Also have a look at the Australian made products from Propower based in Queensland. Radiator guards, carbon fibre exhaust guards, rear disc guards and frame guards for European models. propowerinternational.com We've used quite a few of these over the past decade - very tough and often cheaper than the rest. Worth looking at even if you are overseas. Free international postage and the Aussie dollar is pretty low compared to the greenback.

I never tire of the crash sound effects.

@KB3AOL

Жыл бұрын

Especially the “Wilhelm scream.”

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

Incredible how many films it shows up in... even in recent years

For me the two essentials are a baseplate and radiator guards Followed by wrap around handguards

0:13 - talking about the pros leaving things stock - both riders shown have front and rear brake disc guards. Jarvis has an aftermarket skid plate with linkage guard. Neither Jarvis or Walker are currently factory sponsored - if they were, I'd say they don't need to worry about protecting the pipe as the factory support will just swap out a bashed up one and throw on a new one. Maybe they do have some sort of parts sponsorship that isn't known (to me?) where they do get replacement pipes. For many of us, adding the bike protection is twofold: 1. to avoid damage that could cause us to have to walk the bike back 2. to avoid costly damage (my XTrainer pipe lists for $550CAD, so I've left it with the dents in it for now, but wish I'd gone with the moderately heavier P-Tech skidplate/pipeguard combo as it would have saved me $ in the long run.)

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

I suspect factory support would always include a good supply of new exhausts, Rick. It would be a relatively cheap part direct from the factory.

Spot on. BarkBuster, no brainer. Skid plate, yes, but can depend on how the side cases protrude, rad guards reduce air flow and cost money better spent on beer. I'm old and weight = exhaustion. I can't afford to not ride with caution. So I ride to my limit. If I ride with others, I might attempt stuff I won't if solo. Since returning to riding 2yr ago after a 30 yr break I have focused on relearning the basic skills, the right tyres & pressure for the job, & suspension. Love you vids 🖖 PS I have had a good share of falls, some heavy bruising, even ribs, but haven't broken anything yet, bike or body. Heat exhaustion is my bane. Love my Barkbusters.

@crosstrainingenduro

10 ай бұрын

Well done on avoiding busted bones so far! I've only done it twice in 25 years but multiple fractures both times, sigh.

I think you hit the nail on the head with rocks. If you don't ride rocky terrain, slam into a lot of logs, or generally drop your bike dozens of times per ride - a basic plastic skid plate is probably all you really need. On the other side of the spectrum, if you ride "hard enduro"... especially badly like me... you will break everything that's humanly possible to break. On the handguards front - I've always run full wraps but recently switched to SxS Burly guards and am really liking them so far. The narrower bar feel and cleaner cockpit is really noticeable. I changed the levers to ARC unbreakable levers at the same time, we'll see how they'll hold up at Tough Like Rorr this weekend 😁

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

Interesting... I've included the link if anyone wants to take a look at those handguards, Dmitriy slavensracing.com/shop/burly-handguards-by-sxs/

Absolutely right, spend money on your riding time first. But - also - think about YOUR weight before you argue about the weight of a skid plate. If you are not on a race - who cares about 2kg more to have some more water and some tools with you. I can feel like Jarvis even with a fully packed rucksack - its a mindset.

Full wraps, skid plate, healthy dose of not giving a shit about small damage.

Ditto's Barry, as usual you do a great job of breaking down all of the aspects one needs to consider before emptying ones wallet on needless protection even if it looks....cool. I too have a 2022 Sherco 300 SE which only has around 80 hours on it and I do mostly single track soft and hard enduro stuff and personally I NEED full hand guard wraps, full skid plate, rear brake rotor guard and radiator guards (because bike is dropped on it's side often 😁). I tried to go without a pipe guard and pipe was getting mangled so ended up with a new pipe and carbon fiber pipe guard. Case breaks are RARE and I think the negatives out weigh the positive in that they hold in engine heat. I believe an honest parallel for a rider to consider is how much protective gear do you need on your body for riding? So, if you feel the need to look like a gladiator going into battle your bike probably needs more pro, go for it. Another consideration for us older riders, I am in my late 60's, the old body doesn't heal like it use to so I would rather be riding than laid up mending an injury.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

I completely agree, Dirk... the same issues need to be weighed up with rider protection. And we'll probably need more as we get older! I'm in my 60s now too and I'm incredibly aware of how much easier it is to get hurt in the past few years.

Engine protection. Hit my engine due to skid plate being too small to protect it. Didn't sound like anything other than a normal hit but the oil dumped and engine seized. So case savers and bash plate are my number one.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

Bummer! It gets expensive hey? Especially with a four stroke. We are kinda lucky with two strokes that even if all the transmission oil leaked out you'll probably finish your ride fine if you don't notice.

I'd say I'm on the higher end of protective gear on my machines rather than focusing on lightweight... But I ride alone 95% of the time, in remote areas and dislike fixing/replacing stuff. So for me personally, I'd rather carry a little extra weight regularly and ride back to the truck hassle free despite any spills... but focusing on not dropping the bike is top priority... I do that by focusing on all the tips and tricks y'all share!

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

I reckon the trade off with extra weight but more protection sounds like a good idea for solo riding, Matt.

Great vid. I truly agree that it depends on skill level and willingness to compromise weight to protection. From year 1 to 4, I've slowly taken things off my bike and moved to a lighter setup. Like most things, it's time, personal preference, and individuals identifying what they are willing to compromise in a ride or race.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

A lot of compromises, hey? Now that I've gone for minimal protection I find myself 'thinking' my way through tough terrain more to avoid damaging the bike... which I think has been a good thing overall.

Got a 2017 bush pig. Cracked the case the first week. JB weld still holding 6 years later.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

I recently met the guy who bought my Beta Xtrainer a few years back. The JB Weld on the cracked sidecase was still holding up. He has no plans to buy a new case.

Plastic swingarm, fork bottom protectors and throttle position sensor guard. Standard flappy hand guards with folding levers and sore little fingers.

When I purchased my Beta the service manager suggested a linkage guard was one of the few must haves, not from a protection point of view, but more to stop the linkage catching as much on logs when log hopping. All I have is wrap around hand guards, the stock skid plate and a linkage protector. The pipe has copped a beating, but that's just an excuse to upgrade. I also don't like the idea of putting all of that load through the exhaust flange on the cylinder, so as you suggest, not having pipe protection may be a good way to stay more mindful of not smashing the pipe into things.

On my DRZ400 SM which I swap the slick 17" road tyres for dirt 21" - 18" and have done 15k km in the dirt on, it came with a small metal bash guard in the middle and plastic sides all I have done is crankcase guards and full wrap hand guards. I've done the Creb track 5 times, Seven hills east of Cairns a few times and a heap of narly tracks exploring and so far no major damage. I'm only an average rider so I do plan my attacks on really ruff terrain.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

There's a lot to be said for planning your way through snotty stuff!

Like you I run full wrap hand guards, bash plate and rad braces. Carrying a JB weld stick in case of side case punctures as there are plenty of rocks and roots in my area. Another fabulous video!

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Chain guide has an added benefit of *hopefully* preventing a hand from getting sucked into the rear sprocket if you were to have a very unfortunately timed crash. I know in some road racing organizations they are required. I count that finger meat grinder barrier as a must have personally, for the sake of my fingers, I dont really care too much about the bike. Great video!

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

Do you mean the lower chain guide? I figured they were standard on every bike. There's usually a flimsy upper 'guide' too which many riders take off....

@Dom-nt4gn

Жыл бұрын

@@crosstrainingenduro oh that is what you meant. I agree that's useless

I ride really rocky terrain and before I got full wrap lower fork guards, I scratched and dented my lower fork tubes twice for a total of $800 in repairs. I also use a brake snake. And for fun and cactus, I run 5 gallon bucket hand guards

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

Ouch. Fork tubes against rocks I guess?

Same on all my bikes, a glide plate, wraparound handguards, and rear disc protector. Tried a carbon fiber guard... once... and never again! They like to transfer all the impact to where the guard isn't and it bent my pipe where it goes to the cylinder and wouldn't seal anymore. Honestly, never seen any pipe guard do much to protect a 2T pipe where you really need it, on the U- bend just after exiting the cylinder.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

No easy solution for those 2T exhausts unless they go back to the old days and have them all tucked away again... but I suspect radiators prevent that.

I have wraparound hand, guards, metal skid plate, carbon fiber pipe guard, clutch master cylinder guard, and that’s about it. All that’s based on personal experience of what I tend to break. If I was really worried about extra weight, I’d just lose 30 pounds!

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

😂 Actually I was starting to develop a bit of a gut last year, Dave... man it took some work getting rid of it. Or most of it. Revised diet, daily exercise, the usual stuff.

The only one I disagree on is the case saver. A bit anecdotal, but I personally have had a branch lodge in my rear sprocket, chain then spooled up so hard it bent the case saver. I of course have also witnessed the too loose chain slapping and doing thousands of dollars of damage. Arguably avoidable. Yes. But a case saver is very little, low down weight. Worth it I reckon. I've never run expansion chamber guards. If you don't go the crab pot, its just useless, and crab pots are bloody heavy. To people that disagree, where does the energy go when something hits a carbon fibre guard? Right up the top, the worst place to get damage.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

Our choices are definitely affected by issues we've had in the past, Luke. I've never had a chain bunch up like that so I tend to not run case savers but of course it does happen! Interestingly I know a guy with a Sherco, his chain did come off and bunched up, and the case saver just broke the crankcase at one of the mounting points. 😒 Hard to say if it could have been better or worse without the crankcase saver...

@LukeMorphett

Жыл бұрын

@Cross Training Enduro I've heard of that too. I'm just glad it hasn't happened to me. Ha.

Must haves for me, bash plate and full wrap hand guards. All others are nice but not totally needed.

I installed the upward and forward pivoting SPP levers on my sherco. I also installed them as far inward as possible so the end of the handlebar sticks out about 2 inches further than the levers. Lastly I wrapped Teflon tape under the perches so the whole master cylinders can rotate easily but the perch bolts do not need to be loose. I do plenty of crashing in rocks and havent had a lever or perch break. Shercos are already heavier than the austrian bikes and betas (weigh yours if you dont believe me), so the last thing they need is more weight.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

I'm loving the Sherco but I thinks it's about time they put it on a diet lol. Sherco seem to be leaving the weight out of their specs now but I think the dry weight of the 2022 model 300SE was 102kg so maybe 107kg fueled up? Way too heavy. KTM was down to 100kg wet weight before they changed to TPI and added weight again.

@postmortemspasm

Жыл бұрын

@@crosstrainingenduro haha. Oh mate. No no no. Try 120kg fuelled up. I've weighed mine and it's consistent with others who have weighed theirs. None of the manufacturers are truthful about their weight specs but sometimes the Japanese. People think the WR450 is significantly heavier than the 500exc because of this. There are no sub 110kg enduro bikes bar the x trainer. The austrian 2 strokes are about 112kg fuelled up I think, although they have less fuel and protection than the shercos. The 4 stroke shercos are about 1 or 2 kilos lighter than the 2 strokes believe it or not. But don't take my word for it. And especially don't take the manufacturers word. Weigh your own bike and see for yourself. Just don't weigh a 2 stroke mx bike after, you'll cry at the difference.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

120kg? Did you remove handguards, radiator guards etc before weighing? And use calibrated industrial scales? We've weighed a few bikes and once you take any added bling off most fall under 110kg with a full tank of fuel. Actually the one manufacturer who is usually very accurate is KTM... anyone with calibrated industrial scales has reported they get the same figures as the factory claims. Sherco takes out the bullshit award for claiming their 300 four stroke is actually lighter than the 300 two stroke.They claimed this for years and now thankfully it's not mentioned in the specs.

Considering physics in the ability to climb and decend hills, weight of the system (bike + rider) is THE crucial thing to consider. Our traction is limited and there the ability of this system to climb a certain hill or decend a hill in a controlled manor. Professional teams and rider know this (contrary to the so called "adventure riders") and sacrifice parts to gain this advantage as long as a failure of the part will still get you to the finish line. Everything is a compromise in our sport and the winners have done the right choices.

On my XCW I have the factory skid plate. Wrapped hand guards are a must. Hard to get out of the woods with a broken clutch lever

@jamesdenton3692

Жыл бұрын

Unless you have an Auto Clutch 😁

I was talked into frameguards on the grounds that scratches = rust = expensive (eventually). Don't know how true that is, probably 99% of bikes go in the bin long before the frame rusts through, but they weigh bugger all so why not.

I recently took alot of my protection off. I've got S3 bar ends instead of wrap around. An axp extreme skid plate, radiator guards are a must in my opinion and the ends cut off the levers. The chain guide that comes on the sherco is uselss so that went in the bin when i got the bike. So far the only bad damage is a dent in the exhaust which is above the scuff line from my ptech gaurd so would have happened anyway. After 20 odd hours I have become a much smarter rider already due to the extra thinking and emphasis on technique Plus I don't have to clear out 10kg of mud from the ptech every ride 😂

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

The Beta and Sherco models don't have the strongest chain guides and should be upgraded if you'll be bashing through rocks regularly. Mine has flexed enough to let the chain come off twice.

I don't run full wrap hand guards because I hate how cramped it it makes my hands feel, just run the clamps loose with Teflon tape and they spin. Rad braces/guards are a must because I ride a TPI KTM that pops the rad hoses super easy on the powervalve cover, I had to quit a race early because I lost all my coolant and bought rad guards that day. I can also never go back to running anything but mousses, I need a soft tire for the technical slippery riding in Canada and tubliss was constantly going flat, and tubes just pop. Trystan Hart rode my bike and said it was setup nicely, if it's good enough for him it's good enough for me.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

First I've heard of those hosing popping off easily, Matt. Fast way to seize a bike.

@SlipperySalamanders

Жыл бұрын

@@crosstrainingenduro to clarify it pops a hole in the hose by pushing against the power valve cover. The hose doesn't come off. The rad guards stop the radiator shifting and making it worse. I also cut a piece of hose in half and put that between the two to stop it rubbing as well.

Had a carbon guard on my stock husky pipe but ended up pushing the left side into the starter motor and developed cracks(2014 model) got a Ballard’s stainless pipe and it is tuff as, don’t run the carbon guard on it but I had a high speed off and did the same and pushed the left side into the starter again, but I would buy another one in a minute 👍🏻 have looked at getting it fixed, one guy said he’s never done a stainless one so he’s not sure how it would go🤷🏼‍♂️ but I’m still riding with it lol

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

Great to hear. If I really make a mess of mine I'd be keen to try the Ballards

Chris Birch told me that he (and other pro-level riders) don't use full-wrap handguards because of the risk of getting your arm in there when airborne/crashing and breaking your forearm or wrist. I have seen some pros either DQ'd or otherwise handicapped because they didn't have full-wrap handguards (Jarvis - if my memory is correct in Romaniacs several years ago broke off his clutch perch in a simple fall-over and rode for a while contorting his left hand to somehow hold the clutch to the bars and still use the clutch - and then taping the perch to the bars at a stop). My full-wrap handguards have saved my fingers (and levers etc.) countless times. I don't ride fast/hard/well enough to factor the broken forearm as enough risk to not use wrap-around handguards.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

We discussed the risk of broken bones with full-wrap handguards in our handguards vid, Rick. Definitely divided opinions about this one. I suspect it comes down to whether you hang on to the bars even if you are flipping over them? The majority of riders seem to let go and have no issues... but possibly some keep gripping and risk broken arms?

The problem with observing what the pros do is a different set of considerations - sponsorship deals , who's paying for the parts ? Hopefully someone else to fit them and repair the damage , and the 'presentation' aspect. Eg, look at the small Acerbis hand guards fitted to Manni's KTM - the mechanics had to make a small adapter plate to marry up the KTM lever perch bracket to the guards. Second, I've heard it discussed that pipe guards can transfer impact forces into other areas - the pipe/head flange . Of course, there's also a reinforcement piece sold for this. Moving on, watching Mario Romans bike build , he makes a point of having a thicker rear disc to prevent bending , as well as a disc fin . Crashing related, many now fit a second starter button somewhere in case the main one gets broken. Finally , I recently dropped my (trials) bike on a stump which neatly broke off the top of the spark plug and no-one sells a guard that would have prevented that . 'Trailbound co' has bikes that have reeeaally been scraped against the scenery if need a longer term example.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

All good points. I often think there's almost no point at looking at what pro riders do because it's completely different world.

Wrap around and skid plate is enough for most of the places I ride.

En mi caso tengo instalados en mi Husky 300: - guarda manos cerrados - Guia cadena reforzado. - Protector de disco de freno delantero y trasero. - proyector de cárter y bieletas de la suspencion trasera. (Anteriormente utilice protector de carbono para el escape, pero desde hace 1 año yo no más) Y para mí es todo, en mi estilo de manejo hard enduro. El resto no lo considero necesario 🤷🏻‍♂️ Saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

It always sounds better in Spanish 😎

@tincho1979

Жыл бұрын

@@crosstrainingenduro Thanks 😉

I have a 2020 Dr650 with all the armor I can fit. Lol. I keep getting fuel in my air box the. Think it's float seals and float needle failing. Only seems to leak while running the engine

Plastic acerbis skid plate and unbreakable levers

#1 - Full wrap hand guards - skid plate - front and rear disc guards. I feel that full wrap hand guards protect more than just your bars and levers. It seems like it protects your whole bike somehow???

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

Definitely extra protection in the psychological sense lol. I tried running without them and didn't like the feeling of being 'exposed'.

@JensenSoT

Жыл бұрын

@@crosstrainingenduro Opposite for me hahah I had wrap arounds for ages but broke a finger and hurt my wrist a few times so I took them off and now use the stock ktm ones, I instantly felt safer and more free, i guess its just up to what's happened to you with or without them

Most pros are riding a supplied bike, that they don’t have to fix I know Chris Birch liked to keel his bikes as stock as possibly so replacement parts were easy to source, sometimes bronze riders would donate them during a race I’ll stick to armouring my to withstand a nuclear strike if it saves me buying new parts 😉😉

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

I remember Chris telling us that in a training session years ago. And he made fun of my bar risers lol.

@nzmarkb8713

Жыл бұрын

@@crosstrainingenduro No he doesn't like bar risers, Alfie Cox told him years ago he was way taller than him and didn't need them so why did he. They also mess with your steering geometry.

I believe the full wrap hand guards also make the bars much more rigid. Which leads to more arm pump.

@curtiswilkinson9379

Жыл бұрын

There is a local guy here in Alberta Canada that makes some awesome flag style handguard. They protect master cylinders and levers. They ar e super heavy duty. But lighter than full wrap and don’t compromise flex and no chance of breaking wrists.

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

Got a link, Curtis? I think I covered that style of guard in our handguards vid but didn't have any particular brands.

Question: with boots, have your looked at the alpinestars tech t boots about less protection?

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

I wouldn't wear any Alpinestars at all, I think the quality had dropped too much over the years.

@jarrodhilton4860

Жыл бұрын

@@crosstrainingenduro what about any other trials boot then? The footing on the t looks good for footing/ a lot of grip off the peg. Everything else seems very motox

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

See our vid about boot choice. If you opt for soft flexible boots you are always trading comfort for protection.

IMO proper protection for the terrain you ride minimizes the risk of being "THAT GUY ". Fixing stuff trail side is bad enough but holding up your riding buds while feeding the horde of Cannuckistaini bugs is just wrong .

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

I've experienced those cannuck bugs personally, James lol. I was swatting the bugs off the guys trying to fix the bike.... northern BC.

Its akin to fuel injection ,great for the Pro's ,overcomplicated and unnessary for muppets with no backup ,give me a carbied ,kickstarter back up ,2 stroke any day

A dirt bike is a tool, not a jewel!

@jamesdenton3692

Жыл бұрын

How Dare you say that about my girl friend , " Katie M"😁

ski plate only

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

For heavily snowed tracks? 😎

The pro's have a semi trailer full of spares ,mechanics backing them ,get picked up and taken back to base if their bikes fail and they don't pay for their bikes. Unlike us muppets who have none of this .Protect everything and using metal putty ,great for a temp fix ,hardly permanent

@crosstrainingenduro

Жыл бұрын

I'm always wary when someone says 'But this is how the pro riders do it' lol. Especially with bike protection... they live and ride in a totally different world to us!

Pro riders don’t use guards bc they don’t pay for bikes!! 😂