Installing crash bar xj650

Got this cheap off fleabay but figuring out how to install it.
Top 2 bolts look simple enough but the bottom ones, the brackets are too close in. Looks like I need to bend the brackets on the crash bar out some and buy longer bolts.

 

That does not look like it will fit perfect, on the top is there a bracket to fit around the upper frame tube ? I would not recommend drilling holes for fastners in the frame tube.

 

I looked at it some more today. It looks like as is, someone must have had a modified exhaust . I believe I can use it but i need to bend the lower attachments. Going to have to mount in my vise and trial and error.
The holes on the top look like they align with some 10mm threaded nuts on the frame on top. There will be no need to add any holes to do this.

 

That looks alot like a universal one I had on a few bikes. The top mount works with a u-bolt that goes around the frame and the bottom mount with some universal brackets that you could bend, cut, whatever to get it to bolt to something convenient on the bike.

 

I don't have any pics that show how it was mounted on my last KZ unfortunately. If the holes line up at the top that's a plus, hopefully it won't put it up too high that it won't offer protection and put the highway pegs up too high. Mount it there and figure out some bottom brackets and you should be good.

 

1. bolt the lower legs onto the bolts there
2. rotate the bar up against the down tubes
3. use u-bolts around the frame down tubes

never had any problem mounting any that I had

 

so, once you guys said to use U bolts I realized that I needed to use the mounting bolt down lower. No bending of the mounting tabs needed. I am waiting for correct size and threaded stainless U bolts but these zinc plated ones will do for now.

 

There ya go!! You could even just cut those extra lengths off

 

I did cut the extra lengths off.

I was riding the bike today and scraped the crash bar on a sharp left turn in a residential area near the house. Scared the bageezes out of me cause it jerked the bike unlike a peg scrape.

 

I did the same on my Honda CB750 K2 and went across the road. Fortunately the car l met was going slow and there was no impact. I had just bought the bike and l took the crash bars off after that incident.

 

I was about to comment that those bars are an accident waiting to happen.........

 

If the bars don't hug the crankcases it's a matter of time as those ones stick out like the ones l had on my Honda.

 

So, the whole purpose of this was leg protection in a lowside crash. But if I"m going to get jerked around in a scrape, seems like I'm better off not having them or at least switching to the 2 piece design?
Do those 2 piece ones offer suitable leg protection?

 

The two piece design are much better for cornering l think but it's debatable if any of them protect the riders limbs. I think the ones that fit close to the crankcase are more for protecting the engine than the rider.

 

I wonder if I can figure a way to raise it up?

 

Ok mad idea time . Could the two bottom plates be connected to a longer bolt going through the triangular engine plate mount with a spacer? Could you fit the clamps at the top of the crash bar round the frame tubes? Might be too high.

 

Actually, come to think of it, that was the first place I thought it mounted to. I can get them to mount there but I will have to bend the mounting bars coming off the crash bar which is what I originally had planned to do.
I'll take it apart and look at doing that again.

 

You could bend the mounting plates. I would use an equal number of washers as spacers temporarily just to see how it looks. If you have steel tube the correct diameter you could use that in place of the washers. At least you can check if you can fix it to the frame at the top that way without bending the plates on the crash bars. The only thing you will need is a longer bolt on each side.

 

I looked at it last night and I think if I move it up to the triangle mounting bolts I run out of room to mount up top, so, I think I'm going to do some measuring and look at bending the bottom mounting tabs downward. This will raise up the bar. I only have so much room up top to slide upwards. I guess I'll have to lean the bike over to see how much movement I will need so that the crash bar is not what hits first on a scrape.
I can loosen the U bolts up top to see how much I can move it and get a better idea of A) how much I can move it. B) how much I need to move it to not scrape first.

 

Yes l thought that might be the case, doesn't look like too much room at the top of the frame.

 

@Melnic did you get your engine bars altered to gain more ground clearance?

 

I started to bend it to raise it up but when I started to bend it, the weld started to crack. I have a friend who can weld it but as I looked at it and leaned the bike over, it was still needing to go up another inch.
I ended up buying the other type of engine guards (the 2 separate piece ones) from ebay for $40 shipped for the time being to shelve this project for now.
I put all of the engine mounting bolts back yesterday to ride the bike (Its not my only bike but i wanted to ride it).

When I pulled it off, I felt the only way to make this work would be to bend it so that I could use the triangle mount bolts and then 2 of the threaded holes already in the frame at the top which means slotting the mounting plates in the crash bar.
to use the triangle mounts, I have to bend the mounting bracket left/right to change the angles. This is what I originally thought I had to do.
If I get it to work then I'll have extra engine guards that i'd likely just gift to someone here for price of shipping.

 

Pity about the welds cracking. Thats the problem they stick out too far and you lose ground clearance and the wrap around engine ones protect the engine more. Post a few pictures if you can.

 

I'm trying to protect me, more than the engine that is what my motor cop friend recommended I do.

 

Installed these for now.