Soaked

[SleppRock]

I rode my new 1200X/CT home yesterday and I had to help my awesome wife with the house/chores so No riding for the rest of the day.......Today it's raining non stop! Finally, at 5 in the afternoon It’s stopped and I was off.  I now have 114 miles on her and it would take a chisel to get the smile off my face.  I love this bike.  I need to stiffen up the front as I practiced stopping in an empty lot.  Next Saturday ( weather permitting) I will be taking her in to get the maoko throttle lock.  I also replaced my Old helmet to an Arai XD4 and it fits my melon.  Question: I'll have to wait about 3 months but my first farkle should be: skid/bash plate or crash bars? Please post your thoughts, or should I get something else?

The title is soaked because it started to rain and it was fairly light until I got to my garage.  I got royally pissed on backing this heavy bike into the garage- then I was trying to pull her back on the center stand and it was leaning to far towards me and I was cussing up a storm due to this bike not backing at all......then I noticed how off center I was..... it’s much easier pulling her straight back.

[Jac]

Congrats!  I’m picking up my new 2017 next week from the dealer.  I’m thinking about adding LED driving lights for daytime visibility safety enhancement as my first step.  Unless you’ll be riding on a lot of dirt and gravel, I’d go for crash bars over a skid plate.

[__Ray__]

Originally Posted by SleppRock

...  Question: I'll have to wait about 3 months but my first farkle should be: skid/bash plate or crash bars? Please post your thoughts, or should I get something else?
...

Depends if you planned on going off-road with it. Off-road you really need both but if the budget doesn't allow it than i would say the bashplate. Rocks will come up all the time but falling depends on how technical it gets. Keep in mind that when you take it off-road it's not the question if you fall but how many times so the crashbars will earn themselves back.
For both i can recommend the Hepco @ Becker. The original crashbars are not realy crashbars but the "f" part in farkle with that is that it is a mounting point for the foglights.
With the Hepco & Becker crashbars it's also possible to take of the fairing without taking the crashbars of (you just need to figure out how).

[hondapaneuro]

Agree with first the engine bars (Hepco fitted to mine are great) but consider a radiator grill (protector) next - it's so exposed.

[__Ray__]

Better get a fenda extenda, lots cheaper and you don't cover half of the radiator.

[SleppRock]

Great Idea - just ordered the Fender extenda on eBay, Thanks! 

[bampy]

Originally Posted by SleppRock

I rode my new 1200X/CT home yesterday and I had to help my awesome wife with the house/chores so No riding for the rest of the day.......Today it's raining non stop! Finally, at 5 in the afternoon It’s stopped and I was off.  I now have 114 miles on her and it would take a chisel to get the smile off my face.  I love this bike.  I need to stiffen up the front as I practiced stopping in an empty lot.  Next Saturday ( weather permitting) I will be taking her in to get the maoko throttle lock.  I also replaced my Old helmet to an Arai XD4 and it fits my melon.  Question: I'll have to wait about 3 months but my first farkle should be: skid/bash plate or crash bars? Please post your thoughts, or should I get something else?

The title is soaked because it started to rain and it was fairly light until I got to my garage.  I got royally pissed on backing this heavy bike into the garage- then I was trying to pull her back on the center stand and it was leaning to far towards me and I was cussing up a storm due to this bike not backing at all......then I noticed how off center I was..... it’s much easier pulling her straight back.

If you are not planning on fitting fog/spot lights I would fit crash bungs rather than crash bars they do not provide  protection if you drop the bike. If you intend to use the bike off road then the skid plate is a no brainer that sump is low and exposed. Me I changed the tyres for Michellin Pilot 5, had the seat modified with gel inserts, swapped the exhaust to the Akrapovic for the look and weight loss, fitted a K & N air filter and will probably get the suspension upgraded and set up for me. It's my second Crosstourer both have been the DCT version and I can honestly say I have not had one failure and ridden over 40k miles not even a bulb. You will not be disappointed.

[__Ray__]

Originally Posted by bampy

If you are not planning on fitting fog/spot lights I would fit crash bungs rather than crash bars they do not provide  protection if you drop the bike.

Correct if you take the OEM crashbars but if you take the Hepco & Becker crashbars they do protect the bike real well, i know. Dropped the bike off-road a few times ans also on tarmac but not a scratch. Didn't crash on tarmac wile riding but they will protect wile riding 100% for sure better than the bungs because if they haven't a 3 point mounting they can even be the difference between fairing damage or a totalled bike.
I also have some Lomo crashbar bags on it witch are 1: Convenient 2: good looking and 3: an extra protection (if you put the right stuff in it (no hard parts).
They're only 39 GBP  so also not a big deal if they get damaged.