Ok, I've been looking at my Fat Bob lately, and have honestly been thinking about taking off the highway bars and the bags and windshield to give the bike a more "streamlined look." Well, today as I was leaving work I was rolling up to a stoplight and was glad as hell I had the bars on! I rolled through what I thought was water, but instead ended up being oil. Somebodys car must have taken a **** because there was at least 12 feet of oil on the ground, and when I tried to stop my back end just flew out. Instead of landing on my leg, the bike landed on my Lindby Multibar. And although the bars now have a permanent 2" lean to the left, not only was the bar fine but the bike was fine! I have a 4" scratch on the bottom of the bars and a 2" scratch below the primary cover, but besides that the bike is perfect. I've been sitting on the bike trying to push the lean out of the bars, but I think a heated torch might be needed to make them perfect again. Either way, I'm happy. It could have been a hell of a lot worse. At 15 miles an hour, the whole bike could have been shot. And I don't mean unrepairable, but I mean the bars, tank, engine...all could have had major damage. I tell ya, a lean look is nice, but a good set of highway bars just might save ya a ton of cash!

 

Sorry to hear about the mishap. Glad to hear you and the bike are ok...

I'd try a lever of some type to bend the bars before applying heat. Heat could trash the chrome. Chrome is brittle, and I'm surprised it didn't crack on the first 'push' during the oil slide. Be wary of cracking chrome if/when you bend them back, most times you can hear it cracking. Just a thought...

 

I had this happen once. I was coming into a turn lane and the light just turned red, so thankfully I was slowing down already. Came up the the light and the next thing I knew my bike was on its side and I was standing over it.

A couple of scratches on the highway and saddle bag gaurd rails was all the damage. I could even think of what it would have been going thru that turn at speed.

There was so much oil that when I picked up the bike and sat on it it slide all the way over to the should without me trying to move it.

Gary

 

I am a firm believer of engine guard bars and touring bag guard rails. They do save you the money and the grief after the fact.

 

Crash bars are defenatly worth the cost. glad your ok

 

Glad you're ok. I plan on putting mine on this winter...which is right around the corner here in Minnesota...yikes!

 

Glad you and the bike are okay.

 

And at 15mph your leg/knee could have been seriously hurt.

Wow.

Glad your bars were there for you!

 

If at all possible, take them off to attempt bending them. The torque on the fram is not really recommended.