Barkbusters Storm S1 Handguards Install

Caladin

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Even with heated grips and a heavy pair of winter riding gloves I still inevitably end up with my hands cold on the outside yet roasting on the inside.

There are many different options to solve this problem. You can use various handguards with different methods of mounting, or you can use a product like Hippo Hands.

I chose to use handguards over Hippo Hands because I didn't like the idea of having them left on the bike sitting in the rain all the time. I thought they might be annoying to get my hands back inside them while riding (eg. if you have to adjust a strap/zipper on your jacket, press a button on the GPS or take a picture while riding). A hippo hands type product may also cause problems for me due to my GPS and spot tracker that are mounted on the bars. Most bikes that use Hippo Hands seem to have their accessories mounted on a separate bar near the windshield.

There are many handguards that will work with the FZ6. A good number are made with sport bikes in mind. But some work better then others. If you have a naked FZ6 then virtually anything will work, this is mostly written for those with a fairing. Some handguards attach via replacing the bar ends (Acerbis Dual Road Handguards). This method is great for many people as the handguards can flex against the fairing more at the end when the bars are tuned to full lock. If you use a throttle lock like Throttlemeister then you must use one that mounts to the bars with a bracket.

The Barkbusters Storm Handguards are larger then some of the other guards and offer more wind protection. They are a little pricey and do require modification to fit a stock bike if you want to be able to go full lock turn. If you have a riser on your handlebars you may be able to mount them without any modification!

Without modification on a stock bike you will lose a fair amount of your final turning range at slow speed tight turns. I hit the lock many times while doing tight parking lot U-turns. If simply bolted up I would be concerned of doing damage to the fairing or handguards should they hit the fairing at speed. It's also annoying when rolling the bike around the garage to not be able to turn the bars fully.

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As stock mounted the point of impact is here. These guards do not flex! So you cannot force a turn to lock. A hard impact will do damage. You may also be unable to use your steering stem lock.

Now to modify them to fit!

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This is the stock bolting location for the guard to the bracket. You can see there is a fair amount of room at the bolting point to slide the bracket in more by drilling a new hole. That alone is not enough room though. You must shorten the bracket buy cutting off tip.

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I marked if off at an angle matching the slant of the plastic guard. I used the original hole as my guide for where to cut.

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No turning back now!

After cutting I mounted the brackets back up to my bars and aligned them. I turned the bars to full lock with the handguards just barely touching the rubber base of the mirror.

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I used a marker to mark the location of the new hole to be drilled on the bracket. I also tested that I would still have enough room for my fingers while wearing my heavy winter gloves. There was no problem with space for my hands.

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Drill your new mounting hole.

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Perfect! The clutch side fits without any issue.

The throttle side requires a little more modification to fit. You can drill the hole via the same method but you will likely have to remove a little from the bracket due to the larger brake lever base.

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This is the frame that holds the guard. You can see the lower piece does not interfere with the brake.

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The top part however does just barely touch the brake lever. While it did not press in on it, it is still to close, should something bump hard into the handguard it would interfere with the brake.

I decided to remove the top mounting points to give as much clearance as possible.
IMG_0674.jpg

You could remove just the inside unused mounting spot perhaps. But I think this is best.
 
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Caladin

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IMG_0676.jpg

If you are worried about the strength of the bracket mounting points you could always add your own bolt through the front like the inside oem one. I do not feel it really needs that.

Then all that is left to do is bolt them up! I think they look good!
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They should add a lot of comfort in the cold and do not effect your turning ability at all. This also means you can still use your steering stem lock.

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Left.

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Right.

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I also did trim a little excess length off the plastic bracket arm on the right side. This was to facilitate my Ram ball mount on the brake reservoir for the spot tracker.

I'm very happy with the quality of the product and that they can be made to fit 100%. Well worth it to me.
 

lonesoldier84

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I am definitely ordering a set of these. I live in northern Alberta. We only get 2 months of the year when we DON'T need cold weather gear. And a lot of the time in the mornings and late at night it is so cold it gets downright painful after when >10 mins away from home.

Thanks for the pics of the install.
 

Erci

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Hideous.. yet awesome! :D

Wonder how these would work with FZ1 bar... very little clearance between bar and tank. Won't help me anyway.. 14" of snow on the ground now :(
 

Jonesyfz6

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I have ordered a set of these for my naked! :rockon: I shouldn't have to mod them in theory, but I will definitely fit them as soon as I have them in my mits! :D
 

discgolfdude

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Where did you order yours from? Mine are on back order from Twisted Throttle, and should be shipped to me on Feb 25th!:spank: At least they are sending me my heated grips!!
 

BamBam77

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Re: Barkbusters Storm S1 Handguards !!VER. Home made!!

I found some MILK BUSTERS at walmart :confused:

Would have to drink the milk first the cut up the bottle
and mount with hose clamps.
Pictures coming soon [not]:eek:
Don't start LOL it would work!!!
But the store bought sure would look a lot better:Flash:
 

discgolfdude

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Re: Barkbusters Storm S1 Handguards !!VER. Home made!!

I found some MILK BUSTERS at walmart :confused:

Would have to drink the milk first the cut up the bottle
and mount with hose clamps.
Pictures coming soon [not]:eek:
Don't start LOL it would work!!!
But the store bought sure would look a lot better:Flash:
Thanks for the idea, but I'll wait for my back ordered barkbusters lol. I want something that looks good as well as function.
 

MHS

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Thanks for the writeup!

I don't currently have any plans to get these -- I'm way to big of a pansy when it comes to cold to even think about being out when I'd need them.
 

VEGASRIDER

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are those fire extinguishers or canister for extra fuel?

Pasted from Calidan's 2009 Trip Report:

Several people have asked me about them, and I have been meaning to post up a few pictures with info. So here it goes.

The fuel containers are aluminum MSR fuel bottles for camp stoves. They are designed for actual automotive fuel use. On my first trip I carried a single smaller bottle inside one of my side cases. This served as both emergency fuel and fuel for my camp stove (it runs off automotive fuel - and almost all other kinds of fuel). The smaller bottle (650ml) got me out of a bind on 2 occasions that would have made for a long walk/push. There are several companies making these bottles. I use MSR as that is the brand of my camp stove.

The holder on the side cases is made by Touratech. It comes with the straps to hold the bottle to the bracket. The brackets are very nice cnc cut aluminum.

You can buy a single bottle holder (Touratech part #070-0526) for $26.30.

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Or you can buy a double holder (Touratech part #070-0525) for $34.60 USD.

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I went with the double holder and simply cut it in two! :thumbup:

Like most things Touratech the brackets are not cheap (for what they are). You could easily just use a bicycle water bottle cage and use some straps to hold your fuel bottle in. But I think the Touratech holders look much nicer.

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You can mount them to just about any case. I simply found the flattest spot I could find on my cases and drilled the holes for the bracket (It's a little nerve racking drilling holes in nice Givi V35 cases!). I had to use 2 longer screws and several washers on the bottom to get the bracket sitting right, as the case is not perfectly flat. I also used a little glue outside and inside the cases top ensure they remained sealed. With many miles on them now I have not run into any problems.

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You cannot have a passenger with the fuel bottles on. Without the bottles the bracket should not get in the way (if mounted low enough). I however have never had a passenger with the V35 cases on so I don't know how that works out to start with.

The bottles in the picture are about 1L each. They make 1.5L bottles, but I have not seen them for sale locally yet. 2L of fuel might not sound like a lot but trust me, it can be a life saver with you are running on fumes and not sure if you can make it to your next fuel stop. Several times on my last trip I was almost certain I would end up needing to use the extra. But I always managed to baby it the next stop. Depending on speed/road conditions I should be able to get anywhere from 20-40km (12-25mi) for the 2 bottles combined.

Unfortunately for me I doubt this will be enough extra fuel for my next trip. So I am trying to find a way to take a few additional liters of fuel with me. I may end up just using a small jerry can strapped to the back seat for a short time.
 
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