Triumphrat

Flyingmerkel · 07-06-2007

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the various crash bars that are available for the Bonnie. The only ones that I am aware of are Hepco-Becker and something Triumph calls "Chrome Engine Dresser Bars". The reason I'm asking is last week I putted into the local PO, which has a pretty oily parking lot, and managed to drop the bike after coming to a complete stop. Almost immediately a young fellow on a grey naked R Beemer appears and helps me right the bike and then disappears, Thanks, Masked Man! The clutch lever was the main casualty, the bike fell on it's left side and appears to have been held up by the end of the handlebar and the tang on the centerstand, the mirror was knocked wonky and my shortened turn signal was knocked around a bit. I was able to repair everything but the clutch lever, $34 at Hattar Motorsports in San Raphael as Motomeccania didn't have one. I don't want to quit riding just because I'm a dottering old fart so I'm thinking a set of crash bars might minimise the damage as I bash my way to that golden sunset. Any recomendations?

Fast_Fashion · 07-07-2007

The way I look at it is, if you are making the bike look worse in order to keep from making it look worse, it doesn't make sense. It's like putting a bra on a car. You're hiding the area you are protecting... why bother?

MarcP1956 · 07-07-2007

I searched, read, asked many questions, and in the end put a set of Hepco-Becker "crash" bars on my Bonneville Black - they really don't look that bad. Just my opinion. They install easy, and give me a place to mount lights and perhaps a set of high-way pegs. Another options is bars offered by:

http://www.revsperformance.com/renntec/engine_bars.htm

Or frame sliders:

http://www.newbonneville.com/html/frame_sliders.html

Shalom, Marc

TB-T100 · 07-07-2007

Personally, I think bars look the bizz. They are a great way to complement that retro look the bonnie is all about. So there should be no hesitation when it comes to the aestethics.

Partially because of the looks, and partially because of the "safety" I got a set of Triumph engine dresser bars. My reasoning was that in a worst case scenario it may just happen to save my leg. In addition to looking cool if a worst case (hopefully) never happens. However, in a low-speed gravel-road fall it turns out that the bars actually bend backwards fairly easily. So instead of staying squarely out from the bike, they bend somewhat backwards until they are at an angle against the engine. Luckily, they did help against scratches and bruises on both my bonnie and me, but does not feel as safe as previously thought.

Conclusion:
Looks cool, but provides only modest protection for bike and rider.