I used to be a motorcycle mechanic, and part of my job was installing accessories to include accessories marketed as “factory” and “genuine.” Most of the stuff needed a lot of muscle or modification to fit. I also installed a lot of crashbars (albeit mainly on cruisers, adv bikes weren’t “a thing” back then) which almost NEVER fit properly out of the box. Now I’m not claiming to be an expert, nor am I claiming that I got these bars installed in thirty minutes…took every bit of three hours. What I AM saying is that these bars did take some effort to install, but they are the first I remember that didn’t require me to “hog out” some of the mounting holes and/or bend a tab or three (or all). I am just amazed at the obvious build quality of these bars, and the fact that they are mass produced at this level is mind boggling! As I mentioned, they took effort to install…quite a bit…but any problems I had were created by: ME. I tried to cut corners and install the bars as I watched the instructional video…MISTAKE. Had I watched the video all the way through BEFORE tackling this job, it most definitely would have gone smoother. So…watch the video first, then start installation, leave all the bolts loose. Something else I suggest: tap out the 4 threaded holes with an 8mm X 1.25 thread tap. There are two at the end of the left side crash bar, where it fits under the from spar and two on the lower rear-most bracket on the right side engine guard. Tapping the threads to clean them out (especially the left side holes) will definitely make it easier to start the bolts by hand. Excess powder coat can really seize-up and strip bolt threads! Anyway, loose bolts: start by tightening the largest bolts first and work your way down to the smallest bolts, and you’re done! These bars look great and feel rock solid. Thanks Outback Motortek!!!
