Rival Components Lower Crash Bars for Ténéré 700

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

I tend to push my Yamaha Ténéré 700 to the limits. During my latest ride at Taskers Gap in Fort Valley, Virginia, I banged up the bike badly, bending the shift lever and damaging a crankcase bolt from laying the bike down on some gnarly rocks. I wasn’t able to bend the lever back, and oil was leaking out of the crankcase so my day was over. It was not how I wanted to end my day on the trails. As a result, I decided to give the lower crash bars from Rival Components a try. I usually avoid adding extra weight, but was motivated to spend more time riding and less time wrenching.

These bars are considerably less expensive than competing brands, which made me skeptical at first. However, from what I could tell, they were very similar in thickness, mounting hardware, coverage, and color options. I suppose if I was being picky, I would have preferred the bars from Rival Components to be stainless steel, but that wasn’t a deal breaker.

The bars came neatly packaged with helpful instructions. To my surprise, they were relatively lightweight, only 6 lb. 3 oz. They're formed from sturdy 1-inch steel painted a beautiful, glossy shade of black that matched the Ténéré perfectly. Installation was a breeze. I didn’t have to remove any plastics or parts for assembly, which made them a quick install. Three bolts and three spacers for each side, and a bit of Loctite, and I was good to go!

The lower crash bars protect everything that I wanted them to, including the crankcase cover, which hadn’t faired so well without them. They also protrude out far enough to prevent the brake and shifting levers from bending too far. I did notice that anyone with large feet may have trouble bumping into the bars with their toes—there’s not much clearance there.

All in all, I definitely recommend these bars. They look wonderful, are lightweight, durable, and easy to install. The lower crash bars from Rival Components get a well-deserved two thumbs up from me.

RivalComponents.com

MSRP: $219.99

PROS:

• Affordable without losing out on quality
• Relatively lightweight and durable 1-inch steel
• Easy installation and beautiful, sleek appearance

CONS:

• Foot clearance; over men’s size 12 may have difficulty
• No stainless-steel option, not a deal breaker they are nicely powder coated and painted

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