Motorcycle Crash Bars

Motorcycle crash bars, also called engine guards or engine bars, are steel tube hoops that wrap around the engine and bolt to the frame. If the bike falls over at a standstill, during a slow manoeuvre or on a gravel track, the tube takes the hit instead of the engine covers, cylinders or radiator. Here you will find crash bars from SW-Motech, Givi, Puig and Customacces, each one made for a specific model and set of years.

Crash bars or frame sliders: what each one protects

Frame sliders are pucks of engineering plastic bolted to the engine or frame mounts: they are light, barely visible and designed to let the bike slide on tarmac. Crash bars cover far more surface and cope better with low-speed drops, rocks and dirt tracks, at the cost of extra weight and width. On an adventure bike that will leave the tarmac, or on a BMW boxer whose cylinders stick out at the sides, they are the logical choice.

Which crash bars suit which bike

• Adventure bikes: this is where they are fitted most. SW-Motech crash bars and Givi tubular engine guards cover several generations of the BMW GS, the Ténéré 700, Transalp, Tiger and KTM Adventure, in black, stainless steel, silver and, for the KTMs, orange.
• Custom and cruiser: here the bars are part of the look too. Puig makes them for the Vulcan S, Rebel, Scout and Nightster, and Customacces offers its Mustache bars for the Sportster plus models for the Shadow, Intruder and Midnight Star.
• Naked bikes, sports tourers and scooters: SW-Motech covers the CB125R, Duke 790 and 890, W800 and Ducati Scrambler, while Puig covers the Tracer 7 and 9, Versys 650, NC750X and X-ADV. Every bar from the Catalan brand is grouped under Puig engine guards.

Before you order

• Model and years: the frame and mounting points change between generations, so bars for an R 1250 GS will not fit an R 1300 GS. If you save your bike to your garage, the bar above the list shows how many fit it.
• What is already fitted: a bash plate, auxiliary lights, a centre stand or forward footpegs can clash with some designs. Check the product page.
• Fitting: most use the engine mounting bolts, which are swapped for longer ones. Torque them to the manufacturer's figure and check them again after the first few miles.

On a touring bike, crash bars usually arrive together with motorcycle luggage and the other accessories that get it ready for the road.

Common questions

Are they worth it on a naked bike used in town?

For the standstill or low-speed drops typical of city riding, frame sliders are usually enough on a naked bike. If your model has dedicated crash bars, they protect more surface, but they add weight and a few centimetres of width that you notice when filtering through traffic.

What should I do if the bars bend in a fall?

Replace them. A bent tube has already absorbed one impact and will not protect as well next time. Also check the mounts and the engine bolts it was attached to.