Engine Guards

[pistonslap]

I just recieved my engine guards from Hepko- Becker this morning. I am very pleased with the finish and the welding the only problem is the damn instructions are printed in some foreign language!!

I'm just glad the instructions have a drawing with them so maybe this poor dumb coonass can figure it all out. Wish me luck!! Later, pistonslap

[Capono]

If the foreign language is Dutch (or German), I might be able to help you. I also would like to see pictures of the result.

Hans

[Aregata4x4]

Capono,
The side brackets are different on both sides so you should not have a problem to find out which is which. One thing to remember is to connect all pcs, but tighten everyting once you have all of them connected. Also be carefull when tightening front bolts (under the headlight). I got one breaking on me, so I have replaced them with SS bolts. They go into threaded tubing so once you strip the thread you are in trouble - just pay attention.

Other than that the install was easy.

Good Luck!

Arek

[dusserre123]

Hello,

Is there a single vendor for the engine guard or do we have choice ?
How much did you pay for yours ?

Thanks
Jacques

[Aregata4x4]

Originally posted by dusserre123
Hello,

Is there a single vendor for the engine guard or do we have choice ?
How much did you pay for yours ?

Thanks
Jacques

One vendor, and using "Search" helps.;)

http://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6792

[pistonslap]

After about an hour of work last night I succeeded in installing the guards on the Capo. I am very pleased with the fit and finish of the product. I only had trouble with the left side mount as the spacer that was sent was to long. I had to cut about a 1/4 of an inch off of it.

It is plenty sturdy and I feel will make an excellent mount for aftermarket lights and possibly some highway pegs later on. Also it looks like a good place to mount a headlight protector of some kind. Maybe a screen or a bent piece of plexiglass. I may try to fabricate something. As for the cost, I paid a little over 300.00 dollars which I feel is a little on the expensive side but if it does its job it will pay for itself in savings on broken plastic side pieces.

I will try to post a picture later on. Later, Pistonslap

[cccpull]

I agree about how expensive they are.
Suzuki V-Strom crash bars are half the price.
Maybe when there are more options available from different companies this will change.

[rmandzij]

I know this is a terrible question, but has anyone with Hepko-Becker guards lay down their bike? Did the guards do what they were intended to do? I.m sorry once again, but it would be nice to know that they actually work.
Cheers,

[kostap]

I ve dropped mine a couple of times and they performed perfect. The best part is that i had twice an accident with a car (both times i was hit from my left side and one of them with about 60 km/h) and my bike came out safe and sound since i didnt fall. The bars bended very little but the car that hit me especially the second time was greatly destroyed from his right side. As if he had a crash with a wall. Thank you Hepco wherever you are.

Costas

[jdm1intx]

Sheesh Costas . . .

If I had been hit that often since getting my Capo, I'd be all for installing nice big spikes on my wheels like in Ben Hur with the chariots. Grind 'em up and spit 'em out !

:p

[kostap]

lol lol dont forget that i drive in athens "where the grass is green and the cars are crazy". Thank god no major injuries to me or to my baby.

Costas:D

[karel_nemecek]

Hi everybody (kai chairaitismous stin Athina, Kosta)

I am not the only one who is not too enthusiastic about the front part (lights section) of the H&B´s. I decided to wait a little for the “originals” from Rally/Raid. I shouldn´t – gods punished me by a minor fall on an unpaved rocky road in the mountains of central Turkey. I lost left fairing, scratched the sump guard, front fairing and front turn indicator :-(
Immediately after counting the damage I contacted local Aprilia dealer to order the originals. He sent a query to Italy to find out how difficult it is to fit it on “normal” Capo. But Italy is not working in August and I have to wait. Now I think that at least two holes should be made into the front fairing just under the lights. And I am afraid some cutting of the sump guard will be necessary too.
Otherwise the H&B´s wait for me too because sh.. happens. Kai esy Kosta proseche kai as ta IX isycha :-)

Milan, Prague-Athens-Ankara
Red´03

[sven]

I fitted my H&B bars this afternoon and I'm not too impressed.

I used 5 or 6 M6 washers in lieu of the supplied spacer on the left hand side and that part of the fixing system seem sturdy enough (see photo of right hand bracket).

However, I'm not impressed by the fixings below the head light; M5 screws aren't exactly durable and I suspect the fairing subframe will bend in a crash.

The tube which goes around the top of the headlamps doesn't floow the line of the lamps properly and it barely clears my Givi screen; over bumps the screen clatters against the bars :mad:

My final rant is that the quality of the plastics is appalling, but then again, I've been riding Honda's and BMW's for the past 5 years :rolleyes:

[NJCAPO]

why can't the RAID crashbars fit the ORIGINAL (:D) style bikes. tony

[dusserre123]

Hi,

I also installed recently the H&B crash bars. I had a serious pbm to install the left link to the frame. It looks like it was not designed for this serie of CN. It's a 2002 CN model.
The spacer did not fit as well as one of the screw. I had to do some mods on the spacer.
Anyone experienced this already ?

Thanks
Jacques

[pistonslap]

Yes Jacque, Refer to my earlier post and you will see I had to shorten one of the spacers on the left side. Other than the instructions being in a foreign language everything else went together nicely.

[sven]

The 20mm spacer on the left side is too long.

I followed someone's advice on this forum (can't remember who) and used 6 no. M6 washers instead. The supplied bolts (M6 x 45?) then were the correct length and the bracket was in the correct position for the crashbars.

[XPADREX]

Originally posted by Aregata4x4
Capono,
The side brackets are different on both sides so you should not have a problem to find out which is which. One thing to remember is to connect all pcs, but tighten everyting once you have all of them connected. Also be carefull when tightening front bolts (under the headlight). I got one breaking on me, so I have replaced them with SS bolts. They go into threaded tubing so once you strip the thread you are in trouble - just pay attention.

Other than that the install was easy.

Good Luck!

Arek

Due to the bars being bent out of whack, the left front headlight-area bolt (when facing the headlight) had it's head strip out on me.

I'm still in the middle of the project. What a drag.