Fitting Wunderlich BMW R1250GS Engine Bars

[@jimwatson9947]

At last someone who just gets on with the job without waffling.

[@nickhodgeUK]

Don’t watch some of my other videos though Jim as I can waffle 🤣👍🏻

[@ugurpolat325]

Your instructions are better than wunderlich usa. In a week i will receive mine and follow your video. Greetings from izmir turkey.

[@nickhodgeUK]

Pretty straightforward ugur. Good luck and ride safe 👍🏻

[@vtv8man]

Thank you Nick. From what I can find your the only video for R1250GS on KZbin with these bars. I just ordered a set of upper and lower bars with the connecting strut. Thanks for sharing the video. Cheers 🍻

[@nickhodgeUK]

Ian S thanks for commenting Ian. I’ll be interested how the top ones go as I’ve toyed with getting them. They are fine bars and after she rolled off her side stand, work too ;) Ride safe and hope they’re only ever decoration 🤞🏻👍🏻

[@vtv8man]

Nick Hodge - I fitted both the upper and lower bars without issue. The upper bars re use one of the same mounting points from the lower bars and you need to fit a brackets off the steering head. Hopefully I never get to try them out. The upper bars don’t seem as sturdy as the lower but need to trust the Wunderlich development team and the many thousands they have sold over the years.

[@nickhodgeUK]

Ian S well done Ian. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for some on the road or temptation may overcome me..... ride safe

[@dgomes265]

After seeing these nice low profile bars, regretting installing the BMW valve cover guards I installed on my R1200R. Very well done.

[@nickhodgeUK]

Thanks for the comment 👍🏻

[@duckbeneathpigeons]

Thanks very much for this video, Nick. I bought these bars after watching. They seem to be the best look with the shape/design of the cam covers. I have a '21 Light White which has black engine and silver frame. I chose black bars and they are a great match - they disappear. These bars are great quality and I like the way they come with Torx fixings which match the rest of the bike, rather than hex head fixings that some other bars seem to be supplied with. I was concerned with the 3 vs 4 point fitting, but decided in the end to take a 3 point bar, partly because they're easier to fit since they don't require removing the bolt that goes right through the frame. Finally, each bar came in a Wunderlich-branded black cloth drawstring bag. There was no need for this, but it's a nice touch and no doubt I'll get some use out of those bags somehow.

[@nickhodgeUK]

Small bags are always useful. Ride safe 👍🏻

[@RobinRWS]

I installed those on my 1250. The left side lowest nut was difficult to be honest. It already came out a bit difficult, getting it in required a bit more torque. Hopefully not too bad for the thread. The first few turn by hand, the remainder with torquewrench 60-65nm

[@keyboarddancers7751]

As relaxing and reassuring as John Arlott.

[@nickhodgeUK]

Ha ha. If only

[@allenfazer]

Great video Nick, thanks

[@Hemlck]

Thanks for this super detailed vid. About to order these for my new HP that is coming later in the week but now I find they are also available in white or blue as well as polished steel. Another decision to make!

[@nickhodgeUK]

Decisions, decisions. Made a right one with the bike though. Ride safe.

[@Hemlck]

Nick Hodge in the end ordered the Machineart x-heads...they seem to offer good protection , are lighter than bars etc ...do you have an opinion on these?

[@nickhodgeUK]

Tim Firth only that they’re expensive! For sure they get good reviews. I think I would still have both. Let us know what they are like once you have fitted

[@nicholascrocker4329]

Having done a bit of research (Googling!) turns out you greased the correct bolts. Apparently stainless steel nuts and bolts can suffer from something called 'galling' where they can seize which might make them impossible to undo. Never too old to learn I guess. Hope you are happy with your purchase and I trust I have made the right choice of crash bars. Regards.

[@nickhodgeUK]

I'm 'happy' with them, just engine bars are one of the things you hope you never need, just the boxer heads stick out so far and one day, for sure, the bike will be dropped if only getting it out the garage. Ride safe

[@miro_s]

Thanks a lot for this. I too identified the wunderlich as the bars best suited to me. One doubt tho: I’ve got the bmw cylinder protections on, would rather not remove them. Do you think these bars would fit those on, or are they too tight to the heads for that?

[@nickhodgeUK]

Hi Vladimiro. Definitely the Machine Art X-Head protectors do fit with the Wunderlich bars 👍🏻

[@miro_s]

@@nickhodgeUK thanks. Would you still put on the Wunderlich or have you found better since? I really like the looks of them

[@nickhodgeUK]

@@miro_s I sold that bike with them on and the new adventure i have is fitted with BMW lower and upper. I liked the style of the Wunderlich over ones like the SW Motech though for example 👍🏻

[@miro_s]

@@nickhodgeUK for completeness, just in case somebody else bumps into this thread, Wunderlich replied that the combination of the crash bars and the head covers is not possible. would not fit. Surprised (because you said they work with the machine art covers), confused (because nippy normans said they would) and disappointed (because I really liked these bars). Oh well, I suppose I'm out again looking for crash bars that come in white... cheers.

[@nickhodgeUK]

@@miro_s Thanks for this, it really helps. I was assuming they fitted as it said so on NN site. Did you leave comment there also?

[@mekwerk]

Hi, could you measure the total widht of the bike when crashbars fitted.

[@nickhodgeUK]

-m e k- really tough to measure but I reckon about 780mm. They stick out about 2cm each side wider than the plastic shift cam ‘cover’

[@mekwerk]

@@nickhodgeUK Thank's Nick.

[@JoeS97756]

Enjoyed the video. Curious if there was a reason you chose these over the BMW bars? I think I like the looks of them a bit better.

[@nickhodgeUK]

Obviously as a standard GS it doesn’t come with bars. It was one of the first 1250’s with the new shiftcam covers and old ones didn’t fit. Their were really only two available. These and Motech. Motech only did black coated so preferred these

[@JoeS97756]

@@nickhodgeUK Ya, I'm shopping for some bars for my GS. I was just going to get the BMW bars, but these look good.

[@relital3362]

Thanks for another great video Nick. Any thoughts on why you went with the Wunderlich bars which have 3 mounting points vs. other solutions with 4 supporting points.

[@nickhodgeUK]

Not sure there was huge logic to it. Thought they blended best with the bike. My mate has the Motech ones which use the rear engine mounting as the 4th point and it looks a bit ugly with a huge bolt and thread on. Mine fell off stand so have been used although not ‘for real’ and held up well. Apart from cost I think my ideal would be these bars and x-heads

[@delk5024]

Great vid! Do you feel they would be strong enough to not bend onto the engine if you dropped the bike in a car park compaired to the other model that have extra support/mounting points? I like these as they look nice and slick but wonder about their strength.

[@nickhodgeUK]

Mines been over. It rolled off the side stand on a downslope and whilst they have maybe deflected a little (maybe 2mm) it’s not noticeable and it would have done the cam cover without for sure

[@TheWatsonhome]

I have OE BMW cylinder guards covers on my bike (not sure that's the proper description of them). Does anyone have experience of fitting the Wunderlich bars on top of those?

[@nickhodgeUK]

Hi David. I don’t but email either Nippy Norman’s and ask or Wunderlich direct. I’m sure one or other will know 👍🏻

[@blairbluesman]

Thanks for putting this video up,I went out and bought the same bars but in white for my 1250 HP, i tightened the bottom right bars to 45nm and when I was about to tighten the left side I glanced at the instructions and it says 25-35 nm! I've just left the right side to 45nm do you think it will be ok or should I loosen them and tighten to 35nm?

[@nickhodgeUK]

I suspect it’ll be ok. Certainly tighter is better to a degree. Ride safe

[@blairbluesman]

@@nickhodgeUK As i'm not very mechanically minded, so i find your videos very clear and informative, the instructions i got with the bars are a bit confusing as i recieved 1 sheet of paper that gave me torque settings for steel screws in steel threads and also settings for steel screws in aluminum threads. then there was the actual fitting instructions that also shows the pictures and the torque settings were much more .on the first sheet for the m10 bolt in aluminum thread it said 25-35 nm but on the instructions it says 55nm! the next time i'm passing the dealer i'll get them to check just to give me piece of mind..keep up the good work with the videos!

[@miro_s]

@@blairbluesman hello. did you ever sort this out? can you confirm what the right torque for those three bolts is? 25-35 or 55? Thank you.

[@blairbluesman]

@@miro_s Hi, I've just left them at my original torque settings, they seem to be fine when it comes the time for the dealer to check the valves they will have to remove them, I'll ask them what torque setting they used

[@miro_s]

@@blairbluesman 👍. I got some bars without torque specs, so I’m trying to clue up about it. I keep finding indications that those bolts are to be 55 Nm...

[@jaimillocc]

Thanks for video. How many Nm torque for each one?

[@nickhodgeUK]

Jaime Tortosa Lopez The bolts that fit into the threaded holes in the engine (rear lower and front lower) are 55Nm. The front upper ones have lock nuts so no real issue just going ‘tight’

[@jaimillocc]

@@nickhodgeUK lot of thanks!

[@EtonedaCreta]

Hey Nick is the upper part of each crash bar put inside or outside the original frame? (I mean the parts where the additional steel bar goes into, you did a video on it but I can't see very well) from the instructions, it seems the bars are locked from the inside but they refer to 1200. Thank you

[@nickhodgeUK]

I’m sat here and the bike is around the corner. Hold tight.....

[@nickhodgeUK]

EtonedaCreta ...They are on the inside of the frame mount of the bike

[@EtonedaCreta]

@@nickhodgeUK Hey thank you, it fits now!

[@nicholascrocker4329]

Good video. Just ordered the same crash bars. Small question. Shouldn't the grease go on the bottom front bolt where stainless steel bolt goes into the alloy. Usually there can be an issue when when the thread involves two types of metal?

[@nickhodgeUK]

Nicholas Crocker you get little guidance except the bolt that comes out is threadlocked and you sure as hell cant use both ;). I worked on the theory that if manufacturer wanted it threadlocked and it’s an engine mounting. I’d do the same. To be fair I’ve never used paste before in 8 years (many ago) of being a motorcycle mechanic so I can only assume it maybe is used where there may be an electrical reaction or much crud. If you find out let me know. Even more baffling is that the accessory strut. Comes with both!!

[@RG9591]

Why no sound ?

[@nickhodgeUK]

Should be. Early days it was very quiet but it’s definitely there?