Installed MachineArt Moto ADVance handguards

[Goldentaco]

I've had a pair of ADVance handguards on my GS for a few years and really like the look and usefulness of the design so I began trying to fit them to my Tenere 700.  The ADVance kits all use the same aluminum backbone but utilize a variety of kits to fit different bikes.  The BMW kit #2 didn't fit so I contacted Andrew at Machine Art Moto to discuss kit #3.  We decided on replacing the stock M8 bar end bolt with a longer one.  I ordered the kit and it arrived today so I started in on fitting.

 

Everything fit as required but the longer end bolt we decided on wasn't working.  It had a shoulder and was too long.  I didn't realize how deep the recess in the handguard spacer was. 

 

 

 

Turns out, the stock bolt fit.  The handguard spacer is drilled for a 10mm bolt so I needed a spacer to fit the M8 bolt and securely fit in the 10mm hole.  I had some WR250R side panel washers laying around so I drilled two of them out to fit the M8 bolt.  I didn't want to remove too much material so instead of drilling them so the bolt slips through, I drilled enough to thread them for the M8.  The O.D. of the washer was too big so I ground it down with my Dremmel to fit the 16.5mm opening in the handguard end spacer.  I had some metallic silver rattle can in the garage so I hit them with it to keep from rusting.

 

Mounting the kits follows MAM's instructions so I'll skip that.  There's a few videos on Youtube covering that.  

 

The MAM The kit #3 has an angled inner mount that positions the guards almost perfectly but the brake hose banjo fitting is just a tad in the way.

 

This places the guards just a tad higher than I think I would want but still covers the levers and aligns nicely.  I'm not sure how I want to address the brake hose.  I'm toying with grinding off the pin on the hose fitting so I can rotate it down 45deg.  If anyone has any suggestions here I'm all ears.

 

All in all, I would still order the kit again if the little machining I did was all that was necessary.  I will be passing my fitting process on to Machine Art  so they can tailor the kit to the Tenere 700.  I would expect they would supply the spacer I made.

 

I'm happy with the result and I think they look great.  

 

J

 

 

Edited July 18, 2020 by Goldentaco

[Aleksandar13]

Looks great, I like them... Slim and goes with the bike.. Thank you for the write up 

Aleks 

[Great Escape]

They look good,  but also are pretty sturdy too...nice job...Cheers, Steve 

[Goldentaco]

Update:

 

I had an Off and bike went down on the Right hand side.  It took out the RHS handguard...snapped it in three spots and twisted the lower bar mount.  No damage to my hand I think mostly because of how I fell, not necessarily from the guards protecting me.

 

 

I'm not sure what to make of the remedy.  If the handguards were stronger, maybe they wouldn't have broken.  That force could have been transmitted into the bar and bar mounts possibly breaking them.

 

I was able to ride home fine but if the weekpoint were not the handguards, I could have had a bigger ordeal.

 

J

Edited September 24, 2020 by Goldentaco