So many crash bars ,so little time

[Gobear]

Hi Gang,

There's so many choices out there to choose from and being a fan of SW Motech I thought I would safe in choosing theirs. Then I noticed they don't connect in front like so many other models..

My bike will probably never seen any thing more severe than a gravel road,and my reasoning behind putting them on is to protect the rads.

Is it really worth spending more to buy ones that connect in the middle..? That much stronger in a spill?

I'm at odds with adding a bash plate also..under normal on road touring conditions..does the plastic one suffice.?

 

[EricV]

To some degree, all crash bars are sacrificial. But if a parking lot drop damages your radiator, (we only have one on the left side), even to the point where it pushes the fan into it, jamming the fan blades, burning the expen$ive fan out, you are money ahead by having decent crash bars that go up enough on the sides and are strong enough to prevent that.

The plastic guard is likely fine for 98% of road use. You have to decide if you want/need to protect for that other 2%. The OEM drop guard actually works pretty well on pavement. It's when the bike goes over farther than that, or on uneven ground, that crash bars are suddenly a very nice thing to have, (and save you repair costs).

My first bike nap for the Super Ten was when I went to do a U-turn on a gravel road, on a hill, and lost momentum. Opps. Bike downhill on it's side. Thankfully, no worries with Rumbux, so just picked it up and got back on. Most any good product will do fine. SWMotech is not junk, but others like Rumbux and AltRider do offer significantly more protection. You just have to decide if you need that level or not. Givi works too, but is somewhat more disposable, in that it bends easier and may not protect you for more than one drop/fall/event.

 

[~TABASCO~]

Altrider.............


Your done.....

 

[Checkswrecks]

There are a couple of videos on the web about people running the OEM plastic engine protector (it's not even a plate) who've holed their sump or caused leaks at the oil filter. The sump on this bike is one of the two Achilles Heels, the other is left side drops pushing the fan into the side radiator. Simply riding off a curb is a potential threat to the thin sump plate so any metal skid plate is worthwhile. Try to not get one which attaches to the sump plate, which the original aluminum Yamaha OEM skid plates did and some others still do.


As for side bars, it is up to you. I just did a search from the FORUM tab (upper left corner of this page) and there are numerous threads already comparing GIVI, SW-Motech and others. Which is what you asked for. I had SWM on the 2012 and they are a bit tighter to remove the electric panel cover on the right, plus DirtDad found that while his did protect the bike, they bend fairly easily. My 2014 is a bit more of a road bike, so I have the AltRider plate and GIVI bars, which are cut a little lower, making access easier and putting on less leverage to bend a bar. I don't baby mine, have dropped it on both sides, and the GIVIs have held up fine.

 

[outdoorsntn]

Realize your focus is protecting your bike however, for what it is worth, if highway pegs are in your future, with some bars, you can bolt pegs right on while with others, additional mounting brackets may be necessary to get a comfortable fit for you. I feel I made a great purchase with my AltRider bars however additional hardware was required to comfortably install highway pegs.

Doug

 

[outdoorsntn]

Like others have done with AltRider bars.

 

[TimLaw]

Altrider has the best crash bar on the market for the Tenere. The Altrider skid plate however I wouldn't recommend. So it's just not a name, it's how well it performs.

 

[magic]

Hi Gobear, If you like the looks of the SW Motech bars, by all means buy them. They were my first choice, but I went with the Altrider ones in silver. If SWM bars were available in silver I would have bought them. Personally, I think the SWM bars are the best looking bars, they follow the lines of the bike nicely. One advantage I saw with the SWM bars is that they are easier to install and remove should the need arise. Both Altrider and SWM bars use the same mounting points. Take a look at Revzillas website and look at the installation instructions for the SWM bars and you'll see what I mean. The Altrider bars may be somewhat stronger but the SWM bars should be sufficient. Definite yes on the bash plate, just look at how exposed your oil filter is.

 

[Gobear]

thanks for all the great info!

Cheers

Gary

 

[Velvet]

When I was in the market for bars and plate there were a few companies that I was considering. I happened upon a really great deal on a new, but previously owned, set of Rumbux bars and plate. After having them installed for the past several months, which has included a couple of dirt naps, I cannot see myself owning any other brand. In fact, I am strongly considering the purchase of a Honda Africa Twin (in addition to my Super Tenere) and I will definitely be adding the Rumbux system to that bike.

 

[rider33]

for what it's worth, Happy-Trails bars are very, very, stout, connect in front and are at an ideal level for foot pegs:
https://goo.gl/photos/2sKZX18C9aa8PCRZ8
they also happen to be a pretty good value as well

http://www.happy-trail.com/find-your-bike/yamaha/xt1200z-tenere/protection/nerf-engine-guard-super-tenere.html

 

[ucwinters]

for what it's worth, Happy-Trails bars are very, very, stout, connect in front and are at an ideal level for foot pegs:
https://goo.gl/photos/2sKZX18C9aa8PCRZ8
they also happen to be a pretty good value as well

http://www.happy-trail.com/find-your-bike/yamaha/xt1200z-tenere/protection/nerf-engine-guard-super-tenere.html

Those look nice on the S10 (and I really like the price!)

 

[Gobear]

Hi Gang,

I'm pretty sure I'll be ordering a set of SWM crash bars and skid plate, really like the quality and have used them before with much
success..plus there available in Canada through Twisted Throttle.



Cheers

Gobear

 

[limey]

The problem with the SWM skid plate is that it bolts to the oil pan and if you hit it hard enough you will blow a hole in the pan.

 

[limey]

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Gobear]

Ouch...

Back to the drawing board..

This forum is full of great Intel

Cheers

Gobear

 

[Gobear]

Ok slim kinda back at square one..

Which ones don't attach to the sump?

Cheers

Gary

 

[Gobear]

Duh...

Found the thread!

Looks like Touratech works, and there available close by

Note to self..search before posting

 

[limey]

I have Altrider but if I did it again I would go with the ACD as it protects the water pump .http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=4999.0

 

[Cycledude]

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Not sure what skid plate I have because it was installed before I bought the bike used but yikes it bolts on using those same 3 bolts ! But at least I don't do hardly any off road stuff.