Experience / Opinions on Crash Bars for the R1250RT

[Claudio]

A new Alpine White 2019 R1250RT will be waiting for me when the snow melts.   This is an upgrade from my 2003 R1150RT (a big upgrade).

 

I'd like to get started on a few essentials and wanted anyone's suggestions on a decent set of crash bars (front and rear) for this bike. 

[wbw6cos]

Congrats on the new Shift Cam.  You will NOT be disappointed.  

 

I went with ilium Works for the front and rear guards.  They work; I know.  See the web site for a video of the Drop Test to see how they perform during a driveway drop.

 

They were fairly easy to install.  They have a helpful video on the site for installing the guards on the 1250 RT, which made it easier for me.

 

Cheers,

[PadG]

You should look over this recent thread:

 

[Ltripreno]

I just got a 1250 RT myself.  There are different sizes and shapes and colors for engine guards.  I think they probably all do a good job, so it is mainly personal taste.

I thought the guards from Wunderlich were too much for what I wanted.  Iliums look good.  I opted for Z-technik  http://www.nationalcycle.com/engine-guards-zt.html  Similar to Ilium with a bit more protection above and below the cylinder.  And more options (I hope! ) for highway pegs.  I don;t have them yet.  They were backordered.  Not sure if I will go with a guard for the side bags.

[Claudio]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. As I am not a knee-dragger, I think I'll go with both front and rear. In 16 years on my 1150RT, never crashed or dropped it but had it topple at a campsite when I loaded the high side bag first and didn't notice the lack of lean (slow motion domino into my wife's bike). Crash bars would have saved some damage. 

 

I think I've narrowed it down to:

1) Heed (https://heedshop.eu/en_US/p/Front-and-rear-crash-bars-for-BMW-R-1250-RT-silver-/475) [never used this brand before]

2) Wunderlich (http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/20381001-003.html)

3) Illium (http://www.iliumworks.com/BMW_Motorcycle_Accessories.cfm?pn=34-200BL&pID=153)

 

I like the stealth of the Heed front set but their rear looks like its a bit too much.  Now...which color wrecks the lines least...black or silver?

[Warren_H]

I thinking about crash bars for my 1250RT - Do any of them require you to move the BMW driving/fog lights?

[wbw6cos]

Hi Warren_H,

 

For the ilium Works guards you will also have purchase their brackets to re-mount the OEM auxilliary lights.  I am not aware of other mounting hardware that is available elsewhere.  It seems like the round guards should be able to accept other (universal?) brackets, but I cannot confirm that.  Check their web site to see if the OD is listed for the bars.

 

Cheers,

[PadG]

Warren - all of the bars uses the aux. light mounting points for their own mounting.  The Ztechnik and the Wunderlich DO provide alternate mounting position for the aux. lights on their bracket very close to being the same location as the original mount on the bike.

[Warren_H]

Thanks, I was at the dealer today and they had a 1250RT with the Ilium Works front and read guards installed. I think that is the way I'll go with the highway pegs - after the Holidays. 

[Aum]

On 12/11/2019 at 10:12 PM, Warren_H said:

Thanks, I was at the dealer today and they had a 1250RT with the Ilium Works front and read guards installed. I think that is the way I'll go with the highway pegs - after the Holidays. 

 

I recommend mounting the highway pegs as high as possible on the crash bars. I had Iliium crash bars and highway pegs on my 2013 RT and ended up grinding the clamp on the right side when I had to tighten a turn on Deals Gap to avoid someone crossing the center line going in the other direction. The highway pegs were only about an 1/2 to 1 inch lower than the max, but that was enough to drag at max lean.

 

 

[garr2]

Quote

 

I thinking about crash bars for my 1250RT - Do any of them require you to move the BMW driving/fog lights?

Quote

Warren - all of the bars uses the aux. light mounting points for their own mounting.  The Ztechnik and the Wunderlich DO provide alternate mounting position for the aux. lights on their bracket very close to being the same location as the original mount on the bike.

 

I have the Wunderlich engine bars fitted to my 1250.

The Wunderlich bars can accommodate the BMW driving/fog lights without  additional hardware, though it does involve moving the lights approx 9cm (3.5 in) both forward and down.

 

A friend who knows nothing about bikes remarked that the halo lights and fog lights used together as DRLs made the bike very visible. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[fourteenfour]

was the original wiring sufficient to reach the new location?

[wbw6cos]

I believe you are asking about the Wunderlich, but for the ilium, there is sufficient wire to mount at new location; they are real close to the OEM area.

[garr2]

Quote

was the original wiring sufficient to reach the new location?

 

I had my Wunderlich engine bars fitted when I had the bike serviced at BMW dealer, but from a quick look just now it looks like the original wiring was long enough to reach the lights in their new position. If you have a look at my 3rd pic above you can see that the wiring  was taken a short cut directly to the light rather than running more neatly along the light bracket and zip tied in 2 or 3 places.

 

Ian

[bimmers]

I believe the 2021 fairing is different from the prior ones, so Does anybody know if the wunderlich bars allow for all service without removal on the 2021  1250 RT. 
also how have you adjusted the extra lights for alignment, throw of light?

 

h

 

 

[bendbill]

On 11/12/2019 at 11:07 PM, Claudio said:

 

 

I like the stealth of the Heed front set but their rear looks like its a bit too much.  Now...which color wrecks the lines least...black or silver?

 

I have Ilium on the rear.  They look less obtrusive than I thought.  Re color, I bought black because my 2018 RT is black.  With your white, you might consider the silver

 

You'll like your RT

 

 

[Dann]

I have the black ones (Front/Back/Highway pegs) on my White R1250RT.

They blend very well with the bike

 

 

 

[TPadden]

On 4/28/2021 at 2:52 AM, BendBill said:

I have Ilium on the rear.  They look less obtrusive than I thought.

Same and Machineartmoto cylinder head guards for the engine; totally unobtrusive and from my drop experience totally effective on my previous 1200RT.  

 

https://machineartmoto.com/

 

 

 

 

[wbw6cos]

Somebody at START was telling me about paint for touching up any imperfections on the ilium works engine / side case guards.  I was told that there was paint at the auto parts supply stores that perfectly matched the black coloring on the guards.  Can anyone enlighten me again?

[TPadden]

On 4/29/2021 at 5:31 PM, wbw6cos said:

Somebody at START was telling me about paint for touching up any imperfections on the ilium works engine / side case guards.  I was told that there was paint at the auto parts supply stores that perfectly matched the black coloring on the guards.  Can anyone enlighten me again?

 

Krylon Satin Black - $5 at Lowes.  Works for me.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Krylon-FUSION-ALL-IN-ONE-6-Pack-Satin-Black-Spray-Paint-and-Primer-In-One-NET-WT-12-oz/1000460283

 

That said, Ilium Works video around 1:30 recommends SEM 39143 Black Trim ... $15 on Amazon ...

 

https://www.amazon.com/SEM-39143-Trim-Black-Aerosol/dp/B000EM019O

 

 

 

Tom

 

 

[wbw6cos]

Thank you for the info.   Apparently the black paint I have available in my shed is off a few shades.   I will check them out.

[Rick1130]

I recently purchased a new leftover 2020 RT and after careful consideration went with Wunderlich front and rear in black.  This was a fly and ride with 2000 miles planned so i had them installed before picking up.  Sure enough last day, 150 miles from home, tired and I dropped the bike leaving a gas station when I put my foot down at light, foot slipped, down she went.  Wunderlich worked!  Not a mark anywhere on bike.  Just a scrape on bars which you can't even see unless you look for it.

 

I don't mind the larger rear bars as they give me another place to strap stuff on for camping trips, and it gives me a place to put my hand when I stretch on bike during long stretches.

 

I rode the bike through the Smokies including the Dragon and no issues with scraping in corners.

 

 

The black bars almost disappear on the bike.  No scraping in corners!

 

 

 

Rick G

[rounder jim]

  Does anyone with the Wunderlich front bars know for sure if routine maintenance can ALL be done without taking them off the bike. I thought I read somewhere that one had to be removed to change the oil filter. 

[strataj]

I have a 14R1200RT with Wunderlich front and rear bars.  I never need to remove them to service the bike.  Wunderlich was the first to produce bars for the Wethead I was one of the early adapters.

[Audi403]

Any word on touch up paint for the Wunderlich bars? I know this was mentioned for the Iliums. Just trying to decide which product to go with right now.

[dirtrider]

51 minutes ago, Audi403 said:

Any word on touch up paint for the Wunderlich bars? I know this was mentioned for the Iliums. Just trying to decide which product to go with right now.

Afternoon Audi403

 

But the good news is "life is a learning experience" so you would probably only do that once.  

[Audi403]

5 minutes ago, dirtrider said:

Afternoon Audi403

 

But the good news is "life is a learning experience" so you would probably only do that once.  

Haha, I didn't drop my bike. Just trying to decide between buying the Wunderlich or the Ilium

[92Merc]

6 minutes ago, Audi403 said:

Haha, I didn't drop my bike. Just trying to decide between buying the Wunderlich or the Ilium

I've seen a few report their Wunderlich bars got bent after a drop.  So I'd recommend Ilium personally.

I have Ilium front and rear bars.  I dropped mine once when I could have sworn I had the bike in neutral.  Just a small blemish on the front bars.  Wife has dropped hers twice now.  Just small blemishes as well.

[wbw6cos]

I had the 24 K service done at FART and it turns out that the ilium engine bar had to be un-bolted, for the left side, and moved a little in order to get the cam alignment jig in position.   This is due to the cylinder off-set, with the left one being a little more forward than the right side.  We started the cam alignment / valve check on the right side first and never had to touch the engine guard, but on the left side a clearance issue was found.  Not a big deal, but if you do not do your own maintenance on the Shift Cam, then it may impact hourly labor rate to be billed.  Food for thought.

 

As far as the ilium bars, they work.  I can vouch for that, more than once, or twice, or......      They have not warped.  The only issue is cosmetic damage, hence the paint questions.

[Scott9999]

I've already done a write up on the knock off Wunderlich bars available on Amazon (below).  In that review summary, I concluded that I thought the HEED bars from Europe were probably the best (based upon pictures), particularly if you ride with a smaller pillion rider.  I thought that the "dip" on the HEED rear bars probably accommodated a smaller rear rider.  My Wunderlich clone rear bars will have to be removed when my wife rides.  (IF she rides regularly, I'll probably sell these off and buy the rear Heed bars.).  I don't think either the Wunderlich or the Heed bars need to be removed for service.  In fact, Wunderlich does a write up where they stress that their bars do not have to be "completely removed" to service under the heads, which is probably a note more to BMW service techs to avoid billing extra for that, i.e. they can just be loosened  (which is nice, except that they also proscribe using blue locktite on the bolts).   Revised advertising says that their bars are "newly redesigned" to avoid the problem altogether.  The clone bars I got from China look close but OK for service, but I won't know that for sure until I'm actually working "under the hood". 

 

As far as the look, I like mine quite a bit, particularly since black is a good match for my bike's color scheme.  Some relevant pix.

 

 

 

 

[Scott9999]

1 hour ago, 92Merc said:

I've seen a few report their Wunderlich bars got bent after a drop.  So I'd recommend Ilium personally.

I have Ilium front and rear bars.  I dropped mine once when I could have sworn I had the bike in neutral.  Just a small blemish on the front bars.  Wife has dropped hers twice now.  Just small blemishes as well.

Lol, if the bars get bent after a drop, I'd say that they did their job.  Money well spent.

I think ANY bars will be bent, if the drop is at speed.  A stationary drop?  No way.  Anything's possible.  The rear brackets might bend (i.e. I had to bend one slightly to get it to fit properly), but the bars themselves?  I highly doubt it.

[strataj]

I too have the Wunderlich bar and have no trouble servicing the bike 14R1200RT.  Wunderlich was the first to make protection bars, since that time I got mine other are available.   I think the Ilium bars are better and would hold up better in a crash.  I have a 2022 RT on the way, in my review of Ilium bars you'll need to purchase new mounts for the BMW LED aux lights. 

[strataj]

I recently noticed these https://www.rg-racing.com/browsebike/BMW/R1250RT/2020/AB0049/  they look like something to consider. 

[garysciascia]

when i had a 2017 GTL the ilium bag and engine guards worked amazingly well. After dropping the bike fully on it's side i needed to repair nothing. 2 years later when i just traded it the GTL on my RT 3 months ago the dealer didnt see a spec of damage except for a slight scratch on the engine guard. Needless to say i bought the ilium guards again. Putting them on next week.

[Scott9999]

On 3/20/2022 at 2:19 PM, Scott9999 said:

Lol, if the bars get bent after a drop, I'd say that they did their job.  Money well spent.

I think ANY bars will be bent, if the drop is at speed.  A stationary drop?  No way.  Anything's possible.  The rear brackets might bend (i.e. I had to bend one slightly to get it to fit properly), but the bars themselves?  I highly doubt it.

I noticed that I last posted my feedback on Wunderlich (clone) bars I mounted.  I did in fact drop the bike, and the right rear bracket did in fact, bend (90% of the bend was at the mounting plate, 10%, the bar itself).  The engine crash bars survived with flying colors.

 

Anyhow, for cross reference purposes, I'll post both my original review and the follow-up (i.e. I replaced the W.C. rear bars with Heed).

 

Review of Wunderlich clone crash bars (W.C.), front and rear.

 

Heed luggage protector bars (replaced the W.C. with the Heed, partly due to better construction, and partly due to better fitment for my wife - pillion rider).

[2 wheels]

HI - New to the forum and this is my first post.  Riding a 2020 r1250rt.

 

I'm struggling with even getting crash bar protection - just don't like the look.  It'd be nice to have highway pegs that can be added to crash bars but the position outside the boxer heads is too wide for my taste (even at 6.2).  So I'm thinking of getting cylinder head guards instead.  My goal is to protect from low speed drops and maybe a lowside slide.  What do you all think of cyl head guards v. crash bars for this purpose? 

Thx   

 

 

 

 

 

[wbw6cos]

Welcome to the forum, 2 wheels.   I went with bars on my 2019 RT, and also bars for side case protection..   You may want to think about protecting the side cases, unless you prefer not to ride with them.  

 

What about your service on the bike?  Are you going to do that or is a dealer?   Guessing the latter until the warranty expires.   The thought about maintenance may involve shop labor removing protectiion, unless you do so prior to arrival.   You should check with the shop and get them to give you some ideas about any added labor costs, if any, should the tech need to remove them for service.   It also is dependent on what you get, as some protectors may stay in place for routine 6 k service, but for the 12 k work, the valve covers need to be removed and therein lies the question on which will be the best in that situation.

 

On my RT, the ilium works bars for the right side was fine doing valves and cam alignment check, but for the left side the alignment jig could not be used until the crash bar was loosened enough to move out of the way.  I cannot speak for valve cover guards, but they will get removed anyway to pull the cover off, so....

 

Hopefully, otheres will post about the head guards.

 

My $.02 (which is worth $37.50, BTW.)  

[Hati]

2 hours ago, 2 wheels said:

What do you all think of cyl head guards v. crash bars for this purpose? 

 

Works brilliantly. The downside is there is nowhere to fit highway pegs, but if you do not need those... There is quite a variety of protectors  out there, so good luck picking one you like. 

 

BMW sells protective rubber strips for the panniers. For the shifthead RT these are made of two pieces. I have them and highly recommend them. My wife has short legs so the protection bars interfere with her comfort, hence these rubber strips. 

 

Both are a good alternative to bars for low speed and stationary drops.

[Hosstage]

One downside I see to valve cover protectors as opposed to the bars, is that on tip over, or worse a low speed slide, the weight and any associated twisting force is transferred directly to the hot cylinder, its mounting bolts, the case. Whereas with the bars, the force is transferred through the bars to the more robust mounting points.

Not sure that it is an issue, just wondering if it makes a difference.

If you were going to deliberately tip your bike over, which would you prefer to have protecting it?

[Bulitt]

On 6/23/2022 at 4:44 PM, Hati said:

 

Works brilliantly. The downside is there is nowhere to fit highway pegs, but if you do not need those... There is quite a variety of protectors  out there, so good luck picking one you like. 

 

BMW sells protective rubber strips for the panniers. For the shifthead RT these are made of two pieces. I have them and highly recommend them. My wife has short legs so the protection bars interfere with her comfort, hence these rubber strips. 

 

Both are a good alternative to bars for low speed and stationary drops.

Can anybody point me to the rubber pannier strips mentioned above?

 

edit: Nevermind, I found them.

[phil H]

Hi Bulitt, could you post the link please?

[Krid]

dont have a link but I just got a pair from Revzilla up in Philly

[phil H]

Thanks