ADV Pulse

NEWSLETTER
Get ADV Pulse delivered by email
Sign up for ADV Pulse Weekly

Newsletter

Get ADV Pulse delivered by email
Sign up for ADV Pulse Weekly

Connect With Us

Follow On Facebook:

ADV ProductsADV Bike AccessoriesNew Brace Helps Prevent Valve Cover Damage on R1200GS/A

New Brace Helps Prevent Valve Cover Damage on R1200GS/A

Stock crash bars for the Water-Cooled R1200GS lack critical rear bracing.

Published on 12.06.2014

During a recent Cycle World bike test, the stock crash bar on the BMW R1200GS Adventure flexed into the cylinder head and punched a hole in the valve cover during a hard fall. Damage from the crash tallied $1,245.41 for parts and $470 for labor. The reason? The factory BMW crash bars for the Water-Cooled R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure lack critical rear bracing. This design leaves the motorcycle’s magnesium valve cover vulnerable to serious damage in a hard drop.

BMW R1200GS-Adventure with out crashbar brace

The stock crash bars shown here without the reinforcement bar. Notice the lack of rear bracing on the valve cover guard.

Touratech has engineered a factory crash bar reinforcement brace for the Water-Cooled BMW R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure to make the bike even tougher and prevent damage like this from occurring. This simple fix can eliminate a critical failure point that can help you avoid expensive repairs. The reinforcement bars connect the BMW factory crash bars directly to the water-boxer’s frame, instantly increasing the protection of the R1200GS’ exposed valve covers. The Touratech Crash Bar Reinforcement Braces are made of strong, 25mm, electro-polished stainless steel tubing and match perfectly with the stock bars.

Check out this Touratech video to see how quick and easy it is to install the Crash Bar Reinforcement Braces.


ADVERTISEMENT

Shopping Options:

Touratech

Author: Rob Dabney

Rob Dabney started a lifelong obsession with motorcycles at the age of 15 when he purchased his first bike – a 1982 Honda MB5. Through his 20’s and 30’s he competed in off-road desert races, including the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. Eventually, his proclivity for exploration led him to dual sport and adventure riding. Rob’s never-ending quest to discover what’s around the next bend has taken him on Adventures in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and throughout the American West. As a moto journalist, he enjoys inspiring others to seek adventure across horizons both near and far.

Author: Rob Dabney
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Stories

Related Stories

Notify me of new posts via email

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

3 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jason Terry
Jason Terry
December 10, 2014 10:48 am

Curious. Tourtech is the the OEM supplier of a lot of BMW protection parts. Did they provide the original crash bar? If so, did they design this purposefully to allow them to sell a reinforcement part, or should they be held accountable for making an inferior part and be required to provide this as a recall item?

Tom p.
Tom p.
December 16, 2014 12:38 pm

The Cycle World crash in question was coming off a 5′ high embankment and landing hard on the side of the bike. With the touratech brace added, the impact would be transferred to the frame for support. Have you tested if the frame will survive a similar impact load as was in the crash. The potential result here is a bent frame and totaled bike instead of a cracked cylinder head. Provided you yourself survive the crash as the Cycle World writer was surprised he did.

Eric
Eric
December 17, 2014 9:24 am
Reply to  Tom p.

I saw this being discussed on a GS forum. Unfortunately, it does seem to happen a lot more than you think. And they were reporting falls much less severe than going down an embankment. I agree with Jason that BMW should seriously look into this.

ADVERTISEMENT

Watch: Testing The Lighter, Faster, Next-Gen Himalayan 450

After a strong six-year run, the Himalayan 411 platform has been completely o...

Riding In The Shadow Of Giants On California’s Redwood Coast

With the year's most intense heat wave looming on the horizon, the thought ...

Mosko Moto Unveils ‘Trail 16L’ Minimalist Bags With Expandable Design

If you want to take a few things with you on the trail, but not too much, a...