Honda Forza 350

[Du PontChardon]

They do look very neat for crash bars, perhaps a bit pricey in my opinion, but this is motorcycling after all! Excepting that you are thinking more of a simple unbalancing at stationary, my only worry would be that they may cause more damage in an accident than they actually prevent - although Stephen sounds to have successfully tested them, albeit unintentionally!

My old BMW K1100LT - a big heavy monster, at least when stationary - had carefully designed factory-fitted engine-bars as standard and you could, quite literally flip the bike off its stand and 'rest' the huge bike on these, should you wish too, without harm, to bike or its fairing. An incredible design, probably intended for Police customers as much as anyone.

[MrGrumpy]

The snag with crash bars can be that some are very flimsy, and if they are robust are they likely to do as much damage as the crash might? My Aprilia Atlantic had crash bars, at the front, but they were so wobbly I'm sure that they would have done no good. Some Tmaxs have bits of hard plastic along the footboards which are supposed to be crash resistant - but in my experience, if a scoot falls over, the most vulnerable bits are higher up - the mirrors especially, plus the front fairing above the wheels, and any sticky out bits of the rear panels. Obviously depends on the exact model of course, but if you want crash bars, you'd better satisfy yourself that they would be the bits that impact the ground, not bodywork higher up.

[Waldorf]

Thanks for the remarks, everyone.
I, too, thought about the price before buying but they are well-made and have a good 'feel' to them. They are robust but not heavy; the tubing is large diameter so shouldn't bend.
On my second Silverwing I had a set of Fehling bars. They looked good but I don't think they were any more than adequate. They were a bugger to fit, too.
When I rode my last Silverwing into a ditch, the majority of damage was to the footboard and below, the area protected on the Forza by the new bars.
As I said, I want protection for the bike when I drop it; I doubt there are any bars offering total protection in a crash.
I will think seriously about adding HiViz but wait until I've fitted them before deciding; three bolts either side won't take much undoing .... I hope!

[Du PontChardon]

I sometimes wonder with modern motorcycles, and plastic-based scooters in particular, whether it would be a help for the new owner to carefully lay the bike down (with assistance of course) on something like an old mattress, to see exactly which part of the bike touches down first in any fall or slide, and as Mr Grumpy says, it is often higher up the the scooter (mirrors, bar-ends) than the lower bodywork of a scooter or the obviously protruding footrests, bars or panniers of a typical motorcycle.
I can recall back in 1978, when my younger brother had a Yamaha FSIE with its spine-frame-suspended 49cc engine (complete with annoyingly loud and piston-destroying power-pipe!), crash bars on sale from reputable dealers that effectively destroyed the engine mountings in any sort of crash!

Hopefully Waldorf, as with pop music, things have moved on since then!

[Waldorf]

On the few occasions I've dropped my scooters I haven't let go of the handlebars; the momentum of the fall is slowed as the footboard edge touched the ground.
The reason the rear panel was scratched a bit in the ditch was because the ditch was not flat.

[mottza]

They look better than I thought they would.

[scootabout]

Crash bars saved my leg on my old Suzuki GS850. A van it me directly from the side, I suffered a clean fracture, rather than a mashed leg. Didn't even break the skin (it was winter, so I was wearing lots of clothing, but nothing with armour). The bike came out of it reasonably well too and I rode it for a year or so afterwards (new tank and a few bits from the insurance repairs.

[Waldorf]

Well, that was an experience!
I'm quite handy with spanners, hammers and the like but fitting the bars was not quite as straightforward as might have been.
I did left-hand side first, having spent several minutes finding the right tools; I have no workshop and haven't yet sorted the various boxes after my move, something I will do in due course (how many times have I said that!)
Tools required:
10mm spanner to free off the bolts under the mats.
Screwdriver with square drive (a favourite tool of mine - a Draper)
10mm socket (in the Draper kit)
Small Allen key - it's a bit so fits in the screwdriver.
Hammer
KY Jelly

I started as the pips went for the 10 o'clock News sounded.
1 : remove rubber mats - easy.
2 : remove chrome-headed 10 mm bolts - tight but straightforward.
3 : place supplied spacers in footboard - location obvious and straightforward.
4 : offer up bars and start one supplied bolt in one hole - straightforward although, as we all know, the bolt angle is critical.
5 : Attempt to start the other two bolts.
6 : Remove first bolt - I thought it best to start with the middle one but realised I needed to start with the front one.
7 : Start front bolt, insert and start the other two, jiggle the bar and tighten all three screws a bit at a time.
8, Replace mats. It is at this point I resorted to the KY; one of the pips on the lower mat just wouldn't press into its hole. The jelly did the trick.
9 & 10 : haul myself up from my knees into a standing position.
11 ; sigh with relief! Check time: barely ten minutes.

Right-hand side. For this I have to move the scooter - straight-forward.
1 - 3 : As before.
4 - 6 : I did start with the front bolt butrealised at this point that the holes didn't quite line up (heart sank). I wrestled with the bar for a few minutes, trying to start the two other bolts but anxious not to cross-thread them. No success.
I took it off and saw, by eye, that the centre mount was out-of-line. Judicious use of the hammer (gentle but firm) realigned the offender successfully.
7 - 11 : Much as before.

Checked time again; it was now just after 10.35.
Time was spent moving the scooter, going to get the hammer, putting tools away and so on. Had I not had the hassle with the one bar it would have taken me less than 30 minutes.

I'm pleased with the result; the scooter looks just like the one in the pictures. I may have to adjust the Right-hand side one as it's a bit close to the panel where the extra bit (for the lights) joins.
I'm knackered so that will have to wait; I might slip a bit of racers'-tape in, just in case.

I was lucky that the weather's changed; it is warm and dry at the moment.
Happy Monday, everyone.

[horobags]

money well spent imo.

[mottza]

Glad it went on ok