[MaxDadAK]

I’m currently looking at crash bars / highway bars, and I keep seeing a disclaimer stating more or less that they are for cosmetic purposes only and will not provide leg or vehicle protection in the event of a fall…WTF? So far that has been a mainstay in several catalogs I’ve rifled through including Dennis Kirk and J&P. I would like to assume that there ARE Bars out there that WILL provide protection in case you lay your bike down, but I’ve yet to find any. Any ideas where to start? If It helps the bike I’m getting the bars for is a 2011 V-Star 950.

[Munch]

Grats on the 950!

BTW the disclaimer is there for the morons who cannot figure out that a 1 inch tube will be the end all to keeping their leg attached should they swipe a car at 60+mph. You know the same idiots that were able to sue tobacco companies because they weren’t smart enough to figure out smoking was bad for them……..
Is always why they are now PC’d named highway bars. Think of “highway” bars as the bumpers on modern day cars. If you ever walk through the dealership, and have never before looked, you will see on the sale slip on the window “Bumper is rated to safely absorb impact up to 23 mph collision” in other words…. other then a parking lot scrape the bumper is cosmetic…half of them are filled with styrofoam.
Highway “crash bars” do the same thing. In the parking lot or a slow drop it will protect your legs and gas tank from getting ding’d and dented. Faster speeds …say avg city speed limits it can buy you time to get out from under the bike before it fails and leaves you pinned between the motor and the road. Anything Higher then that though…. why would anyone think these would save them. I have seen some instances where they have survived a highway speed beeting from random animals and such, but that is more attributed to the luck of impact point rather then the integrity of the bar.

Also look at it really good. The most basic mounting points are on the front of the frame….. typical D bends back around to the bottom of the frame and bolts up to some where near the foot controls. No front to back impact stability at all…. you would need a third mounting point minimally for this.

In summary…. parking lots, in town speeds etc. All good….. anything past 20 30 mph…wishfull thinking. I have highway bars on my V900 and love the looks and functionality of them. It did help save me from some damage when a car did a brake check at an intersection (apparently changed her mind on going straight) I had to quickly make a turn closer to a curb then I intended which also contained a mailbox. Actually in thinking…whish I had highway bars on the horses I rode too…lol…. woulda saved me from a nasty bruise when a barrel racing horse decided to go around a fence post a touch more tighter then I intended…… anyway. But yea yu can mount forward foot controls on them, extra lights for safety, even companies likes scootworks offers leather covers for cold weather rides to help get the wind off your legs.

[MaxDadAK]

Thanks Munch. Once again stupidity rears it’s head and causes un-necessary confusion. Hell, anyone should be able to look at a set of bars and come to the obvious conclusion regarding the limits of it’s protection. Then again I should have known better lol. This does help quite a bit in available choices. I’m not so much worried about high speeds as I am about slower in town traffic. I’m gong from a V Star 250 to the 950 and like the little extra bit of protection. I’ve taken several demo rides and know I can definitely handle the bike but in quick reaction moments, I can literally throw tue 250 around. With this bigger bike I know I’ll have less to work with manueverability wise, so, ….just in case lol. I will definitely be looking at those covers for the bars as well, because riding up her in Alaska can get down right frigid! Thanks again.

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