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BMW Cylinder Head Covers installation on R12 nineT

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2.2K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  bahn88  
6
#1 ·
I opted for cylinder head covers rather than engine bars for my R12 nineT because I thought they looked better (less obtrusive) on the bike, and I decided on the BMW covers because they weren't obvious "attachments" like the Wunderlich or other aftermarket covers.

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The installation was fiddly, however. The instructions the BMW tech downloaded for me did not explain clearly where the various bolts and spacers were to go and I wasn't able to get things to line up on the first attempt. Then I downloaded the drawing of the covers from Max's fiche showing the correct placement of the parts, and on my second attempt things lined up well with the covers hugging the heads (valve covers) nice and tight.

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Front bolt attachment point.


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Rear bolt attachment point.


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Center bolt attachment point. The key to the installation was attaching the front and rear points first (spacer goes on the front), and the center last. The covers are made to fit very snuggly, so it takes some patience to get everything lined up just right and the bolts started squarely without stripping threads.


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Some have wondered whether head covers are as protective as engine bars. The covers are completely lined with 3/8 to 1/2 inch of rubber and the covers themselves are strong enough to spread the force of whatever hits the heads. I'm confident these will give me all the protection I may need if I drop the bike or have a slow speed tip-over.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Those are good looking covers - like them! Fits your nice R12 (y)
wallyging said:
Some have wondered whether head covers are as protective as engine bars.
Click to expand...
Protective enough for what it works......a flip, or knees down.
For any serious mishap, the cylinders will be your smallest problem - bars mounted or not.

ed.: as of ur age (Cudos for stay UpOn2!), it might be a chance to relax the legs/feet by putting them for a break on crash bars?
Maybe double protection helps twice :)
 
#3 ·
Nice looking covers. On my R Nine T I initially went for Wunderlich covers. Perhaps surprisingly splitting it down each cover cost more than it would have cost to replace the valve cover itself. What price do you place on a bit of bling. I wanted auxiliary lights so went for engine bars to mount them to in the end!
 
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#4 ·
Those look great. Thanks for posting the mounting information and photos here! đź‘Ť

The first mod on my Pure when I bought it was a set of BMW aluminum cylinder head covers, installed before I even rode the new bike away from the dealership. The new ones for the R12 nineT have kind of an art deco design and very cool!
 
#6 ·
They look really smart.

I'd rather not have bars and just head covers.


The issue is that the valve covers only are held on with 2Ă— M6 thread bolts. No alignment dowels either. A drop or a little knock can cause a leak or break the bolts clean off and then you're stranded.
 
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#7 ·
Perhaps, but I rather doubt it. The rubber bumper material inside the covers gives them fit very snuggly to the valve covers, so there shouldn't be any significant movement with a normal tip-over. With a serious crash at speed all bets are off.
 
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