(edit) Hand Guards '07 Models

[PTINSTRUCTOR]

O.K., I am going to get dog-piled for this, as it is an OLD SUBJECT, and, yes, I have problems with the nomanclature of a hammer.

I read Warchild's updated installation of the V-Strom guards. Great idea...one we all should have, if we ride cold weather. However the photos do not show the type of bolt used nor the "spacers", if any, used. Our FJRS are both '07s.

I order the proper Suzuki guards. I also started to order the parts from the parts list in the Tech Report by Dale. The friggin' bolts, according to my dealer, are $26.00 each. Not to mention the $3 to $5 for the washers, nuts, etc (yes, I know that you can buy the washers and nuts at a hardware store, and I plan to do so). However, $102 for 4 bolts is a little excessive (My wife rides an FJR also).

Has anyone found a different solution, using any other bolts, for securing the guards to the brake and clutch levers? Could you send pictures or discriptions, in a PM or post it? Where I work is in a very small town in NM and all of the Nuts and Bolt places, in Albuquerque, are closed on the weekends.

Some guys, I have talked with, have just put a long bolts all the way through the levers, with no regard to what the threads, of those bolts, are doing the levers. Then they just added spacers. Ugh!

Also, on my brake lever bolt, I have a Brake Away Throttle control rod So the space there is limited by about an additional 3/16th.

Thanks, in advance, for the help. My wife and I are going from Albuquerque to Boise, across Oregon and down the California coast (with a stop at Russel's to tweak our seats), and back to Albuquerque the middle of May. Being from the Pacific Northwest, we always expect some cold/wet weather riding up there, so the guards would be nice to have installed.

AND, I PROMISE TO READ ALL THE DOG PILE MESSAGES.

 

[k7lvo]

When I got the handguards, the local dealer came up with a kit that was ~$20 cheaper than piece parts. It's been a while, but I think the kit was around $50. The only hardware modification I made was to the "shoulder bolt" for the left guard, which I shortened the shoulder on. I've got an '07A.

 

[jet mechanic]

I ordered my guards as a kit. All the necessarry hardware came with the kit. The kit was ordered from Umotors. I'm pretty sure the price of the kit was under $50. Better shop around a little bit!!

 

[luvtoride]

I think that University Motors & uh... maybe it is Desert Valley Powersports, who offer the parts at a fraction of what you're quoting.

I myself was in a hurry to get them on & paid the dealer price which was $40-ish dollars... & the shoulder bolts were on back order for 2 weeks.

So much for being in a hurry.

Good luck. I love my guards. They are definitely the kittie's titties for cold weather travelers.

 

[FJRPierre]

This was my solution on the Gen 1 VSTROM guards shoulder bolts. Don't recall what the Gen II bolts are like exactly but the principle is the same ...

"Being too cheap to pay $25 each (Cdn) for the two Suzuki mounting bolts, I went to Canadian Tire where they have a great selection of all types of bolts in a big rack display and bought two stock 60mm 6mm shoulder bolts @ $0.34 each (Cdn) but of course they have way too much shoulder. I removed the original, measured how much shoulder I should have, borrowed my son in laws el cheapo tap & die kit, and cut myself some shiny new 6mm/1 threads into the shoulder, thereby cutting the shoulder down to the desired length...."

 

[Knifemaker]

Well, I made my own brackets out of a strip of stainless steel. Basicly a "U" shaped thing that bolts to the top hole of the handguard, bends around and bolts to the bottom, with another hole after that which simply gets held on by the stock bottom nut.

Photos here: (starting with the first photo)

https://tinyurl.com/4nwd53

To remove them , I just have to take off the bottom nut, (of the pivot bolt) , pull the ends off the bar-ends, and then replace the nut.

I used some loctite on the nuts..just in case.

I think I had to grind a little here and there on guards so nothing touched, but otherwise works fine.

KM

 

[PTINSTRUCTOR]

Hey....thanks a bunch. I guess I ddn't see the forest for the trees.

Will be working on them this weekend.

Really appreciate the suggestions.

Kern