Hmmmm... what have we here? Here it is fresh out of the plastic bag! Motosportz on the left, OEM on the right Front view of OEM plate Here's the challenge..... Slim, light frame with motor sticking out all over the place Blind nuts supplied with kit and installed in previously unused slots in crossmember below oil drain plug. Loose fit looking from rear. Frame coverage looking toward rear, much better than stock! View from right side showing skidplate ears covering frame. Frontal coverage. Right side. Left side. Still pretty lean profile. Fender shows I stuck my nose where it didn't belong Kudo's to Kelly, Mike and Company at Motosportz for this product! Hex head bolts at front and rear are 10mm wrench. The 2 mid-span button head bolts are #40 Torx bolts that go into self locking nuts welded onto J shaped frame clamps pictured in 2nd picture. These mid-span clamps appear to provide additional security for the plate in addition to the blind nuts installed in the rear crossmember under the oil drain plug. 10 minute install. Pretty darn good coverage compared to the competition. I like the ears! Now I need to get it dirty!
Nice writeup Greg, thanks. I don't run the frame clamps but people who ride a lot of rocks might want to. Without them it is quick to pull it off for oil changes and inspection / cleaning. It's a good plate. Will have them up on the site tomorrow.
I've been thinking about this since seeing the 2010 250s at the dealer show in July and I've got to ask - how much of a challenge was it compared to other skidplates?
I stuck it into a really thick shrub during a steep, slippery downhill decent. There may have been a tree involved too, I was so smoked I don't remember clearly. I dropped the bike probably 10-15 times that ride! At least it's easier to pick up than the 510 I gave the skidplate a good break-in last weekend learning how to cross medium size (16-18") logs properly. No problemo and the ears are definitely getting some use protecting the frame.
Good job Motosportz on that skid'r/bash plate! It's a nice fit and is more than stout enough to handle all the bashing that underside would normally take!
Just an update on the skid plate. Most of the time folks only post when things break or don't work right so I figured I'd post the opposite since the sun is out and the plate is off for an oil change. I've had this thing through pretty much everything Western WA has to offer for terrain, I believe. 900 tough miles and 92 hours clocked. A few hare scrambles, a Desert 100 in Eastern WA, playing on the Lava rocks at the Husky gathering in Bend. Rocks, roots, mud holes lined with rocks/roots, cement stair steps, cement road blocks (don't ask). No broken welds and the ears have taken a lot of beating while still remaining functional without folding or cracking. I've had many hits, you know, the ones that come all the way up through the frame and wondered how things would look at the end of the day.....no problemo! Thanks Motosportz!
Yeah, I hadn't looked at the plate very closely since installing it early last year (I think I was the first recipient )and realized it has been through a lot of my inconsistent, squid abuse and is looking good! Kind of took it for granted except when I got one of those "Kablaam!" shock waves through the frame from some devious piece of nature
