interesting link

[DeanR]

Lots of info here

http://www.msgroup.org/articles.aspx

[tomatao]

I found the article about engine guards pretty interesting. I figured they were more for bike protection then leg protection, though they certianly offer some.

Now if you have engine guards and crash guards on the back around your bags I would think it should offer some protection. Something else to absorb the impact other than your leg.

Anyway there was a lot of interesting items there.

[wa407mpp]

Except for the time I caught my boot lace on a foot peg and fell over with the bike, I have never been in a wreck and stayed with the bike, or been trapped under one, so I think the guards are more to protect the engine and saddle bags then the rider. As for the older gold-wings, it is recommended you install engine guards because it has a very high pressure oil pump that will pump all the oil out of the engine before you could hit the kill switch. That is also why they wrap around the cam covers, because when you dump a wing the covers hit first

[erithanis]

I was reading some of the articles and came across this:

a helmet placed on the ground by a bike's front wheel is the universal signal that a rider needs assistance.

I had never heard of this, in your guy's experience is it true?

[SiP]

Universal for who? It insinuates that it would be for everybody, but I have never heard of it having ridden around Europe before coming here.
Exactly what do they mean anyway? I suppose that if the helmet had the riders head still in it then it would be pretty obvious he is some sort of distress!!

In my experience just being stopped at the side of a road that is other than a normal pull over spot - or doing the bend over look at what might be the problem - has been enough to have several people stop and offer help.
Fortunately this has only happened a couple of times but when it did I was very grateful for the help - and I will always stop if I think someone else is stuck, cage or HD included.

[Ken Talbot]

Originally posted by tomatao
Now if you have ..... crash guards on the back around your bags I would think it should offer some protection.

They do offer a bit of protection.

Not long after I got Tsunami, I was broadsided at low speed by a cube van. My left shoulder rubbed along the box as he passed me, and the tubular guards around the left saddlebag scratched a stripe the full length of the box. I think part of the reason I managed to stay upright was the guard pushed me sideways 'low-down', while the force against my shoulder and handlebar end tried to push me over 'up-high'.

Another time, I had Tsunami parked on the sidestand in the driveway under a motorcyle cover. A wind came up strong enough to blow it right over. Because it landed on the engine guards and saddlebag guards, there was no damage.

[79XS11F]

I was always told by my biking brothers that items like LARGE crash bars & sissy bars should be avoided. The concern being that large crash bars can actually fold over and pin you with the bike as it slides. Sissy bars can make getting away from the bike difficult. Most would agree that if you do go down or need to lay her down you do not want to be with the bike.
Rob