Hugging the bike with Engine Guards

[James_C50]

OK Guys, I am told by my Father-in-law that I should get engine guards because if you wipe out you can hug the bike with your legs and avoid scraping yourself on the ground. He says he has done this and in fact has spun in circles on the ground hugging the bike.
I CANNOT even imagine having the state of mind to do that if you fall!!!
Has this ever happened to any of you or is he just full of %#@*

[ChicsterMG]

I assume it would be possible. And I am sure it is better than nothing, but remember that engine guards, while called guards are more for show than protection. Not something to rely on.

Of course, I don't want to test your father's theory, so, I for one, will take his word for it.

C

[jpwM50]

Only if you lay the bike down on purpose. I actually had to do that once when I first started riding, It was very slippery/icy when I was on the bike when I went to stop, all it did was skid and I was reaching an intersection where I didn't want to go thru and get hit by cars, so I layed it down on the side, crash bars worked great to protect me and the bike. Got up and picked the bike up and went the rest of the way home on the side of the road where there was dirt for traction.
What some people do when your in school.

[jackM50black]

I've got the OEM engine guards on my M50. They were installed at the dealer before I took it home. I think the guards are to protect the bike, not the rider. Still, in the situation you describe, the guards could possibly protect the rider. When I dumped the bike in gravel (my only dump so far) the bike fell on my left leg and ankle,... somehow the engine guard did not protect my leg. Then again, I never really expected it to.

[Akapux]

I had a bike ... A lot of years ago... That had highway bars on it. I laid it down one day and I don't know about this hugging the bike deal, but it did allow for the bike to slide off of me without pinning my leg under it.

For the most part I used it for streching out on a ride and hoped to never have to use them as protection.

[Danr]

Originally Posted by jackM50black

I've got the OEM engine guards on my M50. They were installed at the dealer before I took it home. I think the guards are to protect the bike, not the rider. Still, in the situation you describe, the guards could possibly protect the rider. When I dumped the bike in gravel (my only dump so far) the bike fell on my left leg and ankle,... somehow the engine guard did not protect my leg. Then again, I never really expected it to.

The OEM bars are too small, when I purchased my bike I asked the salesmen to install the OEM bars, he walked over to a display rack picked up the OEM bars and showed me them and then said these bars wont protect Jack S**t, Go after market. I got the Cobra bars which some think are too big, I don't, I think they compliment the C50 very well. In any case bigger is better. Went down once in a slow speed incident on my Moto Guzzi that had large bars, I instinctively hugged the tank with my legs, but that just maybe me. No damage to me and some scratches on the bar was the result.

Oh Yeah, stupid cage had oiled down the toll booth lane just before I got there.

[Rocken]

I Have a GS750E. I had to lay it down in a turn to keep from hitting somone who stoped in front of me. I did not hug the bike but the gards did keep my foot and lag from getting all mangled. My bars are not lkie the OEM on the C50 thay are Cobras. Thay go out mouch farther. Did not hert me or the bike. Only the freeway bars.

The whole spining thing sounds like when you go fissing and catch a small fish. Then come home and tell everyone about the big one you let go...LOL

[Firedog]

I don't know. I'm going to have to call BS here - unless it is a slow (or no) speed thing where you are laying it down on purpose.

Think of it this way: why do they not put seat belts on motorcycles? Because, if it goes down, you don't want to be part of that. (I'm speaking in generalities, here.)

Imagine this: You go down (assuming a low-side fall) and hold on to the bike instead of letting go. Now you are sliding with the bike. Next, your bike finds a pothole and flips over, taking you with it and all of its inertia.

If you had let go, you would keep sliding (and as a couple of people mentioned, since they had the bars, they didn't get pinned) and now only must worry about your own inertia. Hopefully, you're wearing more than just shorts and a tank-top (or shirtless) so the friction of your gear on the road is slowing you down and you are not being flipped over when your bike finds that pothole.

Just my two cents. Uh, anyone got change?

[tlwisner]

If you lay the bike down and the engine guards don't buckle, they could provide some extra clearance under the bike. The most I expect from my MCE bar is that if the bike tipped over, I wouldn't be shelling out for a new gas tank. The bars are shiny too!

[Iceman99]

Originally Posted by James_C50

OK Guys, I am told by my Father-in-law that I should get engine guards because if you wipe out you can hug the bike with your legs and avoid scraping yourself on the ground. He says he has done this and in fact has spun in circles on the ground hugging the bike.
I CANNOT even imagine having the state of mind to do that if you fall!!!
Has this ever happened to any of you or is he just full of %#@*

That is 100% true...ask any motor cop. To become a motorcycle cop they actually have to lay the bike down ...at least that how it is at the Calif. highway Patrol test

[Rickster]

Originally Posted by Iceman99

That is 100% true...ask any motor cop. To become a motorcycle cop they actually have to lay the bike down ...at least that how it is at the Calif. highway Patrol test

Sorry, but I'm going to have to ask for proof of that. I can't imagine any situation where you would be better off purposely laying the bike down. Tires are way better than chrome bars for steering, and stoping.

I did ride out a slide on top of a bike once, but it was a oil slick that put the bike down, not me. I think your father-in-law is full of B.S. on the huging the bike thing. How much riding has he done? Is he prone to tall tales? How much had he had to drink when he told you this? You hear a lot of crap like this from people that either don't ride at all, or only ride from bar to bar.

[tlwisner]

Originally Posted by Iceman99

That is 100% true...ask any motor cop. To become a motorcycle cop they actually have to lay the bike down ...at least that how it is at the Calif. highway Patrol test

The series on Motor Officer training in Arizona featured in MCN was a good read. Their bikes, KZ1000s, have bars on the front and back - and the training bikes do see a lot of "down time" but they get back up and keep going. The combination of the front and rear bars that you see on cop bikes, as well as many big civilian baggers, provides quite a bit of protection for the bike. In motorcycle wrecks, the rider is often moving indepently of the bike at higher speeds.

For us civilian riders, laying it down is something to be avoided. Cops have a whole other set of priorities. They get shot at more often.

[PENJO]

Originally Posted by tlwisner

The series on Motor Officer training in Arizona featured in MCN was a good read. Their bikes, KZ1000s, have bars on the front and back - and the training bikes do see a lot of "down time" but they get back up and keep going. The combination of the front and rear bars that you see on cop bikes, as well as many big civilian baggers, provides quite a bit of protection for the bike. In motorcycle wrecks, the rider is often moving indepently of the bike at higher speeds.

For us civilian riders, laying it down is something to be avoided. Cops have a whole other set of priorities. They get shot at more often.

...And most of all, they do not pay for the repair. They drop/scratch it you name; go back to station and sooner than later get their bike fixed or replaced with little to probably no explanation.
Please let's not try that with our civilians insurances companies.

[James_C50]

Whether my father-in-law is full of it or not (why would he lie to me? I took his daughter away and never brought her back), I am glad I started this thread because I didn't realize some crash bars are just for show and some are more protective.
All I know, and I have limited experience, is that when I took the MSF course last year, it rained for 8 hours straight, was 45 degrees and I had zero experience riding in the rain. I was told to go 20 MPH and stop in front of the instructor when she wave her arms. The rest is a blur!!! The bike slid out to the left and I went to the right! HUG the bike you say, I never knew what hit me!!! So as some of you already implied, you would have to purposely lay the bike down in order to have the state of mind to hug the bike and as you also have implied, purposely laying the bike down is most likely not a good idea unless you have to slide under an 18 wheeler for a stunt shot!
With that being said, I think something like the Cobra crash bars can definitely help you from pinning your leg between the bike and the road and if they come out with a more estetic model, I may just get them! Good sell!!

[sgtguido]

I seem to remember my instructor in the BRC mentioning the same thing about hugging the bike with your legs. He said this in the context of trying to get folks to stop trying to use a leg to stabalize themselves in a turn. His point was that if the bike were going down, its better to have your legs tight to the bike than not.

I know that having your legs hugging the bike is a good thing though. When I first got this bike I have now (S40) I decided to take it for a little spin around my apartment. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and looked up to late to avoid the parking space guard ahead of me. I ended up putting the bike down. I couldn't figure out how I didn't break my right leg.
I thought it through, and I had huged the tank with my knees as I was going down, and the pegs had actually provided just enough clearance to keep the bike off of my leg. Now granted, I was still a newbie at that point and probably wasn't going more than 25 MPH.

Ciao
SSG Guido

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by sgtguido

I decided to take it for a little spin around my apartment.

How big is your apartement ?

I guess it's possible that under the right circumstances engine guards might protect your leg, I've heard a lot of theories over the years on the subject and other ways of avoiding injuries like laying your bike down then laying on top of it to keep yourself off the ground...........

But what I've heard more often than anything is that before the rider even realises it he's already down, no time to hug or climb on top of the bike, trying to move your body in any way when your only leverage is an out of control motorcycle is just about nil.

So if you go down and want to try it, let us know how it turns out.

[Rickster]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

How big is your apartement ?

I guess it's possible that under the right circumstances engine guards might protect your leg, I've heard a lot of theories over the years on the subject and other ways of avoiding injuries like laying your bike down then laying on top of it to keep yourself off the ground...........

But what I've heard more often than anything is that before the rider even realises it he's already down, no time to hug or climb on top of the bike, trying to move your body in any way when your only leverage is an out of control motorcycle is just about nil.

So if you go down and want to try it, let us know how it turns out.

+1

[sgtguido]

Ok....the parking lot outside my apartment.
Anyway, I think the key to overcoming the by the tiem you realize it your down dilemma, is to develope the habit of riding with your legs tucked as close to the body of the bike as possible. Your right, being reactive won't help.

Ciao
SSG Guido

[Jayhawkk]

Unless you're buying bars that are specifically designed for high speed crashes and they are mounted to reenforced mounts then I would...No, scratch that. Don't ever hug a 700+ pound bike when it goes down. Get away from the bike and get low and hopfully you're wearing full leathers.

There's nothing on that bike that is designed to live through a high speed crash. Think of it this way. You're going down regardless. Do you want to go down by yourself or with a monster of a machine coming with you?

I'm a cop and have seen quite a few moto crashes and I can tell you one thing. No rider has still been on the bike when i've got there but several have still been under them. Those guys usually weren't the ones that made it.

[stp1971]

I have the 1.5" Cobra bars on my 1500LC. It specifically states that the bars are for show purposes only. I installed the bars myself and the only thing holding the top to the bike is a bolt. One single bolt. One little bolt that with enough pressure of a 700 pound motorcycle skidding on it will probably snap off.

Now in a SLOW SPEED drop I can see it working. In fact just to see if the bars will hold the weight I set the bike on it's side with the bars on it to see where what will hit first in a hard lean. The bars held the weight of the bike but I wouldn't want to try it in a skid.

They will probably offer a little protection for a split second,, maybe just enough time to allow the bike to skid away from you without pinning your leg.
But I hope to never test that theory.

NOTE: I bought my bars for two reasons. #1. If I forgot to put the kickstand down so it wouldn't fall completely on its side. And #2. (which is the main reason) so I will have somewhere to prop my legs other than the floorboards.