What You Should Know About Putting a Crash Bar on your Motorcycle

So, you’re thinking about getting a crash bar for your Harley motorcycle. Before you start shopping, there are a few things for you to think about.

Let’s tap the brakes and take a deeper dive into motorcycle crash bars and why Advanblack may be the best solution for a crash bar for Harleys.  

What is a crash bar?

To put it simply, a motorcycle crash bar is metal tubing that surrounds the front part of your motorcycle’s frame. It sticks out from the bike frame on both sides, just past the rider’s legs. The idea is that the crash bar would protect the motorcycle in the event of an accident and more importantly, keep the bike from crushing the rider.

Crash bars are typically made of chrome, mild steel, stainless steel or aluminum. Advanblack’s Harley crash bars are made exclusively of steel alloy and usually are available in black or chrome finish.

Do motorcycle crash bars work?

As far as we know, no studies have been done that say a crash bar will protect you or your bike in the event of a serious accident. 

However, we do know anecdotally that a crash bar can protect your engine, fuel tank and body accessories from damage if you’re involved in a minor low-speed tip-over or if your bike falls over for some reason. And the crash bar can help keep the weight of the bike off the rider in the event of a tip-over. Lastly, the crash bar makes it easier for a rider and/or others to move the bike after an accident or lift it back on its tires.

So why do you want to put a crash bar on your bike? For most Harley owners, it’s about protection, as well as aesthetics. With our crash bars for Harleys, you’ll get a bit of both!

Is it easy to install a crash bar on my motorcycle?

If you have some basic skills with a wrench and screwdriver, the answer is yes. But there are a few other things to consider. First, make sure the Harley crash bar you want will actually fit your particular model/year. They are bike specific. All our crash bar website pages list the fitment for that particular crash bar.

If you find your bike model/year with the crash bar you want, then it will fit (If it doesn’t, reach out to us immediately, so we can make it right for you!). As usual, you can often find advice and help by joining our Facebook community and on our YouTube channel. 

How do I install the crash bar?

Installing the crash bar also comes with some caveats.  If you have auxiliary lights with dropdown turn signals on your soft tail bike, you must relocate the assembly if you want to install a full crash bar with new lower fairings. Mustache style crash bars will not work with lower fairings.

If you do have (or want to install) lower fairings on your new crash bar, there is more installation required, but it’s only a few clamps and bolts, depending on the lowers you have. If you don’t have lower fairings yet, put them on your wishlist. Our new lowers are awesome!

Before you get started, know that some crash bars, even OEM crash bars, often don’t fit the exact diameter specs of the bar. A little improvisation is sometimes required to install a couple of clamps, but it’s not a big deal.

If you currently have an older or mustache style crash bar, you’ll need to remove it. This requires a 9/16” wrench and a hex driver. You’ll just remove the bolts (including washers/nuts) on the bottom first, then remove the single bolt at the top. Take care not to let the old bar drop on your fender!

Slide the new crash bar into place and do the top bolt first. If you have big hands, it can be a tight squeeze, but you should be able to manage. Leave it a little loose, while you get the bottom bolts in place. Tighten from the bottom up, and then go back and retighten to make sure it’s tight.

That’s all there is to it. Your new crash bar is in place and good to go! Crash bars are one of our more common accessories. Harley riders love the look, the protection and the low cost.

If you want to install lower fairings to your new crash bar, you may want to check out this helpful video from Steve the Service Technician that shows how to install both the crash bar as well as the lowers on a Softail.  

Advanblack has crash bars for most Softail and Touring models, so order yours today!