No one wants to drop their motorcycle, but accidents do happen. A fall can be costly and can even total a motorcycle. Are there ways to protect your motorcycle in the case of a fall? Are engine guards worth it?
Engine guards can be an affordable way to protect your engine from damage if dropped at low or no speed. At higher speeds it may also offer a bit more protection and could even protect your leg if you go down. In short, engine guards are worth it.
Of course, even though engine guards do protect your motorcycle, not all riders choose to use them? Why is that? Let’s dive into what these guards are, what they do, and what you should know if you’re considering adding an engine guard to your motorcycle.
Should you get a motorcycle engine guard?
Engine guards used to be called crash bars, but the name change shows that the way riders think about them has changed. Engine bars aren’t ‘training wheels’ as some riders accuse them. Instead, they’re just an additional safety measure that could save you hundreds of dollars.
Engine guards are bars that act as a barrier between the engine and the ground if the bike goes down. Although you never want to plan on dropping a bike–it happens! Even the most experienced riders can tip a bike.
When a bike goes down, even at no speed, it can suffer cosmetic damage or it can cause internal damage. A motorcycle can even be totaled just from tipping over!
However, an engine guard protects the engine so that you are far less likely to have any serious damage. Plus, the engine guard props the motorcycle up and makes it much easier to lift it after the fall, something any motorcycle rider knows is a huge plus.
The engine guard can also protect your bike if you crash at low speeds, especially on dirt or gravel. On pavement, some riders have reported that the guard catches and may cause the motorcycle to flip or the frame to bend.
However, others have seen low-speed crashes that could have been much more serious if not for the engine guard. In fact, many riders claim that the guard protected their leg in addition to the engine, keeping it from being crushed or dragged between the motorcycle and the ground or another vehicle.
One of the great cons of engine guards, aside from the possibility of a bent frame in a more serious crash, is the aesthetic. On many models, the engine guard detracts from the sleek look of the motorcycle, and it still holds a stigma of being only for newbies.
In contrast, riders with engine guards say that, in addition to protecting their engine, the bars are the perfect place to mount highway foot pegs for additional comfort on long rides, or even for mounting fog lights.
All in all, the decision to get an engine guard is up to you. The engine guard won’t save your motorcycle in a serious, high speed crash. However, at low speeds or if stopped, the engine guard can significantly decrease the damage done.
Engine guards typically cost only a couple hundred, while the damage from a fall can easily reach the thousands. You decide if the aesthetic compromise is worth it to you.
How to protect your motorcycle in a crash?
So, if crashes are almost inevitable, is there anything you can do to protect your motorcycle? We’ve already talked about the reasons getting an engine guard can protect your bike. Here are some other protective measures you can take.
Frame sliders
Frame sliders are made of nylon and, as the name suggests, they protect the frame. The frame sliders get bolted directly onto the frame and are designed to slide on pavement rather than bounce or cause the bike to tip.
The frame is one of the most common parts of the motorcycle to be damaged in a crash, and a bent frame will often result in a totaled bike. Therefore, getting frame sliders is an easy way to increase the lifespan of your motorcycle.
Handguards
Handguards, also called Barkbusters after the most common brand, are aluminum bars that protect your hands and the handlebars. The handguard absorbs impact in a collision, which can keep your handlebars from breaking.
In addition, the handguards are positions to protect the levers and keep them from breaking in the case of a crash.
Engine Covers
Along with engine guards, some riders use engine covers which protect the generator, clutch, and crank covers. These are great as far as offering another layer of protection for the engine. After all, if your engine is damaged, you’re in trouble!
Sump guards
Finally, some riders choose to add sump guards to their motorcycles. These protect the oil filter, downpipes, and the sump. Not only does a sump guard offer protection if the bike goes down, but it also protects from flying rocks and other debris while you’re riding.
All in all, there are a few different modifications you can make to keep your bike protected if it goes down. These additions are low in cost compared to the cost of repairs without them, and they’re easy to install and relatively low-profile.
What to check for if you drop your motorcycle?
If your motorcycle does go down at low speeds, there are a few steps you can take to minimize the damage and make a quick assessment on the bike’s condition.
- Get up and make sure you are okay!
- Turn off the engine as soon as possible. This will help minimize fluid leakage.
- Check for leaks. There will probably be some leaks, so you want to find the source and continue to watch for continued leaking.
- Make a note of what parts of the bike made contact. Any parts touching the ground while the bike is down will need a careful inspection. This is also the time to take stock of what surface your bike went down on. The severity depends on the surface; pavement will do much more damage than grass.
- Now you can lift the bike, watching for fluids as you do.
- Check the frame to make sure it isn’t bent. A bent frame often means a totalled bike.
- Also check the handlebars, since the handlebars can bend as well, and this will affect your steering and control.
- Check the mirrors for cracks.
- Check the clutch and shifter. It’s very common for the shifting forks to bend if a bike falls on its side.
- Check the front brake level and rear brake pedal for any signs of damage.
- Check the engine case for cracks. If your engine case is cracked, call a tow-truck. Do not drive with a damaged engine case.
- Check the footpegs for damage. The pegs can get small cracks that are almost unnoticeable but that affect their structural integrity and may no longer support your weight.
- If you have a luggage rack, check for damage. Make sure that if the luggage rack is bent, it isn’t touching or rubbing any other parts of the motorcycle.
- Check for aesthetic damage and confirm that it is just aesthetic.
- If you’ve done your check and determined that the bike is okay to ride, take it slow! Do a very slow practice ride in a safe place, checking for damage as you go. If you do see any significant damage, it’s best to get a tow and repair the damage before you ride anywhere again.
Can you lay a motorcycle on its side to transport?
Since we’ve been talking about bikes on their side, it seemed like a good idea to also talk about lying motorcycles on their side intentionally. Is it ever a good idea to lay a motorcycle on its side? The short answer: no.
Motorcycles are meant to be upright, and spending any significant amount of time on their side will result in damage. The oil can leak into the combustion chamber or other parts of the bike, and the force of being sideways can damage other parts of the motorcycle.
If you need to transport your motorcycle, keep it upright and strap it down. You don’t want your bike to end up on its side, whether you tipped it on accident or are trying to move it on a ferry or in a truck. Just keep it upright!
