XL degree engine bars???

[jonathan]

Hi....I was comparing frames for the XL degree and the AX1 today and they look pretty similar apart from a few minor differences. If so, does anyone know whether the Degree engine bars will bolt on the AX1 without too much trouble? I think the mounting brackets will be different and there may be clearance issues with the AX1 brake pedal/gear lever but it's difficult to tell. If anyone has any info on this, I'd be most grateful. I know a certain forum member has made some very nice bespoke bars to suit, but I wouldn't want to tear him away from any projects he may be busy with...

Danke in voraus, Jonathan (UK)

[baridisana]

Hi Jonathan,
I've got a Degree (bought it from scrambler).
Now I wonder what do you mean by engine bars? If it is those crash bars left and right from the engine I found that the bars from the NX didn't quite fit on my Degree. It was no big deal to adjust them, though. If I remember well I had to weld on a longer brace to the forward end because of clearance to the exhaust. Could be therefore that the only difference between the 2 models is the exhaust.
Anyway, this means that we now know that NX and Degree are not the same in this respect. Maybe Michael can tell you about NX/AX.

Good luck
Martin

[jonathan]

Hi Martin....Thanks for the reply. The bars I'm thinking about are number 10 in the diagram. It looks like they mount at the front using the same holes but the brackets are stepped? I wouldn't know about the exhaust...perhaps they are different?

xl degree.PNG

[scrambler]

Hi Jonathan,

I call them skidbars I was toying with the idea myself of using degree skidbars on a NX250 - but the front and the rear mounts won’t fit the NX frame – at least not without some major re-welding. That is something I was about to try (I can hardly weld) this winter.
Since degree skidbars are hard to get by around here and require re-welding anyway I had some produced for the AX1/NX250 – based on the degree design.

[jonathan]

So it's safe to assume they won't fit the AX1 without alteration. My welding skills are very average to put it mildly. I got pretty good restoring an old VW Type 2 ("Bulli"....in Deutschland) but welding is one of those skills you have to keep up with. It's like starting from scratch each time I try.
I may have to have a play with some steel this winter...

[scrambler]

I have an angle grinder and not afraid to use it Also I had to do some research for my best of built - so I took the degee skidbars that I bought some years ago and put it on the NX frame. The rear holders are too long and won't fit anyway.



So off they go - now one could weld on L brackets in the rear. The middle holder fits to the engine. But the front holders are far off. The geometry of the XL frame is different.



The degree brackets might be modified to fit



or the NX brackets



one has to take into account that the engine hose is very close to the right bracket (thats probably why later NX got thinner steel brackets instead of the older, thicker aluminum ones)



Too bad the Degree was never sold in Europe - as fare as I know this is the only one ever registered in western continental Europe.

[jonathan]

Once again, The Oracle comes up with the goods! It never ceases to amaze me....

It looks like the Degree bars would be fairly straightforward to fit with custom brackets, but I can see why making something from scratch is just as viable. It depends on where your particular talents lie: where steel is concerned, I'm good a chopping bits off, not so good at sticking them back together Making brackets is another proposition...vice, hammer, gentle persuasion


Looking closely at the photos: if the bars were pushed further back so that the front mounting holes are in line with the NX frame, is there sufficient clearance between the lower bars and the underside of the engine? If so, it would be easier to relocate the middle fixing hole triangles.

[jonathan]

g895.png

if only life was as easy

[scrambler]

might work, but I guess that the gap between bars and engine case would be too large

[jonathan]

I should have guessed you have already tried it!

Maybe there's scope for making a small bracket for the lower front frame mounting hole to adjust the angle, but the only real way to find out if this would work would be to grind off some of the triangle brackets. Anything's possible, but I can see that by the time you've chopped and welded the degree bars, it's as mush hassle as designing your own...

My first thought was to simply elongate the lower front hole in the skid bars but there doesn't seem to be much room for manoeuvre.