HEXHEAD Tech - R1200R - GS handguards on an R1200R

As a lot of us R1200R and GS owners have discovered, the original hand guards used on the R1200GS bikes have been discontinued and you cannot order replacement parts for them. Having already put the original style guards on my R1200R, I was faced with this situation after the dump I took in 2008, which scratched the face of the guard on the right side bar.

I ordered the new style BMW GS guard kit which contains new mounting brackets for the inside end of each guard, the lower and upper parts of the guards.

The kit is BMW Part Number 002 71607706209

The "tall" deflector BMW Part number is 002 71607705221

The original "Heavy" Throttlemeister bar ends will not work with the new style guards as they are too long, so I ordered the following Throttlemeister parts:

One FT set (bright silver bar ends)
Two OA1250 Outer Adapters
Two GR1250 Guard Retainers
Two SF855 Mounting bolts
Two IA400 Inner Adapters

Total cost of Throttlemeister parts were $131.60. When ordering, specify that you are mounting GS handguards on the R1200R so they can be certain of what you need.

Note here that I also ordered the BMW "Tall" wind deflectors in addition to the stock "Low" ones supplied when you order the handguard kit. After running with the Tall ones, I switched back to the Low version and found them to work fine, and did not generate the loud wind noise the tall ones generate, so I would recommend only using the stock deflectors and save the money.


This article, text and photos are Copyright of the individual authors and the BMW MOA, any copying or redistributing is permitted only by prior written authorization.



The installation:

Left side install is easy..

[IMG]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n15/ka5ysy/DSC_7725.jpg[/IMG]

Closeup of the bar end with the adapters in place:

[img]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n15/ka5ysy/DSC_7723.jpg[/img]
[IMG]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n15/ka5ysy/DSC_7724.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n15/ka5ysy/DSC_7725.jpg[/IMG]

Here is the inboard clamp bracket for the left side guard. The switch on top of the reservoir is the PIAA switch for operating the HID lights described below:
[IMG]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n15/ka5ysy/DSC_7730.jpg[/IMG]

Closeup of the clamp bracket note that the bracket is a close fit that clears the clutch lever fluid reservoir without trouble. The actual bracket is the one that would normally go on the RIGHT side, but due to differences in the bar bend it works better on the LEFT hand guard. :
[url]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n15/ka5ysy/DSC_7729.jpg[/url]

The Right side (throttle side) installation requires a small bit of fabrication to work properly due to the length of the brake cylinder assembly. Here is the overall view of the throttle side setup:
[IMG]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n15/ka5ysy/DSC_7726.jpg[/IMG]

This is the inboard bracket for the right side hand guard. Note that the clamp bracket is actually the one used on the LEFT side on the GS bikes. Notice the additional aluminum bracket extension between the actual clamp and the hand guard end. I fabricated this out of a piece of 1" aluminum bar stock I had in the shop. Closer view of the two brackets:
[IMG]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n15/ka5ysy/DSC_7728.jpg[/IMG]

The small extension bracket is easy to fabricate. The piece of aluminum bar stock is one of those things that you find in any hardware store around the bar stock and threaded rods. I did a quick eyeball measurement and verified the length I would need then used a hacksaw to cut what I needed in the rough shape. A little trimming with the grinder wheel and then touch up with the Dremel tool got to the final size. The bend was put in with a vice clamp and a couple of taps with a hammer and adjusted to final shape. The matte or brushed finish was done with some fine grit sandpaper and then holding the new bracket between the two parts of the hand guard I marked the holes with a sharpie marker for drilling. Total fabrication time was about 15 minutes.


This is a view from the end of the handlebar showing the bend required to match the angles of the clamp bracket and the actual hand guard.

[img]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n15/ka5ysy/DSC_7727.jpg[/img]


Note that none of the BMW hardware is used in this installation. The Throttlemeister kit is supplied with new bolts and end adapters as noted in the parts list. When ordering remember to state that you are installing GS handguards on the R1200R so they can get the appropriate hardware for the R1200R handlebars.

One final note on this installation. The GS clamps used on the inboard ends of the handguards may require some slightly thicker material added to the inside to properly grip the RR handlebars. The GS bars are thicker, which makes for a loose fit on the RR bars without additional material. I used some black electrical tape cut to the width of the clamps and it works fine.

Doug Stracener
BMWMOA 121412

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Thanks to Doug for the great DIY FAQ - people have asked me for exactly this information!