Hepco & Becker Crash Guard

[Brillot2000]

I wanted to know if there was anyone out there that has or had an Hepco & Becker Crash Guard installed on their bike.



I am considering getting one of these as part of the rehab of NaTalie. I cannot seem to find any detailing pictures regarding the mounting of this unit. All I can see is that attaches to an unused bolt tab on the front of the engine. I am assuming that the tubes going behind the radiator attach somewhere to the frame. Any additional information regarding this will be helpful.

If anyone has one installed. Does it make the removal of the bodywork anymore difficult?

Right now I am curious about this unit and I am looking into the possibility at this time. Any information or feedback regarding it will be appreciated.

FYI. I found these installation instructions on the Hepco & Becker website. Hepco & Becker - NT700V Engine Guard.

 

[RedLdr1]

Someone here did install one. Do a search on it and it should show up. I saw should as it has been sometime since that was posted and the site has been through a few changes since then.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Seems to me as if Eldon Cannon was one person who had installed the Hepco-Becker crash guard. I talked to Eldon just this past Friday, because I was wondering how he was doing with the fires and smoke. He and his wife were both OK but hadn't been out. Eldon can't do anything on the internet now because his vision is almost entirely gone. I can call him back and ask him your question if you want me to.

 

[tawilke46]

hope this helps

https://www.hepco-becker.de/download/product/501944_00_01.pdf

 

[Brillot2000]

hope this helps

https://www.hepco-becker.de/download/product/501944_00_01.pdf

Thank you. I also found that pdf and posted a link to it at the end of my initial post.

I would like to get the prospective of someone that has one of these units installed on their bike. Then get their feedback before investing the $400 on this item to see if it’s not what I expected to be.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Bruce, do you want me to try calling Eldon? I don't think he did work on the bike because he talked the other night about his mechanic and how long they've partnered on keeping Eldon's bikes running and rolling.

 

[Brillot2000]

Bruce, do you want me to try calling Eldon? I don't think he did work on the bike because he talked the other night about his mechanic and how long they've partnered on keeping Eldon's bikes running and rolling.

Yes, please. Whatever information that you find out will be helpful with me making a decision about getting one. I would like to know both the good (Pros) and the bad (Cons) regarding this unit. I am hoping this set up is substantial enough to take a fall and prevent any damages to the Mid-cowl side panels as NaTalie experienced nearly 2 weeks ago.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Phil Tarman]

I'll give him a call tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Hey, Bruce! I'm a day late and at least a dollar short, but I remembered to call Eldon this morning. He was the person on the Forum who had the Hepco & Becker crash bars on his bike and he really liked them.

He said that the only downside to them was that it gave you a few extra things to do to get the plastic off the bike, but that it wasn't a huge complication.

On the upside, he said that: 1) They work. 2) they gave him a good place to mount freeway pegs. 3) they gave him a good place to mount driving lights. 4) they also gave him a good place to mount these -- https://www.aerostich.com/bags/seat-bags-and-tail-bags/saddlebags/aerostich-tank-panniers.html

I remember when he got those that I thought they'd be a real pain mounted over the tank like he said he was using them, but with the crash bars, they worked well for him. (I didn't like the way they looked, but he did.) He used the bars to attach the bottom of the tank panniers and said that they improved weather protection for him. He told me this morning that he had hit a deer and between the bars and the tank panniers, he only got a slight bruise when the deer wrapped around the bike. He didn't go down when he hit the deer, so he didn't add that particular test.

At any rate, he liked them and recommends them highly!

If you want to talk to him, he'd be glad to have you call, but requests that you call me first so I can give him a heads-up that your call is coming. Neither he nor his wife can read the incoming call info on their phone so he rarely answers calls from people he doesn't know.

 

[Brillot2000]

Phil, I don't that I will need to talk to Eldon. His comments through you were enough for me to make my decision. You also forgot that I am an Eletro-Mechanical Engineer that has built several motorcycles, some from the ground up. I am more than qualified when it comes to these matters.

Your comments were more than helpful and I will be proceeding to procure one of these assemblies. The best price I found is on eBay of this item.

This item is not very cheap either, however, I have the budget since I am doing my own work to NaTalie.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Phil Tarman]

You also forgot that I am an Eletro-Mechanical Engineer that has built several motorcycles, some from the ground up.

Bruce, that's only one of many, many things I've forgotten as if I never knew it.

I'm glad Eldon's comments helped you make the decision.

 

[Brillot2000]

Bruce, that's only one of many, many things I've forgotten as if I never knew it.

I am excited to see where this build is going to end up. It could be a month before this item shows up. By that time NaTalie will be in back into active duty, just not in her final configuration. Once everything has been completed, she will be revealed to everyone with a new code name.

 

[Brillot2000]

I received the good news from eBay saying that my Hepco & Becker crash bars will be possibly delivered tomorrow. I cannot wait to see what they look like.

 

[Det78580]

Thank you all, I was not aware of this Hepco & Becker product which looks indeed very useful, I am putting it on my wishlist for my NT700VA6.
Used 15 years ago Hepco & Becker rear rack and side bags on my Honda 500 CBF and was very satisfied with the product quality at that time.

Greetings from France.
Detlef

 

[Brillot2000]

Sorry that I have been too busy to share the pictures of the unboxing of these Hepco & Becker crash bars. I will need to post them somewhere for you all to see them.

 

[Det78580]

Curious to see pictures. Crash bars most probaby would have avoided damages like you may see in the attached pictures (caused by a slight crash I had in spring this year south of Paris when hitting a sharp breaking car in front of me in the morning rush hour) - My first and only accident I ever had during my biker carreer.

Only the front light unit I bought used via eBay as replacement was 200 Euros. Replacement was a must as the German TÜV (Agency for Technical Control of Motor vehicles) would not recertify a motorbike having a fractioned headlight lens.

 

[Brillot2000]

Curious to see pictures. Crash bars most probaby would have avoided damages like you may see in the attached pictures (caused by a slight crash I had in spring this year south of Paris when hitting a sharp breaking car in front of me in the morning rush hour) - My first and only accident I ever had during my biker carreer.

Only the front light unit I bought used via eBay as replacement was 200 Euros. Replacement was a must as the German TÜV (Agency for Technical Control of Motor vehicles) would not recertify a motorbike having a fractioned headlight lens.

I would say that these bars would have reduced the severity of damages that both you and I sustained to our bikes. Thus the reason behind me getting a set of these for Diva.

Here's a link to the online photo album of the pictures I took of these crash bars. Brillot2000 - Hepco & Becker crash bars for Honda NT700V.

These come with a hardware kit and installation instructions, not shown in any of these images.

I bought them off eBay for about $400 USD. They were shipped from the UK and took about 2 weeks to be believed to me. They are made in Germany, it might be better for you to order direct from Hepco & Becker.

Let me know if you have any additional questions regarding these.

 

[Det78580]

Thank you so much Brillot2000 for sharing the photos. The bars indeed serve as well as a good place to fix position/ fog lights.

I will ask my wife for having the Hepco & Becker crash bars (lets call it security bars) under the christmas tree

Thanks again,
Detlef

 

[Brillot2000]

Thank you so much Brillot2000 for sharing the photos. The bars indeed serve as well as a good place to fix position/ fog lights.

I will ask my wife for having the Hepco & Becker crash bars (lets call it security bars) under the christmas tree

Thanks again,
Detlef

Good Deal!!! (y)

I am assuming that you did all your own work on your bike and quite familiar with the removal of all the Tupperware. The replacement of the headlight assembly is quite a labor-intensive job as I did myself when I upgraded to LED Bulbs.

Installing the Hepco bars require the removal of all the Tupperware in order for the installation of 2 lower bar halves. The cross-connecting bar should be installed to the lowers before tightening all the bolts. There are 2 long screws that secure the crossbar beneath the headlight and then to the headlight cowl. Then there will be 2 set screws on the lower bars to hold the crossbar in place. You will not need to overtighten these, a 1/4 turn or so from snug will be enough.

I hope that you find all this information useful.

 

[Brillot2000]

Here are a few more pictures that might be helpful.