Sw motech crashbars

[Percy1]

I've bought a set of SW Motech crashbars for my '09 reg V8 Vara.

Has anybody fitted these to their bike? The limited instructions say that you have to detach the radiators and use new bolts and spacers provided.

Should I remove the fairing to fit the bars? Up, under the fairing, (in the rad area) it all looks "a bit tight" where the crashbar mounts go and its very close to the loom.

Cheers.

[Maritimer]

Percy1 I'm sorry I can't help you but I do have a questions for the Varadero owners who have installed crashbars. Does it interfere with the maintenance/ servicing of the bike? Is it a lot more work to perform the scheduled services? Thanks.

[Snaphappy]

Sorry Percy I cant help you out with that one
but for Maritimer
I have the givi bars ('07) fitted to mine and can remove the side plastics with them still in place.

[Maritimer]

That's good to know. Thanks Snaphappy.

[Freerangestormer]

I don't know if the 08-> are different from the 03-> but the Motech ones I had, were fitted by slackening the bolts on the inner subframe inside the cowls, hook the bar ends over the bolts and retighten. Sorry I don't have pics.

Just checked the website and see they have a different model for most years from 03 on, can't figure what the difference would be, can't see a download for the fitting instructions.

http://www.mo-tech.de/produkt/?produ...41278882c65601

I changed to Givi bars to get a higher mount and protection, with a mount for aux lights.

[Maritimer]

Thanks Freerangestormer. I thought some Varadero owners had issues with Givi crash bars. I think I'll go for the SW Motech. I appreciate your feed back.

[Percy1]

Thanks for all the feedback. My Haynes manual arrived this morning - now well thumbed! Taking the side plastics off looks like the only option to fit the replacement bolts and spacers to the radiators.

The crashbars are part number SBL.01.322.100

like these:

http://www.bikegear.co.za/att/Honda%...01_322_100.pdf

[africajim]

I fitted Givi's to my VA9, no problems, took all of five minutes? A good fit and easy to take off if needed for servicing.

[Freerangestormer]

I had the Motech's on mine but wasn't so keen on the way they bent around the leading edge of the fairing, they didn't come high enough up for my plans to mount aux lamps and when I saw the appearance of Givi's mounted on a similar bike I was sold and changed to them.

I believe the comments regarding issues mostly relate to the Motech tubes being heavier gauge / thicker wall tube than the Givi. Having seen the results of a few downs with different bars, I don't see it making a huge difference betwwen the two other than the Motech will slide further before it wears through the tube it doesn't seem to make any difference to bendability or plastic protection, one is as good as the other.

With the Givi I would have preferred if they had supplied allen bolts rather than hex bolts which are fiddly at the frame mounts but other than that, as Jim says, they are a doddle to fit.

Good luck with the new Motech's

[Maritimer]

LOL, I guess i am easily swayed ! I thought I had read somewhere that the Givi bars were not fitting well on some Varadero models. If I was to order Givi crash bars I can get them through a Canadian distributor instead of dealing with expensive USA shipping and duty taxes. Thanks a lot, your feed back is greatly apprecaited.