New Cowl Protectors!

SonnyD · Post by **SonnyD** » Sat Sep 14, 2013 2:43 pm

Decided to go the Cowl protector route.... My local Awesome shop had them in stock so i didn't even have to order them... I would have actually preferred black, but I already had the Chrome rack....so I went the chrome way.... Sure looks different then it did when I bought it in May...Still as Happy now as I was then.......

cyclewhitman · Post by **cyclewhitman** » Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:16 pm

Scooter looks great! I put some cowls on mine a week or so ago and am less worried about getting knocked by a car. I originally installed them with the foot pegs but took the pegs off after one day of finding myself constantly having to work my feet around them. How are they working for you?

I have a question about those mirrors from your handlebar ends. Where did you get them? How good are they? Are they easy to install? I'm constantly having to tighten my mirrors (not bar end mirrors) because of the windscreen that I have installed. The vibration just loosens the mirrors, so I carry a wrench with me to tighten them at stop lights. I'd love something that can either keep the mirrors more firmly in place or moved some place else.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:30 pm

Good looking cowl bars. I have the passenger pegs on mine, and I don't find that they interfere, but that's just me.

This thread will get you started with bar-end mirrors. You can either get expensive folding mirrors or cheapie s on eBay (as I did):

viewtopic.php?t=4495

cyclewhitman · Post by **cyclewhitman** » Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:33 pm

Thanks for the heads up about the thread. I'm looking at it now. I'm not as mechanically inclined as I may need to be to install them myself. But wow, they look great with those amazing new grips! I love the way it looks.

SonnyD · Post by **SonnyD** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:43 am

Yeah, that's one of the best looking scoots I've ever seen...the Grips are just awesome...... I got mine off of Ebay....less then 20.00 to my door. Decent quality. I've spent almost 200 a pair in the past for my regular bikes...but for 20 bucks I have no complaint. They stay in adjustment unless they get bumped, but no biggie. Install is a bit of trial and error. Just have to make sure nothing like the throttle tube or grip contacts it, and turns it, and that the throttle returns quickly to it's stop.
The passenger pegs are kind of in my way. I've got a short inseam, and my legs hit them when I try to back up and stuff. I may take them off, I just haven't decided yet... Thanks for the replies guys.....

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 2:00 pm

That is a blinged-out buddy!

.

I hated the passenger pegs, so mine sit in a box. The cowl protectors have saved me some damage in high winds and a wipeout, enjoy.

Danielm · Post by **Danielm** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 4:22 pm

Anyone know of have pictures of an Oxford green 170 with the chrome or black cowl protectors? I've been trying to decide what color to go with but can't find any images online with but colors to compare.

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 4:45 pm

If you are using the cowl protectors along with the rear rack, I highly recommend replacing the default bolts with longer ones from the hardware store. Between the two devices, and all the washers, they only can bite into the holes on the frame like, a half a centimeter. At one point, mine just got ripped right out.

SonnyD · Post by **SonnyD** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:47 am

ed85379 wrote:If you are using the cowl protectors along with the rear rack, I highly recommend replacing the default bolts with longer ones from the hardware store. Between the two devices, and all the washers, they only can bite into the holes on the frame like, a half a centimeter. At one point, mine just got ripped right out.

Hmmm, nice to know.....maybe they made a change, mine probably had a 1/4" or more in length.. I did read about some bolt problems people mentioned, but mine seemed plenty long... Thanks for the heads up, I'll keep watch on them. I will probably remove the passenger pegs, they bump my calves when I'm wheeling it around...more in the way then anything else....

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:52 am

SonnyD wrote:
ed85379 wrote:If you are using the cowl protectors along with the rear rack, I highly recommend replacing the default bolts with longer ones from the hardware store. Between the two devices, and all the washers, they only can bite into the holes on the frame like, a half a centimeter. At one point, mine just got ripped right out.
Hmmm, nice to know.....maybe they made a change, mine probably had a 1/4" or more in length.. I did read about some bolt problems people mentioned, but mine seemed plenty long... Thanks for the heads up, I'll keep watch on them. I will probably remove the passenger pegs, they bump my calves when I'm wheeling it around...more in the way then anything else....

1/4" is about a half a centimeter. That isn't enough to withstand much sideways pressure. They can get popped right out of there if they are even slightly loose, if you go over a big enough bump, and have anything even halfway into the supposed weight allowance for the rear rack.

I went through hell after that. The holes were stripped. So I went and bought a manual bore-thing, to make new threads at a larger size. The stupid thing then broke off, right in the damn hole, and was then impossible to remove.

I ended up having to bring it to a mechanic, who drilled them out and welded in a couple of nuts in place. I then made sure to put in much longer bolts.

Don't go through what I went through. Get longer bolts.

SonnyD · Post by **SonnyD** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 10:49 am

Actually what I meant was.....once they threaded into the nuts.....they were still extended about 1/4" above the two brackets. About 6 full turns of my wrench...which should be pretty much to the point of extending all the way through the nuts.... I'll double check them again.......Thanks

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 12:36 pm

SonnyD wrote:Actually what I meant was.....once they threaded into the nuts.....they were still extended about 1/4" above the two brackets. About 6 full turns of my wrench...which should be pretty much to the point of extending all the way through the nuts.... I'll double check them again.......Thanks

You're missing my point. Simply covering the length of the threads themselves is not enough, when considering how powerful of a lever effect can have on them, and how flexible any metal can be from a sudden impact. You want the end of the bolt to be well beyond the bottom of the short distance of threads.

Maybe I'm just being a nag, and what happened to me has never happened to anyone else before.

SonnyD · Post by **SonnyD** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 3:14 pm

Yeah, I understand about the bolt length if you are not all the way through the nut. I've never had a problem with a bolt that has its threads all the way through the nut. Now in my experience, if a bolt or nut starts stripping, it really didn't matter how long the bolt was, as long as it was all the through, once started it would come all the way out, even ones that protruded 2 inches through the nut. I will never put my feet on those pegs, and I don't carry passengers, so I think I'll be fine. But Thanks

cyclewhitman · Post by **cyclewhitman** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 1:11 pm

On a related note, when I installed my cowl protectors with the rack, I had a heck of a time getting the bolts in and it all lined up. Now I'm thinking maybe if the bolts were longer, they would have grabbed more easily. I'm going to explore this.

However, when installing it all, I noticed that on the right side of the seat, the material was starting to wear away. I bought the scooter over a month ago and had them transfer the rack I had on the old scooter to this new one. I wonder if the install was not done well enough. When I close the seat, I'm careful not to let it rub, but it is closer to the right side of the rack than the left. Do I need to reinstall the rack and cowls (given what I said above about the pain in the neck it was the first time) or do I need to do something else? Scooterworks, where I bought the scoot, is very open to giving me a new seat for free, and I'm going to take them up on it. I am going also to buy a seat cover from Cheeky Seats and want to get this figured out before so the seat cover does not get ruined.

Any help? Are pictures needed to see what I mean or have others experienced this? Thanks!

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 1:42 pm

cyclewhitman wrote:On a related note, when I installed my cowl protectors with the rack, I had a heck of a time getting the bolts in and it all lined up. Now I'm thinking maybe if the bolts were longer, they would have grabbed more easily. I'm going to explore this.

However, when installing it all, I noticed that on the right side of the seat, the material was starting to wear away. I bought the scooter over a month ago and had them transfer the rack I had on the old scooter to this new one. I wonder if the install was not done well enough. When I close the seat, I'm careful not to let it rub, but it is closer to the right side of the rack than the left. Do I need to reinstall the rack and cowls (given what I said above about the pain in the neck it was the first time) or do I need to do something else? Scooterworks, where I bought the scoot, is very open to giving me a new seat for free, and I'm going to take them up on it. I am going also to buy a seat cover from Cheeky Seats and want to get this figured out before so the seat cover does not get ruined.

Any help? Are pictures needed to see what I mean or have others experienced this? Thanks!

It should be exactly the same on both sides. If not, then something was definitely installed wrong.

While I'm here, a couple more things I learned from how my dealer poorly installed mine originally:

Make *SURE* to use the rubber washer on the center bolt that comes with the rear rack. The center support kept breaking on the rear racks. Went through 2 of them before I installed the 3rd one myself, with the rubber washer for shock absorption.

It is also important to use locking washers on the sides. Mine kept shaking loose. I can't really blame the dealership for not putting those on though, because with the original bolts, they weren't really long enough to have another washer in there. (Another reason to get longer bolts)

cyclewhitman · Post by **cyclewhitman** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 1:53 pm

Thanks for the help. I guess I have to take it apart and try again. Argh!

cyclewhitman · Post by **cyclewhitman** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 1:55 pm

Just so I don't make multiple trips to the hardware store, how long a bolt did you use?

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 2:22 pm

cyclewhitman wrote:Just so I don't make multiple trips to the hardware store, how long a bolt did you use?

I didn't look for a specific length. I took the original to the hardware store with me, and just looked for one with the same size head, and the same thread, which was at least 1/4" longer. But it all goes into a hollow tube, so you can get as long as you want. It wasn't even that easy finding the right thing. I had to go to 3 different stores before I found one of the right length, that didn't have a big area under the head without any thread.

cyclewhitman · Post by **cyclewhitman** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:20 am

I went to 5 hardware stores and no luck finding the right size bolt. At the last store they suggested I go to an automotive parts store. I'll give it a go this weekend, but any suggestions? I found them online (the size is M8x1.25x60mm) button socket screw but you have to buy them in bulk.

I found one with a hex head and bought them but they are big and can ruin the seat because they touch. So the trade off is secure rack for a possible torn seat or safe seat and potential wobbly rack. As I said above, I have to reposition the rack and cowl bars anyway but really want to get this right.

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:25 am

cyclewhitman wrote:I went to 5 hardware stores and no luck finding the right size bolt. At the last store they suggested I go to an automotive parts store. I'll give it a go this weekend, but any suggestions? I found them online (the size is M8x1.25x60mm) button socket screw but you have to buy them in bulk.

I found one with a hex head and bought them but they are big and can ruin the seat because they touch. So the trade off is secure rack for a possible torn seat or safe seat and potential wobbly rack. As I said above, I have to reposition the rack and cowl bars anyway but really want to get this right.

Wow, really? I ended up finding what I needed at Home Depot. Did you only try dinky little neighborhood hardware stores? I mean, seriously, it should be a standard thread and size. I have hex head bolts myself, standard 0.5", I think. I forgot that the originals used alan-wrenches. They've never hit the seat on mine.

cyclewhitman · Post by **cyclewhitman** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:28 am

I went to HD first. Then to some others that are pretty big. All had hex heads, which is why I just decided to get some. Yours don't hit the seat? I think I need to play with the position of this all. Maybe this can work. I'll give it a go.

Yeah, the original ones are not hex head and have a rounded button shape. That way it clears the seat easily.

SonnyD · Post by **SonnyD** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:30 am

My bolts were plenty long...It's hard if you tighten one down before installing the one on the other side though...I blocked the scoot with my body and had to pull a little to get the hole to line up..I just pulled till the bolt dropped down. It didn't take a lot. None of those pieces are that precise though, if they just get dropped during shipment or where ever it can tweak them a bit....Mine is close to the seat on each side, but they don't touch.....

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:38 am

Here are shots of mine

cyclewhitman · Post by **cyclewhitman** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:41 am

Thanks for the pics. That is so helpful. I'm going to give it another try and stop the goose chase for the button socket screws for now.

SonnyD · Post by **SonnyD** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 11:11 am

Her's mine with the screws that came with it.....