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Cylinder head cover guards

5K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  tonyt.0906 
#1 ·
Are the bmw cylinder head cover guards enough to protect the cylinder heads in a tip over or should I get the guards from ZTechnik, Illium, wunderlich, etc?
 
#3 ·
The dealer threw in BMW guards when I bought my '16 RT new and they look like they will work to prevent the valve covers and parts underneath from being scratched and damaged, but I've not dropped the bike yet to learn first-hand. My goal is to get to the end of my bike's useful life w/o dropping it and so far so good at 40K miles. But I'm OCD to prevent it so have focused on what is required to prevent a drop, at least one caused by operator error. It's always possible someone else will back up into the bike and knock it over so I have no protection beyond parking in low risk spots for that outcome, which is what I almost always do.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Forget the others- get yourself a set of the MachineArt Moto covers and fender extender. $195 for the complete set. Note that is for the '14-'18 wetheads. You didn't specify which you have, but you can browse from there...
 
#5 ·
Forget the others- get yourself a set of the MachineArt Moto covers and fender extender. $195 for the complete set. Note that is for the '14-'18 wetheads. You didn't specify which you had, but you can browse from there...
Another vote for the MAM guards. To your first question YES the BMW guards will work fine in a tip over. But if you are buying them I would get the MAM guards. If you already have the BMW guards then I would just go with them.
 
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#6 ·
BTW, I would like to add that I have had my bike on its side twice- once with me on it and once without. Both times were because the terrain was very uneven and the bike was too upright to stand on the side stand. Just as I got off the bike and before I could do anything, it was falling over, and it was fully loaded for my 3K mile trip.

The only damage was a scratch to the right mirror housing ($54 from the dealer), and a few scuffs to the Ilium Works crash bars (front and rear), which was easily remedied with a light sanding and spray paint.

I would say valve cover guards are very important. Even if you have crash bars, the bike could still get damaged if something's on the ground/road when the bike tips over.
 
#7 ·
On my old RT, I only had a set of the BMW hard plastic cylinder head guards - no crash bars. The old girl took a couple of low speed drops straight to those guards and only sustained some scratching of the plastic. I was pretty impressed!

On my 2015, the previous owner put the more robust, metal/plastic BMW head guards as well as a set of Illium works crash bars. A bit redundant, but I'm not complaining!

I guess it just comes down to how much protection you're looking for. I think the crash bars would probably protect more of the bike than just the cylinder head guards. But, like I said, I was impressed with just how well the head guards worked on my last bike.

How's that for a total, non-committal answer? You're welcome.
 
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#12 ·
No! They bolt right up and there is a really good installation video on their web site.

 
#13 ·
oops just realized it looks like you have a 2013 RT so that video would not apply but I still don't believe you need to remove the plastic.

This may help a bit for the pre-water cooled bikes

 
#14 ·
Check the price of cylinder head covers. They used to be pretty cheap...and the guards are pretty expensive. I did without for years. I scractched on side in a drop once and got a new cover for about $75.

If you drop the biike on the guards, they look crappy and you want to buy new ones. A pair of those (you can't buy one) cost more than a cylinder head...or used to.

That said, I bought the Illiums for my '17. Had a Wunderlich on my '05. The Wunderlich never fit right but the Illium works great, looks good to me and if you drop the bike, you can spray paint the bar on the bike and make it look near new again. Put a piece of cardboard behind to catch over-spray.

The chief consideration for me was "can I change oil and check valves without removing this thing?". The Illium is not only the least expensive, but, I think the easiest to install and the nicest looking one that doesn't require removals of any kind to do normal maintenance. You really need both front and rear bars to protect the bike but the front will insure that you can keep going and not puncture the valve cover and lose oil.

I've done enough back-roading in the middle of nowhere on mine (yes, you can) to appreciate that front bar's protection...and it makes my bike look cool too.

Pick your poison...or go without. All are valid decisions. Depends on how, where and how well you ride. Experienced riders who are not into pushing their bikes anymore are probably not going to need any protection. Adventurers and enthusiastic riders who go where they shouldn't and do things that challenge them probably should have at least a front bar. A low-side fall, for instance, can put a hole in the cover if the bikes slides on it long enough. Front will prevent that but other bits will be skinned up.

If you want to protect all the bits from scrapes, you need both front and rear. For RTLs, I like Illium for front and rear...I like my silver front. Would get a flat black rear if I ever get one..my bike is black-ish. I don't like the rear one to show. Silver front blend with color of cylinders and works for me.

...and Illium also for their bar-baks. They move the bar only a little back and a little more up, but for me, it makes a massive difference. I use an Aeroflow Tall screen. Leaning forward into the wind is not a thing on my bike, so having the bars higher and back a little really makes it nicer.

I have no affiliation, just like their straight-forward designs and products.

:)
 
#15 ·
Just a point of clarification. Most of the cylinder head guards can be purchased individually. I know the BMW can as well as the MachineArtMoto.

As you note it is a personal decision. For the RT I am just not a fan of how the crash bars look. I do agree the Illium Works are a good choice if going with crash bars. But for tip overs and drops I believe the cylinder guards will do their job. I do have the Illium Works rear bag guards as they look fine and I believe will do the job protecting the bags.
 
#17 ·
For anyone interested: I have a set of MachineArt Moto head protectors. New, I never installed them, and I traded the bike. Awaiting my new 1250 set.
Fit 2010-2013 r1200, both rt and gs.
Pm me if interested
 
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