Getting rid of engine guards and modifying fairing to clean up the lines..

I stopped buying the disposable plastic covers a long time ago.
Still find the crash..er..Engine guards useful when the bike wants to lay down suddenly.
Without them the body would be toast and it would be much harder to pick it up after a tipover.
 
Slydynbye said:
Still find the crash..er..Engine guards useful when the bike wants to lay down suddenly.
Without them the body would be toast and it would be much harder to pick it up after a tipover.
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Or when it wants to lay down slowly, as well.
I think that is worse -- you know it's happening, but there's not one damn thing you can do to stop it.
Happened twice to me in the first couple of weeks of ownership, put a foot down wrong or trying a slow, tight turn.
Now I know to respect the weight.
Keeping my tipover guards, thanks very much.
 
STs have great lines....just think they would look so much better without them. Balance doesnt seem to be an issue for me...but I'm 6'2", 240.
 
More than a couple of guys have reworked the ST to make a naked bike, a cafe racer (though a bit portly at 700 lbs), or just a custom cruiser. If you have the skills, have at it, and post pictures here. You might consult with @Kaiser Swaghelm II; he has posted some fiberglass mods to his bike, though not to the tip over guards.

I remember at least a couple of posts from riders here who have logged hundreds of thousands of miles over years of riding who said they finally dropped their bike. If bodywork does not bother you, or scratches either, feel free to tempt the gods. Balance is not an issue until it is.
 
I was thinking the same thing…a lot of work (and I assume metal work if you intend to take the metal loops off as well) for moderately little aesthetic benefit (and technically detriment). Just opinions, that’s all.
 
I dropped my ST in a parking lot just a couple of months ago. First time in 45 years EVAR, dropping any street bike! The tipover bars saved me lots of money. I will keep mine like it is. Ask anyone who owns a Yamaha FJR what happens when you tip one of those over in a parking lot.
 
Gleason969 said:
............Balance doesnt seem to be an issue for me...but I'm 6'2", 240.
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There are lot's of people your size who have dropped their ST. Balance often has nothing to do with it. Put your foot down on gravel, a wet oily spot on the pavement or a similar unexpected slippery surface. Once the ST gets to a certain point past vertical its going down.

The wings themselves are a fantastic design, more bikes should have them, would virtually eliminate scratched and damaged plastic from a simple tip over.
 
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Mine likes to take a nap every now and then in my garage... I don't have a 1/10 experience of most members, but prior to owning the ST1300 I had never come close to dropping any bike. It is comfortable weight until you are just over to one side just a hair too far, then as Sadlsor said, it is a painstakingly slow tip over that you just can't stop. The engine guard and the exhaust are its resting place once down.

But! I wish you luck on the modification if you do proceed. I am curious to see what it would look like. :)

-Ryan
 
st11ray said:
I dropped my ST in a parking lot just a couple of months ago. First time in 45 years EVAR, dropping any street bike! The tipover bars saved me lots of money. I will keep mine like it is. Ask anyone who owns a Yamaha FJR what happens when you tip one of those over in a parking lot.
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My ST has a center stand....figured if I made the modification I could use that instead of the traditional kick stand
 
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If I go through with this....I would buy a used set of lower fairings, trim the bump out and work a fiberglass patch over the hole then fill, sand and paint to match. The engine guards (by the service manual pictures) seem to be just bolted on and not integrated into anything else. I would also fabricate braces on each side to support the fairings where they connect to the guards.

At least thats my initial plan
 
Kaiser Swaghelm II said:
It's certainly feasible. But if you ever drop the bike you're in trouble.
That'll be an expensive drop.

I assume by "better lines" you mean "aerodynamics"?
Or do you mean for looks?

If it's for looks then cutting off the protruding loops of steel shouldn't compromise the engine mounting bolt. HOWEVER: If you dropped the bike after removing the crossmember and the loop and for some reason all of the plastic in between didn't provide a good enough crumple zone.... You would probably be looking at a bent engine guard or a sheered mounting bolt nut!
Here's the way I'd do it;

View attachment 277848

Angle grind the dotted lines and cap the ends and paint.

As for the fairing. Tricky but doable. Probably best to use some plastic Epoxy like JB weld to get a back plate in place, maybe a thin sheet of polyester cut to size JB welded onto the back of the hole. Followed by several layers of woven matt with polyester resin. Then a long afternoon of U-Pol filler and sand paper.... followed by a primer and a top coat of your choice.

Fair warning... Honda ABS plastic does not like GRP!
It will make a good contact at first, then within several days to a week or two, it will start to delaminate... So it is very important that you get a solid backing on there and use JB weld to make a base to work off of! I wouldn't recommend doing it, because even with a solid base, the chances are you'll end up with a small unsightly crack where the GRP ends and the ABS begins.
And if you just rely on the ABS to GRP connection, your work will be ruined.

The other option would be to make some sort of custom engine guard cover that tucks in much more, and then paint it the same colour as the rest of the fairing.
I prefer option 2 but it's your bike.

Have at it.... What's the worst that could happen. You end up having to buy a new lower fairing for 20 clams!
Pfft worse things have happened at sea!



Hah, portly..... That's definitely a polite way of putting it :rofl1:
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Its looks only....I doubt the modification would change any performance aspects of the bike.
 
st11ray said:
I dropped my ST in a parking............ Ask anyone who owns a Yamaha FJR what happens when you tip one of those over in a parking lot.
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That is why I have tip over guards (engine guards) on my FJR. Yes it does take away from the beautiful lines of the FJR but It has saved me a bunch of money in Plastic and subframe repair and replacement . Have dropped it twice with no damage.

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^^ Actually, I don’t think that looks bad at all on the FJR. The 1300 my brother and I share has the rear tip over protection and I don’t even give it a second look. In fact, I wish there was an attachment point on the 1100s for them. I’ve had 2 tip overs (on the 2000 many years ago, no damage, and one on the 94 last year, just bent my highway wing just a bit but was able to bend it back to normal).
 
Good points. I dropped mine in the garage this year after an oil change. My foot slipped slightly on a small patch of oil that was not cleaned properly and that's all it took to shift the balance past vertical. I held it for a split second but that was all. Thanks to these guards there was no damage at all except a light scratch on the guard itself. Very useful and well thought of engineering.
 
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