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Crash Bars Dangerous?

9576 Views 58 Replies 33 Participants Last post by  Skrapiron
Heard about a guy who went down over the weekend, taking a corner too fast.. ( so I was told)... anyway he said his engine guard, (Crash bar) caught the pavement and caused the accident..??? he ended up in ICU with a brain bleed and hopefully will be ok. im not an aggressive rider but was thinking about getting the cobra bars for my bike but...... if the above is true...im having second thoughts. Any experts out there with any input on this topic? Thank you.
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I had quite a few bars on my C50T. The bike came with engine guards which I replaced with Cobra bars and finally with "I can't remember their name but the top came down and straight out doubling as higway foot pegs and then back down around". Any way, I remember watching how close the bottom of the Cobra bars came to the ground on turns with no footboard scraping. I found it unnerving. The other bars "name I can't remember" actually made the vibrations at higway speed, much worse. However, when I dropped the bike at a look over area on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the kept the bike from falling all the way over.
Excellent input, much appreciated. I agree that experience is number one and knowing your limits. That said, if Im adding something to my bike and I even have to think about it possibly adding to risk rather than enhancing my riding experience Im going to pass - while I like the look of the cobras ...I am going to avoid them and am leaning (pun intended) to bars with more clearance.... Im sorry to hear about anyone who went down in any circumstance...
I haven't ever scraped my bars, but I always heard about a different problem with engine guards. I was told that they are dangerous because... if you lay the bike down on the road, the engine guards will turn the bike into an virtual "ice skate" causing it to continue to slide forward with the front wheel lifted up so you have no way to stop the bike. This being especially true if you have the rear guards also.
They will surely protect your legs from being crushed by the bike, but then will allow you to keep sliding into potential traffic.
Personally... I think if the bars kept the bike off you, maybe you could come to a stop faster and just let the bike go where momentum takes it.
Most importantly as stated in many if not all the manuals, many things added to bikes can and do change the dynamics of the bikes. Its no longer the same machine.
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I have scraped the "crash bars". However, prior to installing them, and me and the bike getting to know each other, I would intentionally take tight low corners, and it would scrape the foot pegs. I was just wanting to get a good feel for the bike. I'll tell ya, it'll give you the pucker factor. The rider is responsible to know the limits of his bike. But, sadly, that's why they call it an accident...didn't mean for it to occur. Hope he comes out OK. Helmet??
My experience has been that crash bars aren't dangerous if you remember that you're riding a cruiser. I had MCE's on the C50 and the only thing I scraped was the floorboards and the exhaust. I had the bike lowered and aftermarket exhaust. I am fairly aggressive when riding twisties. When I got the Vulcan 1500 I bought a set of MCE's on e-Bay and they substituted Cobra's. I thought "oh well" crash bars are crash bars. They are not.........I ruined two sets of crash bar chaps by scraping those Cobra bars. I finally replaced them with Baron Bars. The Cobra's stick out and down too far on bottom. You can touch them down before hitting the floorboard scrapers. All it takes is just a little "bump" in a corner when you've got it laid over good and "YES" you will be down and sliding. Get crash bars..........just not Cobra's. Then try to remember that you're riding a cruiser. Somewhere on here is a thread about Cobra bars. It would be a worth while search/read.
Anyway you can call me. I had an accident. Dealer sold me a custom vstsr. Didn't notice how the crash bars were like 1.5 inches below the frame. Took a turn. Almost lost my life hitting a telephone pole. I am an experienced rider. It was the corner the grade of hill, and unfortunately cobras. I do believe alot are wring here. I went down in 2015. Crushed my femur and my right wrist due to these not being recaled on certain customs. I would love to talk more about your thinking of these cobras bars. Reach put thru text plz. Or call. I'm no Indian trying to rob anyone. Just a guy who wants to sue a dealer.
Heard about a guy who went down over the weekend, taking a corner too fast.. ( so I was told)... anyway he said his engine guard, (Crash bar) caught the pavement and caused the accident..??? he ended up in ICU with a brain bleed and hopefully will be ok. im not an aggressive rider but was thinking about getting the cobra bars for my bike but...... if the above is true...im having second thoughts. Any experts out there with any input on this topic? Thank you.

Ironically. I crashed in 2015. Because of exactly what you said. No brain bleed. Crushed femur. Crushed wrist.

These need a recall.

They sat 1.5 in below my frame on a 650 custom vstar. Doing some research. I learned the only safe way to mount the. Is to cut the original oem mounts from the cobras, the weld them parallel with the frame.
Factory. The are perpendicular. Which does in fact cost life's, limbs. Then. Idiots like on here will swear because it never happened to them. It must not be true.

I wonder. Do they believe in God. I mean. I do. Most do. Yet. Have we met him personally? Did God happen to them? Yet. Most still believe. So....if ya apply the ******* responses way of thinking to that type of scenario. Ya realize. They are just hypocrites. Because I bet all the ones that say it won't happen. Or couldn't. Also goto church and lie every week. With there families. Which to me personally is just a display for there total lack of understanding.


Of course if anything is below your frame. It is wrong. Your boards will not hit. Ur muffler may....especially on a lowered custom. Even then....indicator. To low. Dangerous.

But...I do agree with AL who said. Your boards would scrap first. If you all research pictures you will see. These bars. Cost lives.

They hang below the frame. It is mechanically wrong. It did almost cost me, and the gentleman this man post about, our lives.

David P.
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This riders unsafe speed around a corner was the cause of his accident, not the guard. If I go down, I want that guard to protect my legs. I just won't ride crazy around a corner.

I was going 25 mph. When the bar hit. It was like an anchor was dropped. Slingshotting me into the telephone pole. Carrying me back into the road.


The driver was not speeding. The driver respects the bike. The road. Along with the rules of the road while on the bike!
Why did you join? All you are doing is replying to 10 year old threads that nobody reads.
"Crash Bars Dangerous? "
Stay out of the Bar, The drinking could be dangerous. :ROFLMAO:
I was going 25 mph. When the bar hit. It was like an anchor was dropped. Slingshotting me into the telephone pole. Carrying me back into the road.


The driver was not speeding. The driver respects the bike. The road. Along with the rules of the road while on the bike!
This thread is 8 years old. Did you just join to try to drum up business for a law firm?
I had quite a few bars on my C50T. The bike came with engine guards which I replaced with Cobra bars and finally with "I can't remember their name but the top came down and straight out doubling as higway foot pegs and then back down around". Any way, I remember watching how close the bottom of the Cobra bars came to the ground on turns with no footboard scraping. I found it unnerving. The other bars "name I can't remember" actually made the vibrations at higway speed, much worse. However, when I dropped the bike at a look over area on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the kept the bike from falling all the way over.
Please call me.
David
Why did you join? All you are doing is replying to 10 year old threads that nobody reads.
I joined because I'm researching these bars.
After joining i read the replys and all the hillbilky responses. It aggravated me. Due to all the misinformation. .

If you people do not have correct information to give. Do not give false or condescending information.

It may be 10 years. But, eventually someone smarter that has been in the same situation may come along. Willing and able to debate this 10 year old subject as this man said. But...if it is truly 10 years old. How was anyone, along with me, able to post the date of our accident of 2015??

8 years pal. Do me a favor. Do not even ever post again on anything I post. Unless you can at least so math.

Thank you.

And thank this guy for being a perfect example of what is wrong with this entire world today. To you sir. I do not salute. Lmao. Good day.
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This thread is 8 years old. Did you just join to try to drum up business for a law firm?
Lmfao.


Hahaha. No.


I'm also a victim of these Cobra bars.

What's the purpose of your question? I guess your the other guys pal.

A lawsuit. Haha. Man....so. If nobody likes answering to questions over a certain period. Why do thy make asses of themselves with dumb questions and comments??

I can re write your algorithm so that all posts over like 2 days go away.

Of course. Doing that would take most conversations off this blog I'd assume. Being it's full of people who.....make comments like you and your other friend.


No stupid. It is not for any lawsuit. It is for information. If maybe you read what I wrote. I was in an accident in 2015. Just like everyone else would posted about these Cobra bars. So...it appears we may have something in common.

I also validated the person's claim that it is very possible to crash. It's like dropping an anchor....and it is due to how they mount on certain customs. Including the one I had.


Did you read the post??? Did I ask for anytjingother than a call?? Nope.


So. If ya don't have anything to add other being some jackals. As all were who doubted the post I originally commented on. Well. Post it to Facebook or your Twitter. That is where stupid magas start trouble. This is a forum for intellectuals. People with real world issues. Who need real world answers. Not the bs you Andale your friends have obviously posted and told people for the last 8 years.

I apologize for being semi rude. But these two people I replied to are problem starters. Who do not belong here. They have no self worth and get on sites to troll anything and everything just to hopefully make someone as miserable as they make themselves to be. This was 2 of 2 messages with some retard making some comment or question thats as mayure as my 12 yr old kid. So...my apologies to anyone i may have offended.

Oh...yes. Cobra should be sued. I am no lawyer. I'm just looking for others I can talk to about crashing. Not argue with a jerk about my intentions. Lol. This fn guy.
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Hey, how about we tone down the trash talk, everyone?

Just a wish.

--Mother
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well I have had cobra bars on all my mc.s,,,2004 volusia...never any issues while riding but did save any damage i may have incurred when I went down after hitting an ice patch...also no damage to mc from dropping it when I forgot to put the kick stand down...that happened probably 4 times over the 6 years and 87k miles I put on it before I moved onto the next ride a 2005 c90 in 2010...put cobra bars on them too and again no issues...that ride lasted a few years before I had the mc totaled when a girl ran a stop signin 2013...next up and current mc I am riding 2006 c90 again with cobras...and like the others never a riding issue. Maybe I am lucky but over 19 years, 220k miles...never had any problems.
Good luck trying to sue anyone. I'm sure you'll find some lawyer somewhere willing to make a buck off of it.

Next time, try posting your own thread instead of responding to one from the archives. None of the people you're typing to log in here anymore.
Well I know one guy this forum could do without or at least I can.
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How about I just bounce him if he's going to come on here acting like a spammer then get rude when he's called on it?
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So the guy did a Google search on the words Cobra and crash, found this forum and decided to reply to 17, 10 and 8 year old threads throwing his phone number out there hoping that someone contacts him about a potential lawsuit, then gets pissy when he's called out for the spam? I'm still scratching my head on what motivated him to publish his phone number that now anybody can Google or worse, use to sign up for spam calls....
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