Crash Bar Shootout - What do you like, what do you think is crap?

SHUMBA

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I had a friend checking out my bike today. He was looking at the scars on my Altriders. He was kinda shocked that he couldn't find any scars anywhere else. I told him I had quit counting drops at about 20 times. He said almost everytime he dropped his bike he had to fix something.
Now you Sir are an honest man
SHUMBA

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SHUMBA

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alt rider bars are on my 2012 tenere, look great never tested. as far as tight turns , like doing a U-turn , stay seated and weight outside peg use a little rear brake (dragging rear brake stabilizes and allows you to up the rev's to help control ) and look through the turn not where the front wheel is and you will follow. it is a riding skill that one needs to practice so find a parking lot and put the altriders to the test..... just a thought , but doing a u-turn while standing means you are going to fall from a greater height.
Agree, but by standing up one can "load" more weight on the outside of the bike while in the turn. Don't try this unless you're comfortable. Suggest riding straight line on quiet roads and practice standing up on the foot pegs making sure that your feet are FIRMLY planted. Tank pads are a good idea as well. I have them.
You're correct, unless you are comfortable standing up, then by remaining seated weighting the outside peg in the turn will most likely result in a better outcome.
In any event, get yourself a set of crash bars as they are a very inexpensive way to prevent damage to your bike.
Choose a quiet parking lot and practice this maneuver, but start out gently.
If it goes for a shit, then don't be a hero, just bail out or roll off and let the bike fall.
If the bike falls on your leg, you can get hurt.
I'd rather fix my bike than my leg.
Ride safely and always, always wear your gear.
SHUMBA

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HeliMark

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My Alt Rider bars have been tested off road numerous times. There is a piece of cardboard in my garage that is used to put behind the bars when I paint the new scratches on them. So far, no damage to the bike itself.

You should be able to do a lock to lock u-turn while sitting on the bike (pavement) by using a combination of rear brake, and clutch/rpm. Getting use to looking over your shoulder in that turn is the one problem most people have. I use to practice that all the time, but after having my neck fused, I can't look over my shoulder anymore, and requires me to actually twist my whole body around to look.
 

SHUMBA

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You g
My Alt Rider bars have been tested off road numerous times. There is a piece of cardboard in my garage that is used to put behind the bars when I paint the new scratches on them. So far, no damage to the bike itself.

You should be able to do a lock to lock u-turn while sitting on the bike (pavement) by using a combination of rear brake, and clutch/rpm. Getting use to looking over your shoulder in that turn is the one problem most people have. I use to practice that all the time, but after having my neck fused, I can't look over my shoulder anymore, and requires me to actually twist my whole body around to look.
You got it! Look to where you want to go in the turn by twisting your neck and or body toward the turn
SHUMBA
 

Sierra1

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You should be able to do a lock to lock u-turn while sitting on the bike (pavement) by using a combination of rear brake, and clutch/rpm....
Having the ability to use ONLY the rear brake, would have brought me to the Tenere; even if hadn't been a Yamaha fan. Going from the RT, with separate front/rear brakes, to the ST1300, with always linked, required a certain amount of remedial training for the tight/slow stuff.
 

SHUMBA

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Having the ability to use ONLY the rear brake, would have brought me to the Tenere; even if hadn't been a Yamaha fan. Going from the RT, with separate front/rear brakes, to the ST1300, with always linked, required a certain amount of remedial training for the tight/slow stuff.
Yes, the brakes on the Tenere are integrated or linked. When conducting slow turns never use the front brake because this WILL lead to your downfall!! Literally.
SHUMBA
 

old1959

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Madhatter, good description on how to do a U-turn. Unfortunately, I recently messed up. Fortunately the only damage was to the left stock Yamaha guard; some gouges. And the gear shift lever was bent, which I was able to bend back. I fully expected more damage so was pleasantly surprised. Consequently, I don't want some big bars but think something along the lines of the Mastech bars would be ideal.
IMG_2324.JPG
 

GSequoia

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Having the ability to use ONLY the rear brake, would have brought me to the Tenere; even if hadn't been a Yamaha fan. Going from the RT, with separate front/rear brakes, to the ST1300, with always linked, required a certain amount of remedial training for the tight/slow stuff.
Being able to shut linked braking down by hitting the rear brake first is the good thing Yamaha did which almost but not quite makes up for them not giving us a rear ABS delete switch or button (I like to selectively drag rear when coming down steep/loose stuff).
 

GSequoia

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That said I am still getting used to the bike, linked braking is almost useless to me because after riding a KLR350 then DR350 with weak brakes for so long the concept of trail braking is ingrained into my soul (hit rear brake first to load up rear suspension then front).
 

GSequoia

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My Altriders post-DVNR. I got distracted by a fighter jet buzzing me (seriously) and found gravity on the one steep/loose/rocky section of the Darwin Toll Road.

They're more scratched up than they should be because I took silver bars and painted them. I intend to get them powdercoated so they'll scratch a little less easily then will rattlecan scratches out going forward.
 

Sierra1

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….I don't want some big bars but think something along the lines of the Mastech bars would be ideal.
I have them and like them; but have not tested them. They're compact, attached to OE solid points, and allow right side panel removal.
 

SHUMBA

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That said I am still getting used to the bike, linked braking is almost useless to me because after riding a KLR350 then DR350 with weak brakes for so long the concept of trail braking is ingrained into my soul (hit rear brake first to load up rear suspension then front).
That's the way
SHUMBA

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doc187

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Apr 25, 2015
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I went front and rear rumbux. They cover everything and are really stout. I can't imagine a better setup. I didn't know they stopped making them. That's a shame.
 

Don T

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Denmark
My 2015 now have close to 100.000 km on the clock.

To begin with I relied on the standard sliders to protect the vital part of the bike in case of a crash - I've seen a couple of examples of them doing a surprisingly good job on level surfaces. Cosmetic damage doesn't concern me as I have good insurance on the bike.

Prior to the 2018 season I mounted GIVI crash bars as I had some serious off tarmac excursions coming up.
The reason I chose GIVI was that I have good experiences with the brand, I liked the look of the crash bars and they allow easy removal of the right hand side panel without removing the crash bars.

Luckily I never got to test the effectiveness of the crash bars despite doing some pretty gnarly riding during the 2018 season.
What I did discover was that I really didn't enjoy doing technical off tarmac riding on the S10 (I love gravel roads and easy trails) - for technical and gnarly stuff I prefer a lighter bike with more suspension travel and better ground clearance.

As a result I have now removed and sold the crash bars as I don't want the extra bulk and weight (6 kg/13 lbs). I sold the crash bars for almost the same as I paid for them last year - the trick was to offer to mount them for the buyer :)

I'm now back to the standard sliders. If I damage them at some point, I might upgrade to the sliders from off-the-road: https://www.off-the-road.de/en/XT-1200Z/Protection/Engine-Crash-pads-XT-1200Z-Super-Tenere.html
 
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