Engine Guards or No Engine Guards

[DiamondLil]

So tell us your constructive thoughts on engine guards.

[GAZOO!]

It's a motorcycle, not a safety device.

[CEYLON]

I think it is fugly on v.

but will save lot of money on a slow moving drop.

[EZE RIDER]

Undecided.

[_juggernaut_]

imo only if your bike is a full dress bagger the engine guards look good on a bike

[Nathang]

....

[Nathang]

...fugly on v

I have added some to my storehouse of things I consider Fugley.

only if ....... the engine guards look good on a bike

Now here's what I consider some ugly hardware, myself.



Almost 35 years ago I took engine guards off my first Harley because they were ugly.
I never had them or considered them again until now.
I wouldn't be considering them now, if not for the broken foot spill at 3 mph last month.

Choosing to ride a motorcycle at all, and all the choices made after that have risks you either are,
or are not willing to take, and consequences you either are or are not willing to pay.

This fall has changed my degree of bravado.
Most of us have one time or another spoken bravely, maybe rashly,
if I get hurt riding a bike, well that's just a chance I'm willing to take.

NOW I can say, that's big talk. What if you had to pay up first?

Next time you get on your bike it will have guards, and you will have to keep them forever,
unless you want to pre-pay to go without them, and suffer the broken leg pictured, and be
off work and have $8000 in surgery and have $1900 worth of stainless steel screws and cleats
hooked to your leg, probably to ache for the rest of your life

Would you just say
"Go ahead and do it, break my leg now, cause I'm NEVER going to use engine guards" ??

...and then suppose fate says,
"Well that's real brave and all, but you can't say NEVER because this pre-payment, the broken leg and time off work
and $8000 and screws and cleats only gets you 2 years guaranteed no spills,
then you go might have to pay up again.."

I've paid once for not having guards,
everybody who rides knows they are going down eventually...
and please excuse me for saying so, but if you have the illusion that you'll never get hurt, you're a fool

I don't think they look as bad as I used to.

[Dinero No Mas]

I put engine guards on my Low Rider when I put the forward controls on. This allowed me to add some highway pegs that gave me additional spots for my feet. It probably increased my ability to extend my rides just by giving me more ways to shift around and not tighten up. Sitting in one position too long just wasn't getting it anymore.

But................you knew there had to be a "but", didn't you?

In 2005, a gal pulled out in front of me at a McDonalds in some kind of hurry. Probably a major emergency requiring her to get back to class on time or something. I t-boned her right at the front wheel. I quickly detached my detachable windshield with my head and shoulder and rolled over the hood and onto the street where I stopped immediately.

My momentum had been slowed immensely by the right hand portion of the engine guard when it bent backwards and almost trapped my right foot. Busted the foot up pretty good as a matter of fact.

May have saved my life and prevented further injuries by slowing me down enough that I didn't tumble on down the road like a rolling stone. Who knows?

I got my bike put back together and ready to ride about the time I was put back together and ready to ride. Even had a new engine guard.

I guess it is like a helmet. Personal choice.

Slow speed accident or forgetting to put the kickstand down and it will save a lot of cosmetic damage. At higher speeds, who knows? I think it saved me from a lot more significant injuries.

Besides, I always enjoyed the Jungle Gym comments from my riding partner. Gave him something to talk about when he couldn't come up with something better than, "That thing is some fast sumbeech". His sleek Nigh Train always looked good in my rear view mirror without an engine guard.

[Dinero No Mas]

The "Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures," is a study conducted by the University of Southern California (USC). With funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, researcher Harry Hurt investigated almost every aspect of 900 motorcycle accidents in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, Hurt and his staff analyzed 3,600 motorcycle traffic accident reports in the same geographic area.
Reprinted here for your information and use are the findings. The final report is several hundred pages. If you choose to have this document in your resource library, the order information is: Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report, Hurt, H.H., Ouellet, J.V. and Thom, D.R., Traffic Safety Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, Contract No. DOT HS-5-01160, January 1981 (Final Report) This document is available through: The National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161 "Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures" Findings Throughout the accident and exposure data there are special observations which relate to accident and injury causation and characteristics of the motorcycle accidents studied. These findings are summarized as follows:





"The Hurt Report"
(AKA "Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures")


A brief summary of the findings is listed below. To order the full report, contact:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, Virginia 22161
(703)-487-4600
and order:
Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report, Hurt, H.H., Ouellet, J.V. and Thom, D.R., Traffic Safety Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, Contract No. DOT HS-5-01160, January 1981 (Final Report)
Vol.I (The Main Report and Summary) is PB81206443 (~400 pages)
Vol.II (Appendix: Supplementary Data) is PB81206450 (~400 pages)
Either document is $42.95 plus $3.00 shipping. (circa 1990)


Summary of Findings


Throughout the accident and exposure data there are special observations which relate to accident and injury causation and characteristics of the motorcycle accidents studied. These findings are summarized as follows:

1. Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most often a passenger automobile.

2. Approximately one-fourth of these motorcycle accidents were single vehicle accidents involving the motorcycle colliding with the roadway or some fixed object in the environment.

3. Vehicle failure accounted for less than 3% of these motorcycle accidents, and most of those were single vehicle accidents where control was lost due to a puncture flat.

4. In single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was present as the accident precipitating factor in about two-thirds of the cases, with the typical error being a slideout and fall due to overbraking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.

5. Roadway defects (pavement ridges, potholes, etc.) were the accident cause in 2% of the accidents; animal involvement was 1% of the accidents.

6. In multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.

7. The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.

8. Deliberate hostile action by a motorist against a motorcycle rider is a rare accident cause. The most frequent accident configuration is the motorcycle proceeding straight then the automobile makes a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle.

10. Intersections are the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with the other vehicle violating the motorcycle right-of-way, and often violating traffic controls.

11. Weather is not a factor in 98% of motorcycle accidents.

12. Most motorcycle accidents involve a short trip associated with shopping, errands, friends, entertainment or recreation, and the accident is likely to happen in a very short time close to the trip origin.

13. The view of the motorcycle or the other vehicle involved in the accident is limited by glare or obstructed by other vehicles in almost half of the multiple vehicle accidents.

14. Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in the multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets.

15. Fuel system leaks and spills were present in 62% of the motorcycle accidents in the post-crash phase. This represents an undue hazard for fire.

16. The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph.

17. The typical motorcycle pre-crash lines-of-sight to the traffic hazard portray no contribution of the limits of peripheral vision; more than three-fourths of all accident hazards are within 45deg of either side of straight ahead.

18. Conspicuity of the motorcycle is most critical for the frontal surfaces of the motorcycle and rider.

19. Vehicle defects related to accident causation are rare and likely to be due to deficient or defective maintenance.

20. Motorcycle riders between the ages of 16 and 24 are significantly overrepresented in accidents; motorcycle riders between the ages of 30 and 50 are significantly underrepresented. Although the majority of the accident-involved motorcycle riders are male (96%), the female motorcycles riders are significantly overrepresented in the accident data.

22. Craftsmen, laborers, and students comprise most of the accident-involved motorcycle riders. Professionals, sales workers, and craftsmen are underrepresented and laborers, students and unemployed are overrepresented in the accidents.

23. Motorcycle riders with previous recent traffic citations and accidents are overrepresented in the accident data.

24. The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.

25. More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle, although the total street riding experience was almost 3 years. Motorcycle riders with dirt bike experience are significantly underrepresented in the accident data.

26. Lack of attention to the driving task is a common factor for the motorcyclist in an accident.

27. Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement.

28. Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would overbrake and skid the rear wheel, and underbrake the front wheel greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to countersteer and swerve was essentially absent.

29. The typical motorcycle accident allows the motorcyclist just less than 2 seconds to complete all collision avoidance action.

30. Passenger-carrying motorcycles are not overrepresented in the accident area.

31. The driver of the other vehicles involved in collision with the motorcycle are not distinguished from other accident populations except that the ages of 20 to 29, and beyond 65 are overrepresented. Also, these drivers are generally unfamiliar with motorcycles.

32. Large displacement motorcycles are underrepresented in accidents but they are associated with higher injury severity when involved in accidents.

33. Any effect of motorcycle color on accident involvement is not determinable from these data, but is expected to be insignificant because the frontal surfaces are most often presented to the other vehicle involved in the collision.

34. Motorcycles equipped with fairings and windshields are underrepresented in accidents, most likely because of the contribution to conspicuity and the association with more experienced and trained riders.

35. Motorcycle riders in these accidents were significantly without motorcycle license, without any license, or with license revoked.

36. Motorcycle modifications such as those associated with the semi-chopper or cafe racer are definitely overrepresented in accidents.

37. The likelihood of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents-98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury.

38. Half of the injuries to the somatic regions were to the ankle-foot, lower leg, knee, and thigh-upper leg.

39. Crash bars are not an effective injury countermeasure; the reduction of injury to the ankle-foot is balanced by increase of injury to the thigh-upper leg, knee, and lower leg.

40. The use of heavy boots, jacket, gloves, etc., is effective in preventing or reducing abrasions and lacerations, which are frequent but rarely severe injuries.

41. Groin injuries were sustained by the motorcyclist in at least 13% of the accidents, which typified by multiple vehicle collision in frontal impact at higher than average speed.

42. Injury severity increases with speed, alcohol involvement and motorcycle size.

[Nathang]

I'd be curious to hear Han-Solo-Dave, as our resident trained accicent investigator, predict what might have been different in Dinero's described accident w/o the crash bars. Without the engine guards, does it seem probable DNM's whole leg would have been forcibly pinned and smeared between the car's body and bike's mass? If, as I hear it, the right side engine guard took the brunt of the impact, then I'd think the bike was generally deflecting to the left, and a long shearing / crushing blow along the right side of the bike and rider, besides the forward momentum to clear the hood of the car might have been the result.