Long bolts? Short bolts?

Have worked out how the bar ends bolt in but not before calling R&G for some 90mm bolts. I still have the 50mm bolts supplied with their bar ends and i am wondering which will fair better in a crash. I would appriciate any tips to make the bike crash better (less damage not easier to crash). My last crash ripped the rear brake lever and footpeg off (taking spare footrest assemblies to my next trackday), snapped front brake lever (spare levers), jammed the throttle tube solid (hopefully the R&G bar ends will stop that happening again).

[northwind]

The R&G bar ends won't do very much... They absorb a little impact, is all. I presume you've got crash bungs already? Swingarm bungs are OK, mine have certainly done some good, though I don't know how much. The R&G can protector is quite good, if completely ugly- I did have one but it didn't fit well with my system, and came loose all the time.

Other things you can do... rearsets with solid pegs give a good bit of sacrificial protection, as well as keeping the bike more rideable after a crash- you're far less likely to break a rear lever or hole an engine case.

If you want to take it a bit further, Engine Armour do Kevlar or carbon fibre engine and clutch casing covers... Or alternatively, Woodcraft and Vortex, among others, make metal clutch covers, decreases the chance of holing the plastic one and filling your engine with gravel (not that likely, mind) You can see these on the JHS Racing website. A Baglux tank bag gives some tank protection. You could fit crash bars, if you're desperate

If you fit all that stuff... Well, it'd be cheaper to crash it and fix it

[TSM]

I let you know that my bike had a bad crash and there was only 1-1.5cm threaded into the bar and it did not bend one bit. Thats not to say that the bike was not damaged it was, badly.

The brake levers, clutch levers, brake pedals & gear pedals usaly never survive a crash. The pedals are very low to the ground and touch and the levers brake because of the turning angle on the stearing.

They will however (possably) keep your tank & frame from touching the ground + distroying your handlebar.

Just thinking is it a nakid or faired?

Cheers Northwind, i've got some gilles pegs on order and although the can protectors are ugly i really dont want to damage my new system. I've got R&G crash protectors and swingarm bobbins aswell, the only unprotected bit left is the front fork but i've not seen anything for it as its a solid spindle.

[TSM]

My gilles broke off in the crash and put a nice scratch in the frame. Possably what a 50-0mph does, aparently they left a trench in the road tarmac.

Which model R&G frame protectors do you have? If its the screw in to a cup type, then they are known to not be very good. The new model with a bracket are much better.

[Viney]

Check out www.bikejohnny.com for engine armour also

Originally Posted by TSM

Which model R&G frame protectors do you have? If its the screw in to a cup type, then they are known to not be very good. The new model with a bracket are much better.

I crashed at about 70mph with the cup type and they definitely did their job (no damage to frame or engine case). Now have the bracket type but they don't look as neat. Suppose there's less chance of something metal bending back into the frame on the bracket type though.