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Cylinder head guards
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:00 am
by Croc
Hi - just a quickie as I think a dealer is trying one on me - and I hate to be had! I have looked at a newish 1200 at a dealer and there are black marks on the cylinder heads. Dealer says that they had guards on which they have removed (why!) but the bike has never been dropped.
Can anyone tell me if the guards actually touch the heads (and will therefore leave black marks) or is there a gap between the guards and the heads. If there is a gap, as I suspect, it is likely that the bike has taken a slide down the road. The marks are on both sides.
Any help here appreciated.
Croc
Re: Cylinder head guards
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 7:18 am
by celticus
Maybe the dealer can show you the guards which have been removed. If the marks are on both sides maybe they are telling you the truth. Are they marks or scratches or gouges? The guards may have rubbed on the heads but why remove them?
Mark
Re: Cylinder head guards
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:47 am
by TAG-Caver
When I removed my BMW plastic guards to adjust the valves, the one side had black marks from the guards and my bike hasn't been down(yet!).
Re: Cylinder head guards
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:11 am
by Tr250Tom
I took delivery of my bike in 2007 with the black plastic guards installed by the dealer. Last week I was installing crash bars and discovered that the plastic guards would not clear them, so I removed them.
Surprise! The black plastic OEM guards touch the valve covers with a 4" (or so) long rubber pad. In my case, grit and dirt accumulated below the pad, and wore a straight line completely through the paint.
I spent a half hour with some 3M polishing compound and got it to look much better, but I think I just polished some oxidation off the magnesium, and it will probably return quickly.
If you want to cover it up, I have a set of plastic guards I can sell you...
Cheers, Tom
PS If the bike had "taken a slide down the road" you wouldn't be looking at minor scratches...
Re: Cylinder head guards
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:37 pm
by AmostThere
Speaking as somebody who had the plastic BMW guards installed to prevent damage in a parking lot tip-over I am not pleased to know that if/when I remove them there is going to be the markings that you speak of, it sounds like a defect in the design. Aaarrrgghhh!
Re: Cylinder head guards
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 7:02 am
by Croc
AmostThere wrote:Speaking as somebody who had the plastic BMW guards installed to prevent damage in a parking lot tip-over I am not pleased to know that if/when I remove them there is going to be the markings that you speak of, it sounds like a defect in the design. Aaarrrgghhh!
Thanks to all who have replied. I have a photo of the marks - and this on a bike that only has 1500 miles on the clock. So much for the protection.
I like the look of this one.
Croc
Re: Cylinder head guards
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 3:23 pm
by spoon
Croc, a link to those?
Re: Cylinder head guards
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:17 pm
by bobw
spoon
A+S BMW and Wunderlich have some nice guards listed made of carbon, plastic or metal. Check in the 1200R and GS sections.
Re: Cylinder head guards
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:53 am
by Croc
Re: Cylinder head guards
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 2:19 pm
by MJB
Croc wrote:Hi - just a quickie as I think a dealer is trying one on me - and I hate to be had! I have looked at a newish 1200 at a dealer and there are black marks on the cylinder heads. Dealer says that they had guards on which they have removed (why!) but the bike has never been dropped.
Can anyone tell me if the guards actually touch the heads (and will therefore leave black marks) or is there a gap between the guards and the heads. If there is a gap, as I suspect, it is likely that the bike has taken a slide down the road. The marks are on both sides.
Any help here appreciated.
Croc
Have you purchased the bike yet?
If not I would have the dealer install new covers, remove the black lines or reinstall the guards.