George Johnson
07-07-2009, 11:41 PM
UPS delivered my new Givi crash bars yesterday, and I got out and installed them this morning. I hope these comments and observations will help inform fellow Strommers who might be interested in these bars.
The finish appears to be excellent. Welds are neat and complete, powder coating is about as good as it gets. I ran the bolts into the threaded holes before beginning assembly in order to clean out powder coat residue and smooth some fairly rough threads.
I found that my factory engine bolts were Locktited in place, and required a breaker bar with my 6mm hex head socket to loosen them before I could begin installation.
The instruction sheet has only two really essential bits of advice: First, when you remove the engine support bolts on one side of the bike, don't remove the engine bolts on the other side until after you've inserted and partially threaded the (provided) new bolts on the first side. It's not good form to drop the engine on your toes. Second, assemble the two halves LOOSELY on the bike so you can get the two halves to mate together in front of the exhaust pipe.
With my set, the manufacturing tolerances were a little loose, and I had to pull the front and rear mounting plates into position on each side in order to line up the bolt holes. The bars are springy, so it's not a really big deal, but I thought they could have been manufactured to closer tolerances.
The flanged plug that fits into the ends of the two sides of the bars where they meet in front of the engine is a loose fit. The loose fit is apparently intended to ease assembly, but is the source of the vibration complaints I have read about here. I found that pieces of casing from a 12 gauge shotgun shell make perfect shims to take up the sloppy fit--put one piece (about 1/4 the circumference of the shell casing) on each side of the flange, and the fit is about as perfect as it gets. End of vibration concerns.
Once all the bolts are loosely in place, begin tightening, using blue Locktite as you go. First tighten the bolt holding the two halves together in front of the exhaust pipe (don't forget the barrel shaped Givi spacer that slides on to the retaining bolt!), next tighten the two flat head screws the hold the Givi side plates to the guards at the front engine bolts, next, the front engine bolts, and then finally tighten the rear bolts.
Now it's time to get out and ride!
George
The finish appears to be excellent. Welds are neat and complete, powder coating is about as good as it gets. I ran the bolts into the threaded holes before beginning assembly in order to clean out powder coat residue and smooth some fairly rough threads.
I found that my factory engine bolts were Locktited in place, and required a breaker bar with my 6mm hex head socket to loosen them before I could begin installation.
The instruction sheet has only two really essential bits of advice: First, when you remove the engine support bolts on one side of the bike, don't remove the engine bolts on the other side until after you've inserted and partially threaded the (provided) new bolts on the first side. It's not good form to drop the engine on your toes. Second, assemble the two halves LOOSELY on the bike so you can get the two halves to mate together in front of the exhaust pipe.
With my set, the manufacturing tolerances were a little loose, and I had to pull the front and rear mounting plates into position on each side in order to line up the bolt holes. The bars are springy, so it's not a really big deal, but I thought they could have been manufactured to closer tolerances.
The flanged plug that fits into the ends of the two sides of the bars where they meet in front of the engine is a loose fit. The loose fit is apparently intended to ease assembly, but is the source of the vibration complaints I have read about here. I found that pieces of casing from a 12 gauge shotgun shell make perfect shims to take up the sloppy fit--put one piece (about 1/4 the circumference of the shell casing) on each side of the flange, and the fit is about as perfect as it gets. End of vibration concerns.
Once all the bolts are loosely in place, begin tightening, using blue Locktite as you go. First tighten the bolt holding the two halves together in front of the exhaust pipe (don't forget the barrel shaped Givi spacer that slides on to the retaining bolt!), next tighten the two flat head screws the hold the Givi side plates to the guards at the front engine bolts, next, the front engine bolts, and then finally tighten the rear bolts.
Now it's time to get out and ride!
George