but what the heck

I did the jack and block thing as well for piece of mind and I also only did one side at a time. And that's a good tip about moving the oil cooler out of the way; it was a pain to get your hand/wrench up there on that side. I also coated a few threads of the bolts (as I do with most hardware on my bikes) with some blue locktite (aka thread locker) for an extra measure

Timtiger

I fitted my Touratech bars myself with little problem. Interestingly I has a problem where the lower Right mount as about 10mm too far out. This meant the supplied rubber isolation mount did not fit. I found a local supplier and simply bought a 100 wider one for about $5. My cross bar is not near the headers though. makes me wonder if there is a little variation in the Touratech bars, or a luittle variation in the Tiger frames????????

Also, I would always use loctite on engine mounts.