Heed Crash Bars

[jailhouse]

Hi All
Has anyone fitted Heed crash bars to a Glee with a Suzuki plastic under engine cowling?

I'd be interested to know if there are any problems both  with fitting and or on-going issues

Heed say "hypothetically could be troubles with installing crash bars, but we had couple of customers who installed it together. Unfortunately we don't have any feedback if it was difficult. We haven't our own experience with installing crash bars with this cowling."

Regards

[tallpaul]

I did an oil change on Holmsey's glee last Saturday. He has heed bars and plastic cowling and although it is a close fit you can get the cowling off with the heed bars in place.
Hope this helps.

[Joe Rocket]

Yes, I received my Heed bars this week and found the Suzuki belly shroud impairs it by about 5mm, that's the joint tube between the two sides. OK, don't worry, mine are on the bike and I've flexed (pushed) the top/front of the shroud back, they touch but there is still a bit of give in it. There is nothing too close behind.

What I'm going to do is take it all off at some point and look at the mounting of the engine shroud and slightly ease it back so there's no conflict with the bars. I had asked the question on an e-mail to HEED and they said they've not tried to install their bars with the Suzuki engine protector in place". They were honest so I have no complaint. I think you need to appreciate they are the same bars for pre 2012 V-Strom and my instuctions were for the earlier model too.........

HTH

[jailhouse]

Thanks for the feedback. Needs more consideration I think.

[Joe Rocket]

I had a good look at the mountings for the engine shroud this afternoon, releasing the fixing screws to see what needs to be altered. I was most concerned that the Heed bars were pushing the shroud out of it's proper position and whilst it's plastic and flexible it is under the most stress where the connecting collar of the two bars meet in front of the engine shroud.

Like tallpaul I was able to take it off with the crash bars in place but it was a bit of a push to align the shroud up with the higher fixing bracket holes on either side. What I did see is the whole assembly will, with the two lower fixing screws loosened, freely move slightly upwards and about a centimetre backwards alowing it to keep it's natural form and no distortion or stress from the crash bars. It doesn't interfere with anything else as far as I can see.

So what I now plan to do is fix a small extra bracket either side to simply relocate the fixing points 1cm backwards. The Heed bars will still touch the shroud but with no undue stress on it.

When I get onto it I'll post a couple of photos up.  

[Joe Rocket]

I spent a bit of this afternoon trying barcket options for the engine shroud. I found that any new fixing has to clear the standard mounting brackets for the shroud by in fact two centimetres. In doing that there is more conflict with the lhs where the shroud clashed with the sidestand switch. It also placed the shroud far too close to the front cylinder downpipe. Idea abandoned!

I re-thought the problem highlighting what I'd stated in previous posts, that being the joining connection of the bars in front of the shroud. So I decided to do this:



I've cut out the short plastic upright which is the point of conflict with the Heed Bars, and when it's mounted again it looks like this:



There is no real difference visually but it clearly shows the problem with the Suzuki shroud and Heed crash bars. All the original fixings are maintained and the shroud is quite flexible still although the bars touch at the outer corners of the shroud and it is necessary to push it slightly forward to to fit the higher fixing screws each side.

That's my suggestion as a solution and I am happy with that.

(BTW I have placed the rubber guard behind the shroud........now.   )