Crash Protection

Words Dean Mellor

Crashing a bike at speed can cause an incredible amount of damage to various components, such as the fairing, fuel tank, frame, fork legs, engine covers, handlebar, levers, footpegs, mirrors, exhaust system and more. In fact, you don’t have to crash at speed to damage many of these components; just the smallest carpark tumble can result in a long list of items that will either need to be repaired or replaced.

The best way to minimise potential damage to your bike in a mishap is to fit it with some form of protection. Of course, a set of substantial crash bars will likely provide the best chance of saving your bike if you bin it, but these will not suit all models, either physically or aesthetically, so another option is to fit crash sliders at key points on your bike to minimise the potential for damage.

Your bike’s brake and clutch levers are also vulnerable, especially if you ride dirtbike or adventure bike in the bush, so a set of sturdy handguards is another great addition to your defensive arsenal. And if you ride in the scrub, you might also want to consider upgrading your bike’s standard sump guard by fitting a tougher aftermarket item that will offer vital engine protection from big off-road hits.

Crash sliders

There are a number of crash sliders on the market including the Aussie made and engineered Oggy Knobbs, as well as imported items from R&G Racing, GB Racing, Rizoma, Barracuda, Evotech and more.

Frame sliders are designed to protect motorcycle components by being the first point of contact in a fall, taking the brunt of the impact and hopefully preventing expensive fairings and other components from copping severe abrasive damage.

Things to look for in a quality frame slider include bike-model-specific design with high quality fittings that will bolt straight up to your bike’s frame without having to cut into the fairing. On some bikes, a mounting frame will have to be supplied with the slider to achieve this, while on others the slider will bolt straight on to the frame.

Frame sliders need to be strong, but you don’t want something that’s too bulky or heavy, so look for a slider with a mount manufactured from tough but lightweight materials such as aircraft grade alloys, attached via high tensile bolts. The slider itself needs to offer a combination of shock absorption, abrasion resistance and strength, and most are manufactured from a plastic material with these properties, such as acetal.

Once you have your frame covered, the addition of a set of axle sliders will offer even more protection, hopefully preventing damage to components such as fork legs, swingarm, brakes and even wheels. Axle sliders mount through the axles and are commonly manufactured from the same materials as frame sliders.

Additional crash protection can be achieved by fitting bar-end sliders, swingarm bobbins, engine case sliders and exhaust protectors. These items will be available for many popular makes and models, but not all bikes will be covered.

As well as sliders, R&G Racing and GB Racing manufacture complete engine covers that offer better crash protection than OE covers. R&G’s engine covers are made from 4mm polypropylene for strength, durability and good looks, while GB Racing covers are injection moulded using a high-impact nylon/long-glass fibre composite material.

Crash Bars

While crash bars are not suited to all bikes, many nakedbikes, adventure bikes and even some fully faired sports-tourers can be fitted with this form comprehensive damage-limiting protection.

Crash bars are usually manufactured from steel and they mount to a bike’s frame at several points to spread the load and provide fairing, frame and engine protection. When choosing a crash bar have a good look at the design to ensure it’s perfectly compatible with your bike and any modifications you’ve made to it, for carrying luggage, for example.

As they’re made of steel crash bars should have a quality powder coat finish that will not only look good but also offer corrosion resistance. Some will also be compatible with mounting kits for other equipment such as auxiliary lighting.

Pannier mounts and panniers can also provide invaluable protection in the event of a crash.

Bash Plates

The demands of off-road riding mean additional risks from impacts, and whether you ride an enduro bike or an adventure bike, chances are it could use more engine protection than provided by the OE skid plate.

A number of companies manufacture bash plates (or skid plates) to suit a wide range of bikes, including Aussie firm Force Accessories and OS companies such as Touratech, Acerbis, Givi and SW-Motech.

When selecting a bash plate to suit your bike, you want a product that provides ample coverage and easy fitting/removal using existing mounting points. Other features to look for include recessed bolts that won’t be ripped off when the plate hits the ground, and fully welded construction. Of course, the plate needs to be thick enough to provide adequate protection, but not too heavy; aluminium is used by a lot of manufacturers.

Other features to look for include ventilation, to ensure the engine doesn’t overheat, and foam padding between the plate and the engine to prevent a build-up of mud when riding off-road. Oh, and an access port to the oil drain plug will save a lot of time when servicing the bike.

Hand Guards

Hand guards are another product aimed squarely at the off-road and adventure bike market, where there’s a high probability of clutch and brake levers copping a pounding from branches and the like when riding through the scrub, as well as the threat of breakages when the bike inevitably hits the deck.

While many off-road bikes come standard with plastic handguards, they’re simply not strong enough to take big hits, which is where the aftermarket comes in.

Barkbusters produces hand guards with tough, full wrap aluminium frames that mount at two points on the handlebar. They not only save your bike’s levers form hard impacts, but also your hands. There are a variety of styles to suit a wide range of on- and off-road bikes.

Another product that could keep you mobile of you drop your bike is foldable brake and clutch levers, which could be an ideal solution for sportsbike riders who reckon hand guards look too bulky.

That’s a wrap

High quality protection doesn’t come cheap, with a set of frame sliders costing between $200 and $500, while a set of basic crash bars can range from $300-$500 depending on bike make and model, but when you consider the cost of repairs if you crash, anything you outlay on damage limitation will likely prove money well spent.