What crashbars to choose?

[Trollbiker]

Have been looking at a lot (10) different crashbars for my T7. Still not sure what to choose. Is it really neccesary ?
 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Trollbiker

[Veider]

Same topic for me. After long consideration I would go for HEED. I dont trust aluminum crashbars from Adv Spec. even was my No.1 because of the weight. I will rather prefer solid material.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Veider

[TOMMY_TENNY]

I did go for the Adventure spec bars in the end - primarily the weight benefits of being aluminium and also because I really want to protect against a slow-speed drop rather than a full on crash, so I figure they're better than nothing. They actually seem pretty tough and they do show them dropping their test bike in the video... I like the looks too although I was torn by the Touratech (steel) bars but these are also a bit more expensive if you want the uppers and lowers...

 

As to whether you need them at all, that's up to you! I had a KTM 990 Adventure with bars and must have dropped it half a dozen times! Took the bars off to sell it and it was unmarked! 

 

The T7 isn't quite as top heavy as the 990 and "so far" mines been fine, but I do plan on getting out in the mud, so the bars might come in handy. I'd rather have them and not need them rather than need them and not have them!

 

Cheers

[Matth]

My AS spec bars have literally just arrived so will check em out but the box feels very light! 

[ClutchXT]

I have my set of outback motortek in the garage but haven't gotten then installed yet do to a missing upper bar bracket that I am waiting to show up. I reached out and they are sending it out so just a minor delay. We'll see how the actual install goes when all the parts are on hand. I've read of a few people having some alignment issues.

 

 

Update on the OM bar install, I received the part that I was shorted from my kit the alignment on the upper bars went on well and landed well on the upper bracket (this is the bracket that I was waiting on).

 

 

Now, as for the lower bar installation, I started on the right side bars and found that if I put the rear bolts in and snugged the lower clam shell together that the motor mount bolt was out of alignment by a fair distance.

 

 

 

After a little bit of tweaking of the mount point I was able to get the mount lined up and hand thread the bolt in (I left the bolt about 3 thread from full tight) and started the bolts into the clam shell, this is where I came to the next misalignment after getting the cylinder head mount bolt in the holes for the rear 2 bolts in the bar were about 8-10mm lower than the holes on the frame. The left side bar went smooth for the bar install, but had this same (low hanging) alignment problem on the rear bolts. The solution for this was to set a socket on the engine case as a fulcrum point and handle of my hammer to pry the end up to align the holes and threaded the bolts in by hand. 

 

 

After getting everything on and loose fit, I went through and torqued all the fasteners. Once everything was tightened up the bars feel very solid. 

 

 

Big questions time.

Are they sturdy? Yes, these thing feel solid, and they have the video proof of them dragging these things around in their parking lot.

 

How is the fit and finish?  Well we covered the fitment issues above, as for the finish the welds are great and the powder coating held up to my fitment adjustments very well.

 

Customer Service? Had to test this out sadly for my missing part, Mark was very quick to answer my emails and get the parts sent out that I was missing so A+ on post sale support.

 

Would I buy again? Yes with some caveats, The price (upper and lower) and videos of them testing is what sold me on them. Although the fitment issues could be a problem for someone who doesn't have a shop and a good bench vice and tools, which was not a problem for me given my workshop set up I didn't run into any project ending problems YMMV.

 

Cheers, Clint

Edited November 14, 2020 by ClutchXT

[Treps]

I am going through the same debate. Now also leaning towards AS. I originally had the Outback Motortek top of the list but the fitting issues and missing items faced by many here killed that. The Heed bars look very good and robust but I am concerned about weight. The reality is that we are unlikely to go wrong with any of them...

[Veider]

Maybe there is another new hot option: 

Tankguard - black for Yamaha Ténéré 700/Rally (2019-)

---

<p>Whether you ride more on rugged terrain, on country roads or in town; a <strong>HEPCO&<em>BECKER</em></strong> guard is always the right choice...

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Veider

[vagrant318]

I'm waiting for the Alt rider bars to come out, starting with the lower, then maybe get the upper later on.

I was one that experienced fitment issues with outback motortek and was able to return them with only minor hassling, unpleasant nonetheless.

[Chopper]

After looking long & hard at all of them l put Heed at the top & bought them , 100% happy l did .

[DORTx2]

Outback motortek bars are pretty bad I wouldn't go for them, I've got them on mine and I'm regretting them.

[wb22rules]

My Outback Motortek adv set was not bad, on one or two connections I could have used a third hand to exert some force to help align, but it was very doable to install solo and resulted in a very firm setup. I am very happy with how solid the bars and pannier racks are as well as the skid plate and tail rack.

[HoboHighlander]

Any word on Altrider being released? Their site just says Q4 2020...

[jeff03064]

I put my Heed Bunker bars on just the other day. No fitment issues and they seem really rugged. Look good too.

[Veider]

Pictures added and available on stock...

Tankguard - black for Yamaha Ténéré 700/Rally (2019-)

---

<p>Whether you ride more on rugged terrain, on country roads or in town; a <strong>HEPCO&<em>BECKER</em></strong> guard is always the right choice. Your motorcycle is always effectively protected against an unexpected mishap.<br />And even more: If th

 

[Firebolter]

I went with the Touratech upper bars with a AXP skip plate. I used Touratech's on a BMW I had and liked the quality and fit/finish. I have the AS rear rack and the finish matches nice on both. Bars go right on, are strong/beefy and the side panels go on/off easily but are well protected.

 

Edited November 23, 2020 by Firebolter

[365moto.eu]

My experience with Outback Motortek is quite good.

No particular misalignment.

 

In the video ("Lorry") forgets to say to remove a black bushing on the right side of the motor attachment.

 

The product is really solid. The MIG welding is ok. Paint ok.

 

Here some photos (I bought the bash plate too):

 

[ClutchXT]

4 hours ago, 365moto.eu said:

My experience with Outback Motortek is quite good.

No particular misalignment.

 

In the video ("Lorry") forgets to say to remove a black bushing on the right side of the motor attachment.

 

The product is really solid. The MIG welding is ok. Paint ok.

 

Here some photos (I bought the bash plate too):

 

You might have a newer set than mine it looks like you have the updated blue color and mine did not have the nut relief cuts in the clamps aither. Dang I'm a bit jelly now that I see the updated color matched a little better

Edited November 23, 2020 by ClutchXT

[365moto.eu]

5 minutes ago, ClutchXT said:

You might have a newer set than mine it looks like you have the updated blue color and mine did not have the nut relief cuts in the clamps aither. Dang I'm a bit jelly now that I see the updated color matched a little better

Here another photo to see color match (cloud sky instead of full sun):

 

[Xtenerider]

8 hours ago, Firebolter said:

I went with the Touratech upper bars with a AXP skip plate. I used Touratech's on a BMW I had and liked the quality and fit/finish. I have the AS rear rack and the finish matches nice on both. Bars go right on, are strong/beefy and the side panels go on/off easily but are well protected.

 

Thats what i went with also.

liked the finish.and gives good protection were needed.

 

 

[Trollbiker]

Thanks a lot for great feedback. Since I posted my video (first post in this thread) my viewers and users here has updated me with the following info:

• The OEM Yamaha Crashbars weigh 5 kg (and is probably made by Givi)
• The SW-Motech lower bar weigh 4.8 kg.
• The Givi ones weigh 3.5 kg Price varies between 130 € - 170 €. 
• The Outback Motortek does not weigh 8.3 kg...correct is 2.7 kg for the lower ones and a total weigh (lower+upper) of about 5.5 kg. Seems like Outback Motortek has revised their first model with colors and better fit. I would make sure that is the case before I was buying.
• Hepco and Becker has just released a "Tankguard Extreme"which seems to give a lot protection. It is 5.6 kg, price is 280 Euros.

 

Check prices from different dealers, they varies a lot.When it comes to alignment...I would never buy a crash guard if I had to put it in a vice and bend it many millimeters to fit.

 

Just ordered the Givi ones..got a Black Friday discount of 22€ and paid 144 €, DHL freight included.

Cheers Sven
 

Edited November 29, 2020 by Trollbiker

[rhicks]

On 11/16/2020 at 11:27 AM, HoboHighlander said:

Any word on Altrider being released? Their site just says Q4 2020...

I've been told most likely January 2021 before they are released.

[James]

On 11/10/2020 at 12:09 PM, Trollbiker said:

Have been looking at a lot (10) different crashbars for my T7. Still not sure what to choose. Is it really neccesary ?
 

 

 

Nobody in this thread seems to have considered what the crash bars are mounted to.

 

I've reviewed most of the crashbars on offer before finding this post and already decided I don't want a crash bar that is not mounted to the structural parts of the frame and engine because a lot of the crash bars (even Touratech) are mounted to the weak front down tube which is designed to hold a few key components and not offer structural support!

 

Motorcycle Adventures on YouTube reveals how many crash bar manufacturers sell badly designed products here:

 

 

 

In the end, I decided to go for the Yamaha OEM engine guards because they are mounted properly and I'm sure a reasonable amount of thought by the Yamaha engineers went into their design.

 

They were also the one's Nick Sanders had fitted to his T7 for his London to Sidney ride.

 

 

 

Rather than buy them direct from Yamaha, my local Yahama dealer, Alan Duffus in Kirkaldy, Scotland offered me a 10% discount

 

Alan Duffus Motorcycles | Yamaha Motorcycles Dealer in Kirkcaldy

---

Alan Duffus Motorcycles is a Yamaha Premier dealer in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. New and used motorcycles for sale in Scotland, UK.

 

I'll post some pictures once they're fitted...

 

PS: Most of my falls off-road have been when the front wheel has lost traction at speed and the hard impacts make crash bars a necessity I believe; especially if you're in a remote location and want to be able to ride out again.

Edited December 6, 2020 by James
Improvement

[Trollbiker]

On 12/6/2020 at 1:26 AM, James said:

Nobody in this thread seems to have considered what the crash bars are mounted to.

 

 

Yes it is of course important how the crashbar is mounted. It should be considered. In my video not all aspects was focused, it would make it quite complicated as the information from those making or sell them is very (too) limited. 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Trollbiker

[sracer]

Went with the Adventure Spec bars; weight for these aluminum bars is far less than the steel bars out there. After the US branch got their shipment in shipping was fast and Patrick was most helpful. High quality, fit perfectly, rigid and sturdy. The finish is very nice. Only negative is the instruction sheets...printer needs a new cartridge! 

[Rowling_Thunder]

On 11/29/2020 at 10:16 AM, Trollbiker said:

Thanks a lot for great feedback. Since I posted my video (first post in this thread) my viewers and users here has updated me with the following info:

• The OEM Yamaha Crashbars weigh 5 kg (and is probably made by Givi)
• The SW-Motech lower bar weigh 4.8 kg.
• The Givi ones weigh 3.5 kg Price varies between 130 € - 170 €. 
• The Outback Motortek does not weigh 8.3 kg...correct is 2.7 kg for the lower ones and a total weigh (lower+upper) of about 5.5 kg. Seems like Outback Motortek has revised their first model with colors and better fit. I would make sure that is the case before I was buying.
• Hepco and Becker has just released a "Tankguard Extreme"which seems to give a lot protection. It is 5.6 kg, price is 280 Euros.

 

Check prices from different dealers, they varies a lot.When it comes to alignment...I would never buy a crash guard if I had to put it in a vice and bend it many millimeters to fit.

 

Just ordered the Givi ones..got a Black Friday discount of 22€ and paid 144 €, DHL freight included.

Cheers Sven
 

I’d be really interested in what you think about the Givi bars, the dealership I bought from told me off the record that they’ve had the OEM bars bend inwards for a few customers, so they fit Givi bars to their dealer builds.  The only thing that concerns me is whether they offer enough protection? Would love to hear your feedback on the before I make my purchase. Thanks