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Posted by Pete
- February 06, 2017, 07:43:37 AMPerhaps lost in translation - but the comment on driving on the left was meant to be light-hearted.
Posted by mittico68
- February 06, 2017, 07:36:39 AMQuote from: Pete on February 06, 2017, 02:41:26 AMAND, it's not the English who drive on the wrong side of the road. Up until Napoleon everybody drove on the left, a standard inherited from the Roman Empire who decreed it so. Driving on the left traces its roots back to warfare involving mounted troops and the use of chariots. You guys only drive on the right because you choose to follow a pointless change instigated by a megalomaniac midget Frenchman.
Cool down...
I was just kiddin'...
Now I could talk about the english sense of humor AND how much your disappoint is so far from it, BUT I won't do it, because I don't wanna hijack this thread.
Ride safe.
Posted by Pete
- February 06, 2017, 04:24:26 AMHi Retrorider,
Perhaps it is a tolerance thing and some bikes are a problem and some not. I wasn't trying to swing it up into position. I tried every which way to fit the crash bar including a bit of brute force, but ultimately the top bracket is thicker than the gap behind the steering lock as you can see in the photo that I posted - you can see why I had to grind some metal away. The bars could not be fitted without modification; I sent the photos to the chap that made them and he agreed that they wouldn't fit.
If you have a painted crashbar it's not great problem, is h=just requires a bit of metal removal and a paint touch-up.
Posted by kw-retrorider
- February 06, 2017, 04:06:44 AMAll: I have a 2002 with the same locking set up in Pete's picture. I had the Belgium engine guard on my machine for two seasons, didn't have to make a modification to get it on, and had it on and off more than once.
What I do remember is that you had to put it on the machine in a certain order....and that was to attach it at the top first loosely, then muscle it to the bottom bolts on each side, loosely....then tighten everything up at the same time. That means you are not swinging the top in last to meet the lock interference after the bottom bolts are in....you get the top bolts attached loose, then swing in the bottom. The guard comes with no instructions, so the first time I tried to fit it, I wondered why it didn't seem to fit...then I altered the order of the install.
Only mod was the drilling the holes further down the bracket for the horn, which made the install cleaner with no interferences.
If you blow the attached photo up, you can see the 2 securing bolts on top separate from the 2 lower horn bolts and the locking cylinder in front of them both.
Posted by Pete
- February 06, 2017, 02:41:26 AMMy understanding is that the "C" models have the steering lock in the headstock (bolt locking into a hole in the stem) and the "E" models have the steering lock on the frame (bolt locking into the lower yoke; i.e. it's an age related feature, not a country related feature.
AND, it's not the English who drive on the wrong side of the road. Up until Napoleon everybody drove on the left, a standard inherited from the Roman Empire who decreed it so. Driving on the left traces its roots back to warfare involving mounted troops and the use of chariots. You guys only drive on the right because you choose to follow a pointless change instigated by a megalomaniac midget Frenchman.
Posted by mittico68
- February 06, 2017, 01:38:13 AMMy bike (a '99 800) also has got its lock mounted on the frame, behind the triple tree.
Englishmen always try to be different, such as for the driver's side of roads, steering locks, etc. ... lol...
Posted by CDNRatMan
- February 05, 2017, 21:40:25 PM 
ok so the UK bikes are different then? See Pete you folks are special......lol.......say hi to Uncle Malcolm when you see him....
Posted by greenbarn
- February 05, 2017, 21:19:20 PMMine is a 2002. Honestly I did not know so I went out to the shop to look. It is mounted on the frame, just behind the triple tree. The lug on the lower tripe tree locks into it.
Posted by CDNRatMan
- February 05, 2017, 13:25:01 PMHi Pete, I never knew that so today I learned something, but is that change in the lock also include the UK and US models or only the UK models? GreenBarn where is the steering lock on your 800?
Posted by Pete
- February 05, 2017, 12:04:56 PMThere is a small problem fitting the crashbar shown by Ratman (Hi Ratman, how are you?).
The later bikes have a steering lock fitted to the frame, the locking bolt sliding into a boss on the underside of the lower yoke. The steering lock prevents that crashbar being a simple bolt-in.
I fitted this crashbar to my 2002 VN800 by using an angle-grinder to put a groove into the plate that forms the top part of the crashbar. The groove is required to clear a boss on the steering lock. The groove only needs to be about half the thickness of the plate, not a slot all the way through. Without putting a groove in the plate the crashbar will not fit a later bike.
The crashbar fits the early bikes that have the steering lock in the headstock and does not require any modification.
Posted by CDNRatMan
- February 04, 2017, 15:36:17 PM here was me thinking when you said exchange rate was in his favor was because MD had its own currency.....
Posted by kw-retrorider
- February 04, 2017, 13:12:28 PMGrinnell: Send you a PM. Exchange rate in your favor. Cheaper to order new.
Posted by kw-retrorider
- February 03, 2017, 03:32:31 AMGrinnell: The engine guard I have, like the one ratman has, is an aftermarket part. I had it on my machine until I found a black factory engine guard.
So the aftermarket guard is extra now. Has some minor scratches from dropping the bike on it once in the garage; but is drilled for the horn as described by ratman. There's a string on the forum here somewhere when I originally did it.
Don't have to sell it and you know you can buy a new one from overseas in either black or chrome; but will send you a PM after I work up a price this weekend.
Posted by CDNRatMan
- February 01, 2017, 17:21:52 PMWell if you have the stock exhaust then no need to grampsize yet. That can come later. Start to look for the parts you want and collect them...lol......
Posted by grinnell
- February 01, 2017, 17:17:11 PMStock exhaust for now. I am trying to figure out all the "must have" goodies I want while still remaining married 
I also have a 4 month old (our first) at home so my riding is strictly a commodity at this point but I got the bug pretty quickly. I looked/convinced my wife for 3 years before finding the exact drifter I wanted but it didn't have any of the add on's I wanted ie: bags, windshield, crash bar, gramp size mods, etc. I even sold a prized 1989 Jag XJ6 w/ 33k original miles to finance my endeavor and kicked some extra into the kidos college fund. The bike I settled on did have the right color-black/cream, zambini indian badges, clean, and only had 1,800 miles. Was a original mid 70's owner that just didn't ride anymore so I have exactly the bones of a bike I want just trying to budget out the rest.