Thanks! I'm super stoked to get it back so I can get some "wind therapy"

 

Put the engine guard on this afternoon. An easy project that took me way longer than necessary.


This was the screw, now stripped, that I was whining about in earlier posts. I'm amazed that something that small could make me so crazy. The jagged edges on the washer are from the vice grips that finally got it turning.

So yeah, I know I'm going to get hate comments on the engine guard. I like the bike better without it too but having gone down once I better appreciate the protection they provide, the money I would have saved and the bruises I might have avoided had I had one. That being said, the main motivation is because I've signed up for another safety course and this one you use your own bikes. I saw guys go down at the first class and if that happens to me, I want to know I've covered my bases protecting my bike as much as possible. In some of the books I've been reading, they recommend them for new riders so there's that too. I don't actually mind it as much as I thought I would and I bought it used so there's not too much $$ invested in it if/when I decided it's time to go.

 

I like it the look of the engine guard. Safety first my friend. It was the main reason it's on my bike....to protect my legs and the bike. But I do not intend to go down....never have, knock on wood. I like the engine guard so much, I opted to cut my front fender rather than removing the engine guard for clearance.

 

Got my 14 inch apes in the mail only to find out there isn't currently a cable kit that fits my bike (that I'm aware of) 14 inch burly apes on a '14 seventy two with abs.

They make a non-abs kit but not an abs one... so the bars will just sit in the garage til I figure it out.

 

I like the engine guard, I put one on mine the week I got it. Fortunately I haven't needed it, but it's nice to have.


I had a couple small Torx screws that stripped out, and I used a Dremel to cut a slot. Worked ok, but definitely something I want to avoid.

 

Ordered these two items.

 

finally found one

 

Unfortunately I did need it and didn't have it back over Labor Day weekend. Had I had an engine guard I suspect my leg and ankle would have been far less bruised (nothing broken) where the bike landed on them and the $1,400 damage to my bike would have been minimal, maybe just some road rash and a broken tail light.

I hope I never need it. I hope it's the biggest waste of money I spend on this bike but either way, I have an appreciation based in real world experience of what it could minimize if the bike ever goes down again. I understand that can happen outside of an accident with soft ground, user kick stand error, etc.

That being said, I thought I'd hate it on the bike but I'm pleasantly surprised with how well it blends in and doesn't stand out like I thought it would.

 

Put a new seat on it. Ssat on it thought, hmm they used redwood instead of foam, but when I rode it I thought it wasn't that bad actually. Also moves me back a bit further which is a good thing.

 

It looks great on the bike. I hope it breaks in and gets a little softer but sometimes firm ends up being more comfortable for rides than not.