J3’s polls, #1, engine guards

[j3gq_imp]

The first poll asks how many CB owners have installed engine guards, and how soon after purchase.

[the Ferret]

Never have liked engine guards or crash bars or whatever you want to call them. If I wreck it, the insurance company can buy me new parts.

[Houtman_imp]

I have engine guards ready BEFORE the new bike arrives at my house as I never have full coverage on any bike I ever bought used or new.

[KPSguy_imp]

I've installed from new when I purchased the bike in 2016 , just getting back on 2 wheels after almost 30 years away from it
Hondaline Case savers and flitted some Kuryaykn folding foot bars for longer rides to change up riding position. Certainly anything we add takes away from the clean classic naked Honda look.

2013 Cb 1100 "

[pdedse]

For me, there are three considerations that lead me to buy bars soon:

1. for the cb11100, bars give me a place to mount hiway pegs so I can stretch legs for long trips
2. they may protect engine from scratch / scrape if there's a non-moving tip-over
3. I want to think that something is going make contact with the ground before my leg should I decide to go a slidin'

With the black SW Motech bars, visually I barely notice they are there.

[bflint]

For me, there are three considerations that lead me to buy bars soon:

1. for the cb11100, bars give me a place to mount hiway pegs so I can stretch legs for long trips
2. they may protect engine from scratch / scrape if there's a non-moving tip-over
3. I want to think that something is going make contact with the ground before my leg should I decide to go a slidin'

With the black SW Motech bars, visually I barely notice they are there.

Ditto! OBW, I bought OEM rack from Samurider.

[misterprofessionality]

Never have liked engine guards or crash bars or whatever you want to call them. If I wreck it, the insurance company can buy me new parts.

Unless they total it....at which point you may be burying a bike. Ypu might say "well then get a new bike with the payout" but that payout is usually garbage. What's more, if the bike is sentimental to you in any way ypu may not be able to replace it. I'd hate to lose my cb....buying some other bike just wouldn't cut it.

[the Ferret]

Worked in the motorcycle industry for 17 years. Never saw engine guards prevent a bike from being totalled. At most they might save an outer engine case on 1 side usually. Engine guards do nothing when hitting a left turner or rear ending a vehicle ahead of you. They dont do anything if you are rear ended. At best they help in a standing still drop or in a low speed low side. I have seen bent frames from being dropped on an engine guard.

Hey I am not trying to discourage others from using them, that is their choice. My choice is not to use them.

55 years, 31 street motorcycles, untold miles, I just have never found a use for them, and yes I have dropped several bikes. What is the cost of an outer engine case compared to a set of case guards?

[GoldOxide_imp]

The CB1100 looks natural without the engine guards. I didn't install any. Not having them gave me more incentive to not drop the machine. None of my CBs had engine guards.

Conversely, my adventure bike has a lower engine guard. It is ugly compared to the CB1100, however, it has a tendency to drop, especially when used off-road. Putting ugly-on-ugly is ugly. So nothing lost.

[Roper_imp]

I installed engine guards for one purpose only: They're a mount for highway pegs. Highway pegs help me to ride longer, which is a Good Thing.