MC Enterprises Concours Canyon Cage Discussion

[Necron99]

I dig it, can't wait!

[SANDPSYCHO]

Maybe it's the picture but the lower bar looks like it has a tighter bend (which looks good) then the top bar and it doesn't look Parallel. Also the top bar attaching just or partly above the bolt through tube looks odd. If it where just a bit lower and attached to that tube with the bolt it might look like it belongs there. I'm glad you got your way, I would have never bought the prior "final design."

[maxtog]

I agree based on bars that stand out so much from the color behind (like the mockups against a black bike), but I believe this will disappear (or at least, be less noticeable) with bars that more match the color of the plastic lowers that are behind it. Black bars will blend better with the dark lowers. It's a compromise, but I can live with it on my bike.

People keep saying that, but that is only true for the black or dark bikes.  On the lighter bikes, like my silver, they are not going to disappear if they are black.  Quite the contrary.   Before, when it was mostly above the black areas, chrome or silver bars would have blended very well, overall.  Now that it is lower, much more of it is across the bottom black fairing, making a silver/chrome bar much more visible down low.  And trying to have multicolor will look freaky in other ways.  So I can't quite "win" with any color, although I do believe matching the upper fairing would be more important.

This is one reason I am nowhere near as happy as before, about it being moved down.  Of course, it is irrelevant... if it needs to be lower to protect things, then that has to happen.  I am just trying to point out that for some of us, the bars are not going to magically disappear, so the aesthetic design is more important than for some other people.

[maxtog]

Anyhow, here is MY revised bar.  [...] What do you guys think?

It is a definite improvement.  It might be a trick of the angle of the photograph, but to me it still looks like the top bar is not perfectly parallel to the bottom.  The top bar is set at the correct angle to match the vents and should not be moved.  It APPEARS that the bottom bar has to come up just a bit in the rear, and the top bar vertical leg has to be shortened just a bit to make the parallel.   Again, it could be an optical illusion..... 

Tell me I am wrong and I *might* believe you...

[maxtog]

Maybe it's the picture but the lower bar looks like it has a tighter bend (which looks good) then the top bar and it doesn't look Parallel. Also the top bar attaching just or partly above the bolt through tube looks odd. If it where just a bit lower and attached to that tube with the bolt it might look like it belongs there. I'm glad you got your way, I would have never bought the prior "final design."

Yep, I agree with your analysis on it not being parallel enough; although, as I pointed out in my last post, it could be an optical illusion.  Of course, even if it is an optical illusion, if we can see it, then it looks that way, regardless of actual measurements... so it is a bit disturbing.  If it really is wrong, I assume it could be corrected without affecting protection.

I also agree (and said before) that my preference would be for the front/bottom mounting point to meet at the intersection of the two bars.  It would be more attractive and less distracting that being a little below the intersection.  Unfortunately, they might not have much choice there.... The engine mount is where it is.   I assume the only way to FORCE them to meet would mean the top bar would have to be even less "tall", resulting in a more squished rectangle, not sure how the resulting setup would look (just can't picture it). 

EDIT:  I performed a vector analysis of the photograph and confirmed they are not parallel in the picture.   This just proves we are not crazy in what we see, but it does not mean they are not parallel in reality.

[Caffeinated]

It looks like the top bar may just be sitting in place, and not tacked on, so it may have moved or just be a representation on how it will look. Once welded it would be parallel? Just guessing...

Much better then that last round though.

I also have a silver bike, and think the black bars would ultimately look the best, since the bottom bar would blend onto the black lowers. I'll just have to deal with black color slowing the bike down

[gPink]

I think when they get the '08/09 ready, I'll get them bare and split the paint silver/flat black to blend with the bike.

[GordonM]

Ryan you are the man!  Thanks for sticking up for us.  I like what you have.

One thing you might try is to raise the 2nd bar up a little to allow for a little larger tilted rectangle as shown in picture B.  To me it would visually look like the bar would protect a little more, also raising the 2nd bar up away from all the angle changes happening between the vane angles and the beginning of the black fairing piece and raises the radius up into cleaner territory to relate to upper radius of the fairing vent opening.  The Concours is a pretty large bike and the larger tilted rectangle is more proportional to the Concours.  That's just me, what does everybody else think?

Black is the color for me.  My MCE crash bars take alot of abuse in my garage and scratches are easy to take care of with a little black spray paint and a paint brush and it looks just great for a minimal exspense.  My concours is for riding I don't like to polish chrome when I can be riding.

Gordon

[10ecjazzman]

I am new here. I have been reading or 'trolling' this forum for about a year before I got my C-14. Opinions expressed on this forum helped me decide to finally pull the trigger on the Connie and I couldn't be happier. That said.. I like the design of the bar and  the process everyone has been a part of...but Geez! If you do intend to please everybody , I'll be over on the Hoveround Forum picking out crash bars before this thing hits the street! Let's be honest ; not one of those designs looks better than no bar at all. We are riders. Sometimes we fall. It can be expensive. There are no perfect solutions when your bike has fallen and can't get up! Thanks again Ryan, but don't get fired!

[ZG]

Let's be honest ; not one of those designs looks better than no bar at all.

Not once you drop her once bro... 
 
Welcome to the forum 10! 

[Zulu]

Ryan,   
         
         Just to get some pressure off your shoulders. You can keep the bike until May before Mother Day. Got to take the Mama out for her weekend on the bike. That way you can have something we all like and want.  I ratter wait a little longer . Than getting her back and  not liking/wanting the final product. Everything done slowly is always better. The more input  and feedback the better  it will be.

[maxtog]

One thing you might try is to raise the 2nd bar up a little to allow for a little larger tilted rectangle as shown in picture B.  To me it would visually look like the bar would protect a little more, also raising the 2nd bar up away from all the angle changes happening between the vane angles and the beginning of the black fairing piece and raises the radius up into cleaner territory to relate to upper radius of the fairing vent opening.  The Concours is a pretty large bike and the larger tilted rectangle is more proportional to the Concours.  That's just me, what does everybody else think?

Oooh, that is a tough one.   On one hand, the larger rectangle balances well on the large Concours.  It also better centers the lower mounting point.  On the other hand, the smaller the rectangle, the less visible/obtuse.  After staring at both for a while, I could go either way- I am hard pressed to have a preference for one over the other.

[Son of Pappy]

Zulu, awesome and so generous.  Thanks!!!

Ryan when it comes time for gen one bikes I'd like to see #8 the focus, our lines are more angular and #8 just looked bad a$$.

[ZG]

Zulu, awesome and so generous.  Thanks!!!

+1... Awesome bro! 

[OregonLAN]

Not once you drop her once bro... 
 
Welcome to the forum 10! 

I'm on the fence with crash bars. On one hand, they serve a general purpose for protection. On the other, they ruin the sleek/sexy styling of a sport touring bike.

Dropping my bike isn't guaranteed to happen, but if it does, a quick call to my insurance company would fix everything. I have major accident forgiveness, so it's not even going to increase my insurance rates. Not only that, if I find used parts to replace the damaged ones with, I could likely have the entire bike repainted a color of my choice. PPG has some AMAZING colors to choose from that are much nicer than the Kawasaki colors...

[ZG]

I'm on the fence with crash bars. On one hand, they serve a general purpose for protection. On the other, they ruin the sleek/sexy styling of a sport touring bike.

Dropping my bike isn't guaranteed to happen, but if it does, a quick call to my insurance company would fix everything.

zero $ deductable? 

[Zulu]

No problem just doing my part . Taking one for the team .  :)Maybe Ryan might be able to have 08/09 bike in the shop. And compare both bike cage set up.  During that time.

[OregonLAN]

zero $ deductable? 

$100.00, but a night out at PF Changs costs me more than that.

[Zulu]

I work for a towing company. And see a lot of  dropped bikes. And most insurance companies. Just total out the bike. Just for some fairing damage . 

[OregonLAN]

I work for a towing company. And see a lot of  dropped bikes. And most insurance companies. Just total out the bike. Just for some fairing damage .

Yeah, lazy insurance adjusters are pretty quick to cut a check if the vehicle is less than $10K.

In Oregon you can take your vehicle to ANY repair shop that you want. This prevents the insurance adjuster from being lazy and writing off the vehicle. In most cases, if the insurance company receives a repair bill that's less, they will opt to repair the bike rather than write it off.