Engine bars

[rlkat]

If you have engine bars, do you have to remove them if you want to take the tank and/or fairings off? Or is there a particular brand that's better when it comes to this?

cheers
rob

[Steve T]

I have Give bars on my '02 Vara & I take them off whenever I've got to get the tank off. They're held on with 4 bolts a side, so it's not a long job to remove & fit them. Tried working round them once and decided then that it wasn't worth the agro.

Just my mutterings . . . .

Steve T

[Boris]

As Steve says its easier but not essential. I've removed the tank without but it makes a fiddly job slightly more so and removing the bars would probably be the wise thing to do.

[jasonbc]

If you have engine bars, do you have to remove them if you want to take the tank and/or fairings off? Or is there a particular brand that's better when it comes to this?

cheers
rob

I have Givi bars on my 99 model and you do have to remove them to get the panels and tank off, but how often do you need to get the tank off in my experience 3 times in seven year so not an issue for me

[davsato]

i'll be able to tell you in a bit, ive got a new set of givis for my VA6 in the garage. im just waiting for it to stop raining then i'll go fit them

[Delboy 777]

i'll be able to tell you in a bit, ive got a new set of givis for my VA6 in the garage. im just waiting for it to stop raining then i'll go fit them

Be prepared to modify the clamps at the front, mine needed some attention with a hammer to straighten em out a little.

[davsato]

there, that didnt take long, 90mins with the usual givi messing about.

yes delboy, see what you mean the captive screws for the front clamps are 5mm too short! i filed the slots in the clamps a little longer, that let them come round a bit more to give some extra thread. also chamfered the inner edge where they foul a bit on the weld on the front subframe headlight support. when designing they probably measured round the tubing and didnt notice the weld they would clamp too close to.
also the bolts through the engine mounts could do with a redesign, not enough room for a socket and torque wrench, and an engine mount torque is important! luckily ive got a wobbly extension bar that gave me enough angle. dont know if a wire bendy extension would take the torque (39Nm) but anyway my socket was 3/8" drive and i only got 1/4" bendys so with a step up it wouldnt fit anyway, ditto a UV adaptor. dont know why they made it like that with the bar in the way of the bolt head, probably looks. when i see one going cheap i'll but a crowsfoot.

usual givi finish, ie soft thin paint and chipped to buggery from new, and covered in weld spatter but they are solid bars, and decently mounted. look good on too, better in the flesh than pictures suggest.
when the touch up paint dries properly i will acf50 all the monkey metal fasteners i didnt replace with stainless and that'll be it, till they go rusty and i can enamel them properly.

and as for the original thread question, i dont think you could take the side panels off with them in place they fit closer than i thought they would, unless the panel can slide out easily

[Delboy 777]

They have a very poor finish on them. When mine go rusty i will take them to the local Galvanisers and have them done, then they should last forever. I agree, every givi item i have ever bought has been chipped or scratched in the paint dept. Always had to touch them up after fitting.

[Boris]

usual givi finish, ie soft thin paint and chipped to buggery from new,

The first set they sent me were like that and I sent them back. The fitting kit was just bouncing inside the package and knocking ten bells out the finish.

The second set were packed the same and weren't that much better but at least the damage was on the underside and not visible.

[davsato]

i knew what to expect having givi luggage racks before, so i was under no illusions and had the touch up pen shook and warmed up ready to go. in fact for givi they weren't too bad.

made me laugh, they came in a massive box like a fridge comes in, but inside there was no packing material they were just sat there in the box, shrink wrapped together like a big lamb joint. my sons bike came from china and it took us two hours to remove all the tape and trim and foam and rubber that was carefully wrapped around every bit of paintwork, and that was £50.