Cylinder guards - why bother?

[MarkF]

My R1100R was knocked off the centerstand. The right cylinder guard broke, the cylinder cover was scraped in two places and the spark plug cover was scraped. So I ask why bother with the cylinder guard? They cost $45-50 a piece. I paid for the original and just paid for a replacement. The cylinder cover is only $110-120. I could have just replaced it and broke even. Instead I still have a scraped cylinder cover. I can't imagine what the cylinder guard would do in a real get-off.

P.S. I also broke the rear turn signal stem. Only $17 and easily replaced.

[kbasa]

I think the objective isn't necessarily cosmetic protection, but protection from having a hole smashed in the valve cover when you're out in the Middle of Nowhere.

[FredRydr]

I think the objective isn't necessarily cosmetic protection, but protection from having a hole smashed in the valve cover when you're out in the Middle of Nowhere.

Very true. The valvecover protector will grind down as a slider, but avoids grinding a hole in the valve cover itself. You can still get home.

Don't ask.... ('99 R1100R-SE - R.I.P. <sniff>)

Fred

[jgr451]

Reminds me of the time I crashed leaving the Missoula rally.No crash bars.The valve cover was ground paper thin BUT it held oil.All the way home.Which was good.
And I gave that ground paper thin valve cover to my pal from Michigan after he crashed here,on the wet coast of Canada,and did grind a hole right through his.It held oil all the way back to Michigan.He had no crash bars either.

Point being,crash bars are sacrificial metal-an anode if you will,deflecting terrible wrath away from the higher tech bits.

:german

[BobFV1]

My bike was gently pushed off the side stand (by me closing the side case while parked on a hill :banghead ) and the protector prevented me from having to buy a new valve cover. Your bike was "knocked off" the stand - maybe that was more than the cover could handle, but I would not call them completely useless.

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

I do find the side stand works much better than the valve cover though...hehehehe

[The_Veg]

Reminds me of the time I crashed leaving the Missoula rally.No crash bars.The valve cover was ground paper thin BUT it held oil.All the way home.Which was good.

Too bad the Oilhead covers can't be rotated 180 degrees like the Airhead ones. :nyah

[BubbaZanetti]

i have yet to sustain any valve cover damage from dropping my bike, oh well i guess i'm just lucky


i've also heard bad things about crash bars tending to cause high-sides due to the fact that they're either bolted or welded directly to the frame (this person was talking about airheads) and that the impact, which would normally be absorbed by the engine and cylinder is now translated directly to the bike's frame and it can lead to erratic behavior. i've never inspected protectors on an oilhead very well but i assume they bolt the the head or something...........