ddlooping Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Hi all Is it worth installing crash/engine bars to an XVS125? If yes, is there a particular model you would suggest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Hi all Is it worth installing crash/engine bars to an XVS125? If yes, is there a particular model you would suggest? YYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS FFS yes Ive been forced off by 2 kids pulling a rope across the road in front of me one night, then a car coming the opposite way turned right straight across me so I piled into his front nearside. On both occaisions, engine covers/frame/my legs/panel covers etc suffered NO DAMAGE Mine were Fehling crash bars Get em on, and be quick about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noise Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Personally i hate add on parts.......panniers.......crash bars.......sissy bars etc so i would say no but in a completely different breath i do see the point in them but i still think they wreck the look and lines of the bike and add too much un needed weight to a bike even more so on a 125! if you add the high way hawk catalog onto your beloved two wheeler then expect to loose up hill and over all performance. Either way enjoy it and do what you like and keep it to your taste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulwhite Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 its up to you but you dont NEED them ........i found that the footpegs (front and back) are wide enough to stop anything touching the engine, tank, seat and frame. i found this out when i accidentally dropped the bike, all that was up with it was a scuff on the end of the bars and a scuff on the footpeg . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Personally i hate add on parts.......panniers.......crash bars.......sissy bars etc so i would say no but in a completely different breath i do see the point in them but i still think they wreck the look and lines of the bike and add too much un needed weight to a bike even more so on a 125! if you add the high way hawk catalog onto your beloved two wheeler then expect to loose up hill and over all performance. Either way enjoy it and do what you like and keep it to your taste Personlly, I dont like bobbers but the guy has asked if its worth fitting crash guards, so lets assume hes not going to bob the bike, nor has he said he wants to install the HH cat on it. For what its worth I had saddlebags and crash guards on mine and never noticed any significant drop in performance (I accept the bike for what is is/was) or economy. If he wants to protect his bike from major damage in an impact or slide, then crash guards are the way to do it. £100 for crash guards, or god knows how much for engine covers etc (if you can get em) Its a no-brainer. Protecting the investment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 its up to you but you dont NEED them ........i found that the footpegs (front and back) are wide enough to stop anything touching the engine, tank, seat and frame. i found this out when i accidentally dropped the bike, all that was up with it was a scuff on the end of the bars and a scuff on the footpeg . but in a slide at speed, the footpegs bend against the exhaust, and if you aint got guards on then your pipes and casings have bought it. Get a set on mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddlooping Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 Thank you all for your feedback, I appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RatBob Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 My advice is don't bother. 1. They add unnecessary weight. 2. They don't help protect anything in a crash, I know having personally crashed an xvs 125 without crash bars that the only damage is to the footpegs and handlebar ends. 3. They look butt ugly, which completely defeats the object of owning the xvs 125 in the first place, and when you come to sell it they actually reduce the value of the bike unless you take them off. Save your money, get yourself a better headlight, or some better tyres than the stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddlooping Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Thanks for the feedback, RatBob. Are there normally engine bars on the XVS125, 'cause mine has. (not my bike but same bars) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 No they are an aftermarket addition, just like the front fender trim in the photo. Mine were taller, approx level with the bottom of the fuel tank Dont let the bobber brigade put you off. Ask em how much faster their bikes go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddlooping Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 I guess I have some then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulwhite Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Dont let the bobber brigade put you off. Ask em how much faster their bikes go lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Mine still topped 70 with crash bars, saddlebags, front fender trim, bar risers, and a pocket full o loose change Theyre great first bikes, reliable, good build quality, economical, and comfortable. Use it, look after it, service it, and youll likely be able to pass it on to someone like yourself so they can learn to ride, without losing any money, they hold their price well if in good shape Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddlooping Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Thanks, neversaydie. As an aside, is the front fender trim only for looks or does it really provide some kind of protection? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulwhite Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 its mainly for looks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RatBob Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 No they are an aftermarket addition, just like the front fender trim in the photo. Mine were taller, approx level with the bottom of the fuel tank Dont let the bobber brigade put you off. Ask em how much faster their bikes go We're not here to put anyone off. Just to inject some reality into the situation. When you consider that a bobbed mudguard/fender takes off the massive steel support frame for the pillion (why have a pillion seat on a 125? Seriously?), I'd say it at least adds to overall fuel economy, if not a slight boost in speed. But each to their own. I've got stuff on my bike that probably slows me down. My sidemount number plate isn't exactly aerodynamic! But it still shifts pretty well for what it is. I just know that adding weight is the last thing you want on a 125, and them crash bars don't exactly look lightweight. Whether it's noticeable or not, if in doubt, leave it out. Crash bars appear to have become part of the "cruiser brigade's" (lol) lets-add-the-whole-highway-hawk-catalog-to-my-bike mentality. They're frustratingly underpowered as it is, why go adding more weight for the sake of something that doesn't offer any protection whatsoever? If you're in an accident bad enough that you need the crash bars, the bike is going to be a write-off anyway. What good is a working engine if every other part of the bike is a twisted mangled wreck? In which case I'd worry more about your personal protection, rather than the bike! Seriously, like I said, save the money for better tyres, better headlight, or better protective gear! Stuff that's actually going to save you when it counts. There's no point trying to make your bike into a tank, because it's never going to work like that, bikes are ALWAYS the loser in an accident, they always come off worse. Since highway hawk have yet to add a chrome dozer blade to their catalog, I'd say avoidance is key, no matter how shielded it is, a car or inanimate object will still wipe you out. If you invest in stuff to protect you personally, in a crash, or things that might prevent one in the first place, you'll be far better off. So maybe it's possible to get a cruisered up xvs 125 with all the saddlebag windshield crap up to 70, that's not the point. I'd say unless you personally want them because, in your own personal taste, they look good, it's not worth getting any false ideas about safety. And I'll repeat that for emphasis. If you like the way the look go for it mate just don't go thinking it will make you invulnerable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddlooping Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 Thanks for the feedback, Bob. My goal is not to make myself or the bike invulnerable, I'd need to drive a tank to get close to that, it's simply to make driving it safer without compromising too much its performance. I don't actually know how much protection to either me and/or the bike crashbars provide but I tend to believe they would help in certain circumstances. The fact that they are already mounted on the bike makes the whole thing a no-brainer, really. By the way, why not have a pillion seat on a 125? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RatBob Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Thanks for the feedback, Bob. My goal is not to make myself or the bike invulnerable, I'd need to drive a tank to get close to that, it's simply to make driving it safer without compromising too much its performance. I don't actually know how much protection to either me and/or the bike crashbars provide but I tend to believe they would help in certain circumstances. The fact that they are already mounted on the bike makes the whole thing a no-brainer, really. By the way, why not have a pillion seat on a 125? The only reason why I've been so outspoken about this is that I think anyone should be wary of anything that gives them a false sense of safety. Those crash bars are not going to offer you or your bike any protection whatsoever. Lets say you have a lowside accident, pretty common for a new biker. If it falls to the left it will still damage the handlebars and rear end, and if it falls to the right your exhausts will still get damaged. It might save your footpegs, but that's about it. The xvs engine is pretty well protected on it's own really. I speak from experience here, after a left lowside without crash bars. There was very little damage. I came off worse than the bike. The only way you'll know for sure if there's a performance difference is to try taking it out for a ride without the bars, and then with the bars down the same road, and see if you notice a difference. Having said all that though mate, it's not going to hurt to have them on. There's worse crap that people put on their bikes. As for the pillion seat, it's illegal for a learner to take a pillion as it is. If you pass your test and for some reason decide to keep the bike, I doubt you'd be able to get much over 35 mph with a pillion. And if you did, you'd probably have to be really flogging it for a good long time. Think about it. Would you seriously want to subject your passenger to such an intensely boring ride, forced to listen to your struggling engine? I know I'd be so embarrassed I'd probably drop my passenger off and go straight to the nearest motorbike dealership and trade it in for something bigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddlooping Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 Having said all that though mate, it's not going to hurt to have them on. Good. If you pass your test and for some reason decide to keep the bike, I doubt you'd be able to get much over 35 mph with a pillion. And if you did, you'd probably have to be really flogging it for a good long time. Think about it. Would you seriously want to subject your passenger to such an intensely boring ride, forced to listen to your struggling engine? I know I'd be so embarrassed I'd probably drop my passenger off and go straight to the nearest motorbike dealership and trade it in for something bigger. That might be a good point for fairly long rides, but it doesn't apply to shorter ones, i.e, a 10 minutes cruise to the town center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neversaydie Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Thanks, neversaydie. As an aside, is the front fender trim only for looks or does it really provide some kind of protection? No doubt the bobber brigade will say otherwise , but yes, it saved my front fender from damage last year in a slide, no damge at all. Some scrapes on the trim that I touched up with chrome paint, but otherwise did the job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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