Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet Iron Barrel => Topic started by: alwscout on October 16, 2007, 08:14:35 pm
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RE 3, where'd you pick these up?
(http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/gallery/125_30_09_07_9_30_26.jpg)
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They are the favored engine bar, in India - difficult but not impossible to get here. I am not keen on a rap round bar - it could become a leg compression issue in a wreck more easily that a straight bar. They are very useful if you drop the bike though.
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I thought these were the standard issue for Army Bullets as fitted here to my machine. I would think in a low speed drop they'd protect the bike and leg more as they stand out further. Hope to never find out though!!!
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1014/1232078305_2dfd329f74.jpg)
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I hit an oil slick a while back on my Military and went down with the crash bars in the second photo mounted. Scraped up the paint a little but no damage to me or the bike otherwise. Of course I was only going about 15 mph at the time.
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In low speed falls the bars help a great deal, and about 90% of all bike falls are below 10 mph, so they are a good idea - the first depicted wrap around bars have more surface to protect, but should a high speed glancing collision take place, the wrap around could contact the leg, whereas the straight bar perhaps would not. When I get my new Enfield, I will be getting the straight bar.
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I have an "02 military. Last spring I put it down at about 30mph on a sweeping turn (caught an ice filled pot hole with the front tire). The bar really saved my but! A minor scrape on my knee, a road rashed helmet, and scratched crash bars was all that happened. I still made it to work on time. I posted pictures of the damage a while back. Seeing is believing - take a look and you will be sold on the military style crash bar.
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The motorcycle industry refers to these as engine guards. The bars protect the engine. In the 70's (yes I was there) A couple of manufacturers of "Crash Bars" lost massive lawsuits over missing body parts. Crash bars imply a degree of safety. The technical term for a crash bar user is "amputee". I can't stress this enough. In the event of a spill GET AWAY FROM THE BIKE ! The engine guard is there to protect only the engine. For every "save" you care to mention, there are a dozen dead or maimed riders.
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I've been tempted to get some for my bike to protect it from knock overs. I park it on the street (covered) and my neighbor's bike (he parks on the same block) has been knocked over recently. So far, I've resisted because I'm more afraid of getting my legs or feet caught on 'em if I crash. I figure I can repair the bike easier than I can repair myself! :) They do look cool though...
Eamon
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I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. I have engine guards on my own bike. they work great at their designed function-protecting the engine. I simply caution against using them as any kind of personal safety device.
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I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. I have engine guards on my own bike. they work great at their designed function-protecting the engine. I simply caution against using them as any kind of personal safety device.
What kind do you use? The style the military comes with? It's those wrap around Indian ones that I'm afraid of. I'd be afraid my leg would catch in there in a crash. I've been mulling over the military style ones.
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Here's one from eBay UK. About fifty miles from where I live! A bit rough as in the chrome scruffy/rusty, but OK for painting army/nato green!!!!!!!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Royal-Enfield-Bullet-crash-bars_W0QQitemZ290175227224QQihZ019QQcategoryZ108838QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Royal-Enfield-Bullet-crash-bars_W0QQitemZ290175227224QQihZ019QQcategoryZ108838QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
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It seems to me that as beefy as the wrap around bars are. That under the conditions that would cause them to wrap around your leg in a crash. Your leg would probably be the least of your worries at that point. Not only that but I'm not sure they wrap that far back. If they did bend in they would probably come in about the mid point of the tank or break off the bike entirely. I think a good add on with these bars would be a similar type of lugage bar set to match on the rear of the bike.
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IndianaBulleteer
"They are the favored engine bar, in India"
Just wondered. Is that because they are narrower than the 'normal army style stand-out bars that they allow easier trickling through traffic and alleyways etc?
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I don't know the answer to that one, but wherever you go in India, you will see a Royal Enfield or ten, with those bars mounted. They also often have frills, bells hanging, multiple lights, trick paint jobs, studded seats, radios, antenna, cup holders and other unlikely things.
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Man, I just watched the "vintage royal enfield commercial" archived in "the buzz" and watched riders in India thump around with those bars on there bikes. Your legs definitely are in harms way with those things. No way would I mount those things even though they do look cool.