.Touratech Engine Guards

Which ever way you look at them engine guards are ugly. They are, however, necessary if your planning any kind of trip that may see you off-road, in fact they can save you a fortune in repairs even if your bike never leaves tarmac.

There are various makes of guards for the GS all claiming to to do a better job than the next. When I started looking at guards I thought "guards were guards", however, there are a few other points to consider, like, whether or not you have to move the entire guard to service your bike. If you do then it's either going to be a pain in the ass for you to do it, or an extra labour charge at your local dealership if you get the bike serviced there.

The BMW guards are single sided, which is to say that from the top of the guard to the belly pan is one unit and so to change your oil filter the whole guard has to be removed

Again not the prettiest but the more protection the better.

Here I ran into my first engine guard dilemma; Having ordered a set of H & B guards, I set about installing them, only to find they wouldn't go on. The bars attach on both sides at three points, 1. under the tank, 2. on to the engine and finally 3. on the same joint that holds the rear sub-frame onto the engine. Unfortunately already in place at the same rear sub frame joint are a set of Touratech hard parts which are designed to strengthen that area. The two accessories don't mix, especially if you've got a bike with ABS. On the right side of the bike the guards simply won't go on because the bolt holding the subframe on isn't long enough. Yep, I know I could get a longer bolt, however, then the hard hoses connecting the ABS prevent attachment. Now, as I can see no other way of strengthening the rear subframe, the hard parts had to stay and I was back to the drawing board with the guards. Finally I ended up with the Touratech ones. They also detach half way down, so you don't have to remove them to get the oil filter.

So the final choice was a set of Touratech guards..

So far they seem pretty good, I've now dropped the bike a few times, off-road and no damage done. These Cylinder Protection bars can be separated to remove the lower half, which allows you do to change the oil without removing the bars. Putting them on was a simple as doing up some bolts.

Fitting guide:

This is a description of the process and only and should be used in conjunction with the instructions supplied by the manufacturers This information is used at your own risk.

Instructions:

1. Assembly Notes:
1) These instructions refer to the photos in the printed german instruction sheet.
2) Please fasten all screws loosely at the beginning. Wait until the very end to fully tighten.

1. Preparation:
a. Removal of the seat and tank from the motorcycle. Have as little fuel as possible in the tank. Place the bike on its center stand and remove both seats. On the right side, remove the plastic fuel line cover. Also on the right, locate the 2 smaller diameter vent lines, and disconnect the lines from the plastic coupler, leaving the lower lines attached to the frame. Next, still on the right side, disconnect the multi-pin electrical connector. Clamp the upper fuel line closed, then disconnect. Disconnect the lower fuel line. Be prepared for a small amount of gas to drain (this is why some install the QD connectors). Remove the tank mounting bolt on the rear right, and carefully remove tank.
b. Removal of the stock skid plate. The 4 BMW rubber/metal cushions need to be exchanged with the 4 new cushions included with the new bars. Note that one of the protruding studs has been shortened. The shorter stud (14 mm long) goes upward - into the engine housing. Next, unscrew the 2 screws from the original frame-left and right. (see picture 1)

2. Assembling the Left Side:
Begin by placing the stock skid plate of the bike over the threaded piece of the rubber cushion. To simplify the assembly of the cylinder protection (CP), we recommend temporarily fastening the skid plate to the right side with 2 M6 nuts to prevent it from falling. Hand tighten the nuts. Next, place the pre-mounted left CP piece over the threaded piece of the left rubber/metal component using the M6 U washer and M6 nut to lightly fasten. The top fastener of the CP follows on the threaded piece of the frame where the housing is fastened. The CP flap should be between the frame and housing. Use a M8x30 hex screw and a M8 U washer for this attachment. (see picture 2)

3. Assembling the Right Side:
Follow the instructions for the Left Side assembly to install the Right Side.

4. Assembling the Bottom Cross Piece:
The bottom cross piece is connected using 2 M6x20 hex screws, 4 M6 U washers and 2 self-locking M6 nuts. The bent part of this piece should be connected on the driver's right. (see picture 3)

5. Assembling the Top Cross Piece:
The top cross piece is also connected with 2 M6x20 hex screws, 4 M6 U washers and 2 self-locking M6 nuts. (see picture 2)

6. Final Assembly:
Fully tighten all screw connections. Replace the fuel tank in the reverse process as the removal and connect the fastening flap with the original screw. Lastly, replace the seat to its original position. Final Note: Re-tighten all connections after approximately 50 km (30 miles) of riding. In order to disassemble the engine protection plate (for oil changes, etc), you can remove both side pieces of the CP by separating the top and bottom. To do this, simply unscrew the 2 screw connections on the CP piece and also the nuts from the engine protection piece. (see picture 3)

Supplier: Bracken Motorcycles