handguards/barkbusters are dangerous!

[Vic]

little bikes with great riders are tough to deal with.

Freakin' eh right. :cool:

vic, how tall and how much do you weigh - what can one of these bikes handle

I'm five-ten, 175. My bike has about the same power as my ' 78 125, so it pulls me along fine.

The CR 85s are peaky, but great handling. The RMs have a really sweet powerband, IMO.

My suspension is stock with the compression clickers turned all the way in. Even with the soft springs, it doesn't bottom hard. Of course, I'm not riding supercross with it. The stock fork springs are marginal for moto, as they allow too much dive under hard braking, but the shock spring is tolerable. For the woods, it works great. Very plush, no deflection.

 

[Lorin]

As to Motometal riding a "little" kx 100, rest assured that he can outrun most of us while riding that bike. One of the more talented riders that I have ridden with, not to mention that he beat out Jeff Fredette on the mx track a couple of years back.

 

[BAGASGAS]

I love having them on my bike to bulldoze trees down. I did go over the bars in one race and almost broke my wrist, b/c it got hung up. Does anyone sprained there wrist, if so how long was your recovery time?

 

[Vic]

Hey BADGAS! Can't ya see we changed the subject! Pay attention, will ya!?


:laugh:

 

[BAGASGAS]

eat my roost

 

[motometal]

I weigh about 155, the stock KX100 springs are too soft for me, especially the forks. I bought aftermarket (several sizes stiffer) fork springs, and did a McGuyver job on the rear spring, collapsing a turn or two to make it stiffer. After that, the bike rides more plush over bumps than a "big" bike. The small wheels do have their disadvantages handling wise, though.

The little bikes are sooo much fun...a few years ago I had one that was a reject from my wife, and I sold it. I missed it so much I turned around and bought the one I currently have. If you do any riding on "backyard" mx tracks, they come in handy there as well. Knee pads and tall bars are mandatory!

I'm running the KX100 with 17s and slicks in a Battletrax timed parking lot race this weekend. It should be a good time, although the narrow powerband will be a chore to deal with on pavement. Getting bored with the XR650 (it's too easy to ride), so this will spice it up a little...

 

[ktmracer]

I have ridden in the woods for over 20 years now (wow I feel old), and I have never had a bike with metal handguards.

90% of the serious woods riders I see have hand guards. I fail to see the logic. Wouldn't it be better to risk breaking a finger or two as opposed to breaking your wrist or arm? The hand guards are coming off, I will put them on only for the paved courses. :|

As a side note, the hand guards also made the steering feel heavy and less precise.

You are failing to mention one of the big advantages to the barkbusters. SPEED, you can go a hell of a lot faster with them (shane watts being the exception) than without them. they allow you to glance off of the trees without slowing you down. there is a smooth flat aluminum bar sliding across the side of the tree as opposed to a bare bar end. i don't know about the terrain where you live, but it must be fairly open terrain. if you would like to see the advantages of bark busters you should come and try out one of the southern enduros. i am sure that would change your mind.

 

[CAL]

Anyone who has had the pleasure (or in my case misfortune) of being on the same track as AJ while he hammers the guts out of a bone stock 9hp TTR125 can attest to the fact that little bikes with great riders are tough to deal with. :)

I had that "pleasure" at MWSF '00. It hurt....hurt REALLY bad, getting smoked in the woods by a guy on a TTR 125. :| Unbelievable!!

 

[ob1quixote]

Heres a tip: use teflon plumbers tape under the bar mount of the barkbusters, and crank them down. This will allow them to move when hit really hard, and knocked back into place. This works with lever perches too. If you have triple clamp mounted barkbusters, obviously it cant be done!

I like being able to select a sapling, brace off, and ride through it. If you arent riding the first few rows of a race, the proper sapling will be evident by the lack of bark! On some of the hare scrambles and enduros I have run, no barkbusters would have just about ensured a visit to the hospital.

Robert

 

[YZ165]

I think the likleyhood of breaking your hand, wrist, arm, or elbow due soley to being caught in a handguard are about that of being struck by lightning. My fingers are worth the risk. I HATE smashed fingers! :ohmy:

 

[GREENBEAN]

I like the Acerbis rallyguards they dont have the metal inserts and when you hit something they kind of bounce and absorb the impact. Like when I come around a corner and hit head on with something or someone. We just bounced off each other and we both said are you alright well allright then have a good ride!!! Instead of oh! S%#T My fingers are broken.

 

[SpeedyManiac]

I won't ride in the woods without barkbusters. I've taken a look at my BBs after a ride or race, and it makes me glad I have them, they always have pieces of trees and bark stuck on them. I run mine at a slight downward angle parallel to my levers and have yet to hit them on a trip over the bars. Bark busters are a MUST for most of the races I've done.

 

[firecracker22]

Well now I have mixed feelings on the subject of barkbusters. I have ridden about half the time with them and half the time without them. Usually rotate them down pretty low because I like my levers down there too. Have only ever replaced ONE perch when I had no guards, and removed some skin from my knuckles (it looked awesome--everybody at work thought I had been in a gnarly fight and stayed clear for a few days).

But, I'm on my 5th pair or so since getting the KTM. It's getting expensive. Even the good, metal ones get bent in the silliest wrecks--must hit them JUST the right way because crash after crash into rocks won't hurt them, but tipping over in the parking lot when the bike falls off its stand will demolish them. Plus, my "custom" clutch lever got that way WITH barkbusters on. The all-plastic ones get too warped after a while, the metal ones get bent into throttles and levers--seems like there's no way to win. (If anybody states some obvious remark like "don't crash," I will beat them black and blue with one of my old sets of guards hanging in the shed.) I'm either going back to all-plastic, or trying the KTM ones at my dealer, since they're cheap and he'll replace them (maybe.)

My thoughts:
Pros of bark busters:
Obviously, they protect delicate fingers and hands
Keep your levers from getting pulled
Make a very handy lever to pick the bike up from
Keep grips from getting torn up
Provides a new place to paste stickers on
Makes bike look like a bad-ass woods bike

Cons:
Get bent into end of throttle tube in a crash causing instant rev
Get bent into levers making things get stuck
Get bent up or down after crash
Get bent into weird shapes and angles
Adds that extra little bit at the outer edges that makes squeezing through trees a hassle
Harder to hang helmet from bars at rest breaks
Mounts and brackets get stripped
Makes bike look like lame-o trail geek machine

 

[MrLuckey]

Cons:
Get bent into end of throttle tube in a crash causing instant rev
Get bent into levers making things get stuck
Get bent up or down after crash
Get bent into weird shapes and angles
Adds that extra little bit at the outer edges that makes squeezing through trees a hassle
Harder to hang helmet from bars at rest breaks
Mounts and brackets get stripped
Makes bike look like lame-o trail geek machine

So 4 of your cons are that they may bend? :coocoo: Think about what is getting bent or broken without them.

Cut another 1/4" off your bars for the next one, my helmet has no problem hanging from the bars, if you're stripping stuff thats a personal thing not a failure or con for barkbusters and the last one....well

 

[unkle_george]

I was jumping up a ~15' bank once and got crossed up in the air and landed with the bike on it's side with the handguards straight to the groin. (OK, inside of my leg thank God) It would've been a major puncture wound without the round surface of the handguard.
You can bet I'll always be packing a set on whatever I ride.
:worship:

 

[XRpredator]

maybe I don't wreck enough, but I have experienced zero trouble while running handguards. I had the plastic style (acerbis rally) and they've twisted, only to be rotated easily back into shape, and the metal with plastic wings, and so far so good . . .

to each his own, I guess.

and FC, quit crashin'! :p

 

[James]

Cons:
Get bent into end of throttle tube in a crash causing instant rev
Get bent into levers making things get stuck
Get bent up or down after crash
Get bent into weird shapes and angles
Adds that extra little bit at the outer edges that makes squeezing through trees a hassle
Harder to hang helmet from bars at rest breaks
Mounts and brackets get stripped
Makes bike look like lame-o trail geek machine

I am trying to picture how they get bent in such a way as to hold the throttle open???? Wouldn't they have to be pretty much folded flat against the bars? :think:

I agree with that lame-o trail geek machine part though!! ;)

 

[firecracker22]

So 4 of your cons are that they may bend? :coocoo: Think about what is getting bent or broken without them.

Cut another 1/4" off your bars for the next one, my helmet has no problem hanging from the bars, if you're stripping stuff thats a personal thing not a failure or con for barkbusters and the last one....well

I have run without them as often as with them. Cost me some skin on knuckles a time or two, and ONE ever clutch lever. Seeing as how I broke my most recent lever with handguards, it seems pretty even. My point was that so far, for me, it's kind of a wash.

I am running Pro-Taper Hawkins Hi bend. They measure about 29" or so, I think; significantly narrower already than standard fullsize bars. Cutting them any farther would result in not enough space to mount levers and stuff.

C'mon, can't you laugh a little? Of course I was kidding about the trail geek comment. I mean, I'm no motocrosser, that's for sure. Nikki and Jenny remind me of that every time I see them. Out in the woods I do a little better . . .

I'm not against guards. Just haven't found ones I like yet. Will pick up a set of the KTM (Looks just like the EE kind?) ones next time I'm in the shop, they're the right price and my dealer likes them.

As for how they got bent into the throttle, it doesn't take that much; both myself and one of my friends have had it happen. Dump it over on the right side, and it kinks the outside curve in just enough to catch the edge of the throttle tube. That was with the Acerbis Rally Pros.

 

[James]

Run the throttle with a 1/8 inch of bar exposed between it and the handguard and the likelyhood of the guard ever bending enough to hang the throttle is about the same as me hooking up with Charlize Theron.

Sounds like a setup problem :)

 

[firecracker22]

Trouble with that is that the aforementioned narrow bars don't leave enough room to move levers around. The brake lever perch is already right up against the curve of the bar, could not move the throttle housing in any farther.

Trust me, I've tried *many* different setups, including 3 different bar bends and 4 different handguard types. I've had the same bike for 3.5 years now.

I will report back after trying the new guards.

 

[Danman]

I have the burlson moose bars. They are cut down in the center. I think they 29 inches or maybe 30, but the deal with them was that the length was removed between the mounts so that you still have the narrow bars and room to mount stuff. You can sorten them even farther and still have room.

 

[CR Swade]

I have run without them as often as with them. Cost me some skin on knuckles a time or two, and ONE ever clutch lever. Seeing as how I broke my most recent lever with handguards, it seems pretty even. My point was that so far, for me, it's kind of a wash.

I am running Pro-Taper Hawkins Hi bend. They measure about 29" or so, I think; significantly narrower already than standard fullsize bars. Cutting them any farther would result in not enough space to mount levers and stuff.

C'mon, can't you laugh a little? Of course I was kidding about the trail geek comment. I mean, I'm no motocrosser, that's for sure. Nikki and Jenny remind me of that every time I see them. Out in the woods I do a little better . . .

I'm not against guards. Just haven't found ones I like yet. Will pick up a set of the KTM (Looks just like the EE kind?) ones next time I'm in the shop, they're the right price and my dealer likes them.

As for how they got bent into the throttle, it doesn't take that much; both myself and one of my friends have had it happen. Dump it over on the right side, and it kinks the outside curve in just enough to catch the edge of the throttle tube. That was with the Acerbis Rally Pros.

Yeah, quit using those toady Acerbis Rally Pro's...they are basically one step above stock XR style guards. EE, Cycra and Moose are real manly-man or manly girl guards :nener:

Plus, I'll take the trail geek moniker anyday...gotta love the gnarly stuff

 

[Patman]

Trouble with that is that the aforementioned narrow bars don't leave enough room to move levers around. The brake lever perch is already right up against the curve of the bar, could not move the throttle housing in any farther.

:think: So take 1/8" off the throttle tube! Ya' gota' cut the end of it off any way.

 

[tnrider]

do you also cut the outside end off your grips when mounting hand guards?

 

[firecracker22]

do you also cut the outside end off your grips when mounting hand guards?

Ummm, you kind of have to . . . :think: