Ok, so it took me long enough but I've finally found the time to post my experience installing the R&G Racing Frame Sliders I scored from Jerry at The Pirates' Lair ($125). Some might not like the idea of sliders and associate them with training wheels while others may cringe at the thought of drilling through the Tupperware panels. All I can say is that after dropping the bike while standing still in my office parking lot, I wasn't ever again going to pony up the cost of fixing and re-painting the panel, not to mention the down time for repair. I'll also be the first to state that I anticipate these sliders to only be effective in a similar tipover and not a crash at any speed. If I'm still alive after a high speed getoff it's time to order a K1300GT.

While the kit comes with a fairly decent one page set of instructions I thought I'd share my install as I ran in to a few gotchas. As always, I don't encourage you to reenact the same insipid errors I did. Read the instructions first, take your time, use the correct tools, and send the wife and kids out to a movie.

First off, here's a shot of the frame slider for the left side of the bike. Slider, bolt, and spacer are shown:
[IMG][/IMG]

Simply remove the Tupperware panel and black styrofoam engine piece underneath. I tried looking up this black piece of styrofoam on Max BMW's site for the "official" name but couldn't find it. Sue me. Those of you who work on your bike know what I'm talking about.

Look for the two M10 engine to frame bolts (now visible with the styrofoam part out of the way) and remove the top bolt & aluminum spacer. Re-use the washer and slide it on to the R&G engine bolt that comes in the kit. Using a torque wrench, snug down the new engine bolt so it's tight but don't snap it off half way inside the engine like I did! The instructions don't mention a torque spec. Hey, use a little common sense here!

Here's a shot of the new upper engine bolt in place:
[IMG][/IMG]

The kit comes with a sharp scribe that screws in to the new engine bolt we just installed (and didn't break off...) that is used to make a mark inside the Tupperware where you want to begin drilling a pilot hole. Here's a pic with the scribe in place:
[IMG][/IMG]

I put some 3M blue masking tape on both sides of the fairing approximately in the area of where the bolt hole will be drilled. Simply put the Tupperware back in to position and mark the inside of the panel with the point of the scribe. What could be easier, eh?

Now here's where I took a left turn from the supplied instructions and did my own thing. According to R&G Racing, you're supposed to throw caution to the wind and attack your fairing with a 28mm hole saw and pray to all things good & right in the world that it lines up correctly. Huh? I don't think so, pal. I'd like to first ascertain whether the feisty Brit who penned these install instructions has ever priced out a side panel for a GT. Secondly, as I measured the black cylindrical spacer (see first pic way above) 28mm was way too large a hole in my opinion. I wasn't too keen on introducing any unsightly gaps around the spacer. I'm also drilling on my brand new GT for cryin' out loud and want to keep things to a minimum. Sayin'?

So I nutted up and drilled a small 5/16" pilot hole where the mark was made. I unscrewed the scribe and reinstalled the fairing. I then used a small screwdriver to ensure my pilot hole lined up with the engine bolt which it did. Next I drilled a slightly larger hole that was big enough to accommodate the long bolt that mounts the slider to the bike (again, see pic #1 above). From here I slid the black spacer on the long bolt and used that to trace out the larger hole that needed to be made. Here's a picture of what I mean:
[IMG][/IMG]

And a picture with the lined up spacer traced out. I'm no damn art major so cut me some slack here!
[IMG][/IMG]

Now we're getting somewhere. With the correct size spacer hole aligned and traced I was ready to make the final cuts. Instead of using the aforementioned hole saw (barbaric in my opinion) I reached for the variable speed Proxxon tool (the German equivalent of a Dremel) and took my time wallerin' out the hole until it was the perfect size. I wanted it nice and snug with no gaps.

Finally, logic will dictate the need to also "waller" out the hole on the black styrofoam piece to accept the larger engine bolt as well as spacer. Obviously you gotta use your Dremel tool on both sides of the black piece. I leave this terribly difficult part of the install up to you. Here's a pic (a poor one, I agree) showing the front of the black styrofoam piece after customizing:
[IMG][/IMG]

Put the styrofoam part back on, button up the side panel, and finally install your frame slider. Pretty easy all in all. I didn't take a final pic of the bike as everyone knows what these things look like, besides Jerry's posted one over on his site. I'm tired and need to get back to work anyway.

Hope this helps someone out there,

David

waller: origin; Texas. Used first by good old boys needing to make any aperture larger, usually accompanied by far too much force and the use of incorrect tools. Verify with Grif if necessary.

This is extremely helpful as I am seriously debating whether to buy some or not.
Any pictures with them fitted to your bike ?

Hello fellow K Bikers...'couldnt help myself. I posted this a while ago on the 'other' K Bike site. I couldn't resist a cut-paste-repost...
so here we go again...

******..Let me get this straight. Drill holes in a $500.00 piece of plastic so that I won't damage said piece of plastic??? WTF?
Sorry, but I think I will take the chances on the drop, and replace as required (hopefully not) to keep the look I bought.
I realize we all say a drop will never happen, but really, if I wanted bumpers I would have bought a ST1300........
..my .02 cents...
Kbikeinbc 07K1200GT
Crystal Grey Met*************************

Stay safe all...

http://piratesk12site.net/img607.jpg

I want to see pictures of how effective these things are. You need to go out and knock it over and get some pics up please.

I'd be worried that instead of the $500 plastic get mushed up, that the #8 bolt they use might just punch through the $10K engine casing on a simple drop?

We need you to go test the sliders now.


Mack

Looks like the GT sliders attach to the same point on the frame/engine that the K1200r sliders attach.

There's been a number of us KR riders that have 'tested' frame sliders to some degree or other. (look for Joker's post about 5 entries down in this post)
http://www.k-bikes.com/forums/showt...highlight=crash

From personal experience - wouldn't leave home without em.

__________________
Mike

06 Yellow KR
02 Z-Rex (Green of course)

Yeah....seems to me BMW would offer them if it was safe to put them there.

__________________
'04 GT...Orient Blue...Staintune...Ohlins...Power Commander

It's a bummer you can't use them as highway pegs after all!

Maybe we can find a way to fill them with a few spare ounces of Deep Creep for our next parking lot ICD quick fix...

__________________
'07 BMW K1200GT
'06 Ducati Classic Sport 1000 Monoposto
K7 GSX-R 1000
"Oh, somewhere deep inside of these bones, an emptiness began to grow. There's something out there, far from my home, a longing that I've never known..."

In the HoW under "Customization" + "Frame and body". Thanks, mang.

__________________
-=grif=-
What was that middle thang?

Excellent report and a good job. I would make one recommendation however.

I understand why you made the hole smaller so that you do not see any gaps but do see a problem with that. As you installed these due to a zero MPH tipover and want to keep the panels safe if this happens again, think about this. In a zero MPH tipover there is a high possibility that the bolt on the slider will bend. It is designed this way. If it bends and there is no clearance at the hole for it to move, it will probably crack your side panel and you will be in just as bad of shape as if you did not even have a slider there.

Just some food for thought.

Marc

__________________
02 K1200RS (Silver Guppy), Whizzer, Mini Chopper, 06 KTM 450EXC, 96 XR600R (White Night), 89 GB500 (Tourist Trophy), 84 R80RT, 73 Norton Commando
http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b327/lomaxcm/?sc=3