I rode the Shotgun Enduro in PA last weekend, and although I emerged relatively unscathed, I can't say the same for my rear brake rotor. I am SUPER lucky this didn't end my run. Note the broken floating bushing above, and the cracked rotor tab below. I heard several nasty metal-on-rock clanks during the ride, but I didn't notice the brake damage until a road transfer section where my brake pedal pulsed like I had ABS. This could have been even worse had I broken the mount tab on the hub. SO glad that didn't happen. Needless to say, I have a little box from Motosportz headed my way with a rotor, new pads (they're unevenly worn due to the bend), AND A GUARD!!!
Yep, the guards are good, mine has a lot of gouges and scratches on it. There is a school of thought though that does not support the rear disc guards. This is based on a presumption the disc guard could transfer its shock load to the swing arm and damage it or bend it. Dunno, but personally I am glad of my guard.
The guard would have to be WAY overbuilt for that to happen. Swingarms are seriously strong. I just don't see that happening nor have I ever heard of someone bending a swing arm on a modern bike.
Local bike mechanic has seen the inner aluminium slide that the guard slides into ripped off on several bikes, I recall one was a Honda only quite recently. Just saying.
I have seen quite a few YZ tabs on both side of the swingarm shear off from rock impacts... We all have to remember that they are intended for glance protection.. My nephew thinks they are full protection and throw caution to the wind... Ouch Sorry, My "SHOTGUN" trails were nibbling on that disc.. Chow, Carl
Did a number on that one for sure. I've got a Scott guard on my CR250R (honda, sorry) that's a combo brake carrier/axle spacer/disc guard. It is made of very thick aluminum and the way it mounts up the shock would be transfered almost exclusively to the axle, so no real worries about the guard doing more harm than good. I've had the rear end drop down and land solidly on the guard in really rocky sections. Maybe something similar is available for the husqvarna?
Yes, I remember "back in the day" (80's enduros) the NJ riders used to hate coming up here to PA for our enduros because of our rock gardens (tombstone trail with the big Husky crown painted on the one boulder comes to mind) My first year with my new Husky I didn't have any guards on, and after a ride in the Tower City area with an old ex-enduro friend, I came home with a slightly bent front rotor. Surprisingly, I could straighten it out to be true again and not rub the brake pads. Now I have Kellys guards on front and rear and the other week, I jumped off a bank about 2 feet down into a creek playriding up in Lycoming county at my camp and heard a loud rock-on-aluminim CLANG, but kept riding. When I got back to camp I surveyed the bike and there was a big gouge on the rear guard, but the rotor was unscathed. I took a file and removed the sharp aluminum burr off the guard and it's good to go. Wouldn't run without them now.
I've got both Motosportz's and Enduro Engineering's offerings currently mounted on the bikes. Both have proven their worth judging by the hits showing on the shark fins. EE's is the top 2 pics and replaces the brake caliper carrier as an assembly. It also features a replaceable fin when you thinks it's had enough. Motosportz's is the bottom pick and I've had it the longest with no issues at all. It is axle supported and replaces the stock spacer. Both are good choices compared to nothing and are probably not going to break anything else back there if a MAJOR hit is taken.
