Wunderlich Adventure - Protecting the Pan America
German BMW parts and accessory specialist Wunderlich has always been a major player in the ADV sector and last year established a new division especially for the burgeoning Adventure Touring sector.
One of the first models Wunderlich addressed beyond its traditional BMW footprint has been Harley's Pan America and, having already shown some model-specific and universal parts designs for the RA 1250 in prior editions, this manifold heat shield seen in one of the company's recent newsletters caught our eye.
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| Manifold heat shield |
Everyone knows, of course, that heat management (and vibrations for that matter) has always been an issue for Harley owners, and while the liquid-cooed Revolution Max is a very different beast to Harley's classic air-cooled V-twin, it is still a twin - even if a better, 60-degree layout - and therefore still prone to less efficient heat control than triples and fours.
The course of the manifold of the rear cylinder of the Pan America 1250 twists and bends and curves until it arrives at the collector, and this new manifold protection and heat shield from Wunderlich follows the same fluid, curved, organic shape of the manifold and tucks perfectly into the side 'fly-line' of the Pan America design to avoid producing additional drag.
Produced from genuine carbon exclusively for Wunderlich by leading German carbon fiber parts manufacturer Ilmberger Carbonparts, this is a solid yet lightweight cover that provides both thermal and mechanical protection to reliably shield the radiant heat coming from the manifold of the rear cylinder, and, importantly, prevents the right lower leg from coming into direct contact with the hot manifold pipe.
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| 'Extreme' engine bar |
Made more than 130 mm longer than the standard shield, it therefore offers much improved heat protection, and a high degree of mechanical protection from scratches or dents to the manifold - always an issue for Adventure Tourers.
A one-piece design, it is thermally isolated when fitted, replaces the original Harley side part and is an easy-install with the assembly kits supplied. It uses the OEM attachment points, for a modification-free and fully reversible install, and typically saves some 70% of the weight of the OEM design and delivers greater rigidity than the Harley design it replaces.
Ilmberger uses pre-impregnated carbon fiber matrices for its high-quality carbon - the fiber volume is dimensioned, and the alignment of the individual fibers is defined. The matrix is then laminated - bubble-free - by hand and coated twice with a protective layer. The added clear varnish layer protects and emphasizes the three-dimensional effect of the carbon structure. After hardening in the autoclave, its carbon components meet even the toughest demands and requirements.
It comes with German type approval (ABE) and is backed by a five-year warranty.
Frequently bought together, Wunderlich also offers a two-piece tank pad set to protect the Pan America's gas tank, improving the angle of the knee, and increasing grip; a heat shield for the radiator hose, and a model-specific Wunderlich 'Extreme' engine protection bar concept that brings maximum protection to another critical Pan America component.
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| Tank pad set |
The ergonomically designed geometry of the 'Extreme' engine bar protects the engine, its add-on parts, and the radiator. "In addition to comprehensive protection, during its development and construction we placed the utmost importance on ride height and lean angle. The two-part symmetric engine protection bar thus sits snugly, and its specific structure also gives it additional stability and rigidity - all while optimizing the weight of the component.
"The 25 mm bars for left and right screw on to three selected attachment points. The torques and forces that arise during a crash or fall are thereby distributed across each of the three points on each side of the vehicle. This reduces peak loads caused by external forces. It is manufactured from high-quality steel, precision-formed on CNC pipe bending machines, clean welded and black powder-coated."
WUNDERLICH GMBH