Frame mounted skid plate to go with Altrider crash bars

[Didg]

Anyone know how compatible the Rumbux and ACD skid plates are with Altrider crash bars?

I did consider the Rideon but customs duty and postage to the UK would unfortunately make it WAY too expensive.
I want a frame mounted plate which as far as I can tell just leaves the Rumbux and ACD.

Providing both will fit, is there anything else I should consider between the two?

 

[avc8130]

Anyone know how compatible the Rumbux and ACD skid plates are with Altrider crash bars?

I did consider the Rideon but customs duty and postage to the UK would unfortunately make it WAY too expensive.
I want a frame mounted plate which as far as I can tell just leaves the Rumbux and ACD.

Providing both will fit, is there anything else I should consider between the two?

The ACD doesn't use the mounts for the crash bars on the sides and plenty of guys have run the combination.

No issues with my Givi and my ACD.

ac

 

[EricV]

What AC said on the ACD with AltRider. No issues.

The Rumbux will require some modification to fit with the AltRider crash bars. They share the upper front mounting point, and while Rumbux re-uses the oem lower radiator mount, AltRider has the lower radiator mount on the crash bars, eliminating the oem mount, which is part of the oem drop protector on that side.

Some different methods have been used to make the Rumbux/AltRider fit. One involved some pretty in depth cutting and welding. Another was more just grinding some relief. I have not personally seen any of these mods and it's hard to take pictures when they are on the bike that really show what was done.

I suppose it comes down to how handy you are, and if you want to go to the effort. I realize the Rumbux upper crash bars are a bit more industrial, but they are designed to bolt to the lower bash frame and the bike, and are one piece. The system is designed to act together to absorb impacts and spread the force across the entire system, not just take the hit on one side of the bars or one mounting point. This does make it very strong and it protects the bike very well. That said, the AltRider stuff is far from junk, it's very high quality too. Just a different take on protection and not as integrated as the Rumbux.

 

[Berg_Donk]

The HB one works for me, its frame mounted, not as heavy duty as the above, but no issues with the Altrider bars. I also fitted a HB water pump guard and it fits OK too.

 

[ejy712]

I have the ACD skid plate and AltRider crash bars. They work well together. It's a bit of a PITA at oil change time because you have to undo both the skid plate and crash bars. I am working on installing studs instead of using bolts. Should make oil changes a lot easier. That said this is a good combination...

 

[Red dust]

Acd & Altrider works fine together. But took me some time to re install both of them after removed them for a service (no need to remove the crash bars completely for oil change but did it anyway, will not do that again!) due to in experience and a thumb in the middle of the hand, does not make it easier to lift the crash bars by yourself either. Love the looks with this combo.

 

[Didg]

EricV, I already have the Altrider crash bars fitted so I wouldn't consider the Rumbux crash bars.

I was thinking that in order to not have to remove the crash bars for an oil / filter change, the Rumbux skid plate would need to mount on the outside of the crash bar mount where the drop protectors were. Or mount on the inside with a spacer used on the rear crash bar mounting holes.
If this is not the case and cutting / welding is needed then the ACD would be the way to go especially if there are no compatibility issues with the ACD.

 

[EricV]

The Rumbux kit is a three part system, Upper crash bars, lower bash frame and skid plate. In other words, once mounted, even as a 2-piece kit, (lower bash frame and skid plate), with your AltRider crash bars, only the skid plate needs to be removed for an oil change. It's 6 bolts. The lower bash frame doesn't need to be removed for any service, including valve adjustments.

The ACD skid plate is a bit more of a pain to remove for oil changes, just by it's more complex shape. That's part of the beauty of the Rumbux lower bash frame, you get the steel tubing to protect things and the 4.5 aluminum skid plate is bolted to that, so it's very quick and easy to do oil changes, but you still have excellent protection.

 

[snakebitten]

My Rumbux are kin to my RanchHand Truck stuff. Nothing real dainty or artistic about the stuff. Just logical robust cage protection.

The ACD plate is both stout AND art. Kinda makes me want to see what would be out there if the F350 was common in Europe.

 

[Didg]

That's part of the beauty of the Rumbux lower bash frame, you get the steel tubing to protect things and the 4.5 aluminum skid plate is bolted to that, so it's very quick and easy to do oil changes, but you still have excellent protection.

Ah, I didn't realise that, that's very handy and would make it my prefered choice IF I can get it to fit with the Altrider crash bars. :-\

 

[EricV]

Didg - If you're the Nigel that recently contacted Rumbux with that question... PM me or respond to my email and I'll look into shipping to the UK, but it gets spendy fast on large light items that get billed as dimensional weight. There are some options.

 

[Didg]

Didg - If you're the Nigel that recently contacted Rumbux with that question... PM me or respond to my email and I'll look into shipping to the UK, but it gets spendy fast on large light items that get billed as dimensional weight. There are some options.

Thanks for the email Eric.
So it's the radiator mount that makes it so complicated, I now understand the need for welding / grinding.

So others on the forum know, the left hand oem drop guard has a radiator mount on it. The drop guard is retained with the Rumbux skid plate but replaced with the Altrider crash bars which has a rad mount built onto it. That's more work than I want to take on.

I like my Altrider crash bars a lot and don't want to change them so I will go with the ACD.

Thanks all for the advice and info. ::008::

 

[snakebitten]

Hmmmm. Hey Eric, you know I run the Rumbux lower protection with the cheaper Givi uppers.

Bolts right up. Made for each other. Is that because the Givi uppers don't interfere with the radiator mount? I ask because I got the Givi uppers long before I added the Rumbux lowers. What was holding my radiator?

I can't remember.

 

[scott123007]

EricV, Has Rumbux done a minor re-design of the lower engine guard for cornering clearance issues? If/when they do, it would be a good time to weld the skidplate mounting nuts to the lower guard.

 

[EricV]

EricV, Has Rumbux done a minor re-design of the lower engine guard for cornering clearance issues? If/when they do, it would be a good time to weld the skidplate mounting nuts to the lower guard.

No re-design. The reason being you would lose protection at the rear. There really is only the thickness of the 1" bar that you're losing in ground clearance and it's higher than most. Yes, it's possible to drag the Rumbux on the ground in a corner, but you're REALLY far over at that point. I do understand that so riders go there, but if that little bit of difference between dragging the Rumbux and dragging the panniers or shoving the right footpeg up against the frame is stopping someone from ordering Rumbux, it's probably not a bad thing. The issue is as much that you don't get the extra warning of a peg feeler as it is with hitting hard parts.

As to the nuts for the skid plate, Rumbux' opinion is that the bolt/nut combo is stronger and more flexible with less chance of being broken during impacts. The heavy duty clip nuts are an inexpensive solution for those that disagree. ;D

@SB - Did you remove the oem side protectors when you installed the Givi bars? The left side protector has the lower radiator mount as part of it. The Rumbux keeps that part in place. It should be easy to install the Givi bars over the top of the Rumbux and use the included spacers to keep things even. If you don't have the oem side protectors on the bike, there may not be anything holding the bottom of the radiator in place. It's not going to fall off, but it normally sits in a rubber grommet there. I haven't had a set of Givi crash bars in my hands and the pics all show the right side bar, not the left where the radiator is, so I am not positive what Givi does or does not do there.

 

[snakebitten]

I just looked. The Givi has a tab welded to it with a hole for that Radiator location point. I had just forgotten. So yea, I had radiator support before I added the Rumbux lowers.

I posted a couple of years ago the pics that showed how the Rumbux installed very easily with the Givi. And yes, you just need a couple of spacers (washers) the thickness of the Rumbux tab to keep everything nice and even.

Love the setup!

And I don't lean near enough to be too concerned with clearance issues. But I also think the Ohlins kit front and back, support proper sag for my robust load. Thus, additional clearance is returned to me.

 

[Didg]

I just looked. The Givi has a tab welded to it with a hole for that Radiator location point. I had just forgotten. So yea, I had radiator support before I added the Rumbux lowers.

I posted a couple of years ago the pics that showed how the Rumbux installed very easily with the Givi. And yes, you just need a couple of spacers (washers) the thickness of the Rumbux tab to keep everything nice and even.

Love the setup!

And I don't lean near enough to be too concerned with clearance issues. But I also think the Ohlins kit front and back, support proper sag for my robust load. Thus, additional clearance is returned to me.

So the Rumbux went on first and the Givi second?
That would move the rad mount out of alignment by the width of the Rumbux tab, this is the same issue with the Altrider bars.
Did the rad just pull out a bit to engage with the mount?

 

[EricV]

A very valid point, suspension set up makes a difference.

I suspect that with the AltRider bars, it's not so different, Rumbux on the inside, with the Altrider stacked on top, but there needs to be a little grinding to allow them to sit together. One owner said it was not a big deal and he could have ground less than he did. Another got more technical about it, trying to maintain the same exact spacing for the lower Radiator mount. I don't think that's a big deal, as it sits in a rubber bushing anyway, but to each their own. There is probably some variation between every set of bars too, to a minor degree.

The Rumbux tabs are .210" thick. Not a huge deviation.

 

[snakebitten]

I suppose it did affect the radiator location somewhat. (The Givi\Rumbux) But to no ill affect. 2 years and 33,000 miles worth.

If I remember correctly, (now) the radiator assembly is not bolted rigidly to the bike. Much like the instrument cluster, blinkers, tail light housing, etc,........this thing is designed to take a rough ride.

 

[r1100r]

https://www.fastenal.com/product?query=11114345&fsi=1
this is what I used to make the studs for acd skid and altrider bars