BMW F650GS Crashbars, Engine and Tank guards
Crashbars, also known as engine guards or tank guards are strong metal bars or tube constructions that are attached to the sides of your F650 GS and protect both the bike and the rider from damage in case of a fall or if the bike gets knocked over. Our beloved GS bikes are able to be ridden rough, so it’s very possible that spills occur during its lifetime. If you’re thinking you’ll never crash your bike (let’s hope so!) that doesn’t mean you won’t need crashbars. Just some mellow off-roading or even a distracted moment when leaving the parking lot is enough for the bike to tip over. You yourself might not even hit the ground but the F650GS is quite heavy and high, so its easy to throw off the balance and drop it.
Crashbars and engine guards on your F650GS also provide a bit of extra confidence for the rider. If you’re just starting off as a rider, be it on tarmac or off-road you can ride with piece of mind, knowing that if you fall the bike will be ok. When off-roading you may be driving quite slowly and feel like you won’t get hurt, but it’s certainly very common to drop the bike on a muddy or sandy track.
Crashbars or engine guards work by adding a new point of contact on the bike: if the F650GS falls over, no part of the bike should hit the ground but instead the impact will be absored by the crashbars. Even if they sustain serious damage and need to be replaced, you’re just looking at purchasing some metal tubes at a cost of a few 100 dollars. Obviously this is way better than having to replace or repaint costly parts of the bike itself.
If you want to make sure your beloved bike doesn’t get dented, scratched or damaged even worse you really do need to invest in a pair of crashbars for your BMW 650GS. You should make sure the crashbars or engine guards are made of non-rust stainless steel. Even better are the top of the range crashbars from Touratech which are made of stainless steel and anodized aluminum. Also make sure that they are not too difficult to mount. Installation instructions are not always required or provided but certainly helpful - even a professional mechanic may still take over an hour to mount them properly. For them to work as they should, they need to be mounted properly. So if in doubt, get a mechanic to do the work for you. Finally, good crashbars do not need to be completely removed to carry out maintenance work.
There are several companies that make crashbars or engine guards for the F650GS. SW Motech, Touratech, Hepco Becker and BMW themselves all make crashbars for this type of bike. My vote goes for the SW Motech ones, which are also installed on my own Dakar. They look good and fit with the design of the bike. Most people on the forums seem to think they are good quality and reports indicate they can survive a few not-too-bad crashes.
