Help Installing Crash Bar on VT600

[Westermaniac]

I'm trying to install a crash bar for my 03 VT600 and need a little help. The bar I have (that I confirmed is supposed to fit my bike) attaches by the pegs on each side, and then the top center is supposed to attach above the radiator somewhere. That's where I'm stuck.

I'm trying to take the radiator cover off, have taken the top screw out, but the round piece above it (not sure what it is) is preventing me from pulling the cover off. I feel like the bar is supposed to attach behind this piece somehow.

Pictures are below that show the piece I'm talking about, and show my bar with the bracket at the top. If anyone can talk me through what I need to do to get this thing attached, it would be much appreciated.

[Lakota]

Caveat: my bike is different. But given that,

the radiator should be loose enough to pull forward and inch or so; then my kit had a spacer that went behind the top of the radiator allowing the tops for the bars to attach to the bike.

Does that make any sense to you? Or is yours too different? The second photo you put up seems to show a one-piece bar; mine was two pieces.

Are you sure you have the right part? I don't see how that bar would fit . . .
That "round piece" resembles a horn.

I don't have pix; I was too busy trying to hold it all together at the same time.

If you're still having trouble, I'll try to take a close-up of the top of the radiator where the spacer is attached.

-john

[Lakota]

And just a final word.

When you remove the right foot peg, which is attached to the rear brake on mine, the whole peg unit will immediately lose its alignment because of the spring tension with the brake.

You may need to lever it back in to position with the rubber end of a hammer. This takes two people. Ask me how I know.

-john

[Westermaniac]

Thanks John. My bar is one piece (and looks like the correct part - I've found a lot of these different places online that say they fit). I'll see if I can get behind the radiator like you mentioned and see if it works.

And that round piece is the horn, thanks for that. Was finally able to find it in the schematic, so I'm gonna see if the bars mount behind that somewhere.

Thanks for the tip about the brake side pedal though - definitely would have learned that the hard way ; )

[Lakota]

Good luck!

It doesn't sound as if your bar came with instructions, and you really need them else it can prove to be difficult to figure out. Just from appearance, if that bar is the correct one it looks like it has to fit behind your radiator--I haven't seen that done. I hope someone else can/will tell you what you need to do.

Question: Does that "L" bracket at the top center of your bar come loose and reverse positon, so that it will fit over your radiator? I'm just guessin' now.

The bars on your old '06 look like they attached to U-bolts that were bolted up to the frame, in two pieces.

The easiest way to realign the brake side pedal is to muscle it in position so that you can get the top bolt back in; then, using that as a fulcrum point, with a rubber handled hammer or similar push the rest of the pedal unit into alignment so that the second bolt hole is back where it belongs.

This is where you need the second person. Holding the pedal in position, push your bolt through into the hole on the bike and manually turn to be sure the threads are aligned and tighten. It's a bitch.

-john

[Lakota]

This is an installation on a 600 VLX:

[elfnyc]

almost looks like it has to mount behind the horn / with the horn

[Lakota]

Originally Posted by elfnyc

almost looks like it has to mount behind the horn / with the horn

Yeah, if he can slip the "L" bracket under the horn and on top of the radiator . . .

-john

[elfnyc]

looks like u have to slide the the top bracket to the horn or behind the horn location first
then slide the lowers in and bolt it all up



ps im sure the cover shouldnt come off to attach highway bars

[Lakota]

Originally Posted by elfnyc

looks like u have to slide the the top bracket to the horn or behind the horn location first
then slide the lowers in and bolt it all up



ps im sure the cover shouldnt come off to attach highway bars

I agree w/you.

Maybe with both of us pulling for him, he can get this thing on . . .

. . . hardest part is gonna be realigning that foot peg/brake pedal.

(I had to loosen my radiator cover so that there was space for the U-bolts to go around the frame. He won't be doing that.)

PS. I really like your bike. If I ever decide to go with the bobber look, I'd approach it your way. Awesome look.

-john