Pipe guard advice please? (2 stroke expansion chamber protection)

I'm looking for advice on pipe guard protection for the shiny new FMF Gnarly bolted onto my first ever 2 stroke (Sherco300)
I'm paranoid it'll be beaten to death in no time. I say that because the 6mm aluminium bash plate on my 310 has deep gouges and dings that would ruin a frame.

So whats go... ?

I see these cages that I could make...
or ugly "aluminium skeleton looking one size fits all" guards...
or big shovel looking things...
or pretty little carbon pipe skins...

Here's my uneducated thoughts so far

Cages

• could work if designed well
• may hold mud
• could transfer force to frame / frame tabs. Maybe not good
• takes time to make

Aluminium skeleton looking things

• what the hell is this gonna do apart from stopping a few roost dings and making my bike look like shit?
• rattle, vibration etc???

Shovels

• good protection?... but errr, I don't know

Carbon Skin

• Looks good
• roost protection
• available for my bike (P3 - as below)
• big impact would take it out anyway and may as well put money towards a spare pipe???

Opinions?

I'm a metal fabricator by trade have made Custom Expansion chambers since 1974. I would go with the carbon guard and could build any of the first 3 pictured. If I smashed the carbon guard, which isn't likely and the pipe was damaged. I'd just build a new pipe and then I'd attach 1/4" metal rods for protection directly to the pipe instead of doing the cage like picture 1.

Exhaust expansion chambers are relatively cheap to replace. Even the hand rolled, works of art "Scalvini" pipes are relatively inexpensive to purchase.

4 stroke thumper exhaust systems on the other hand are ridiculously overpriced.

For what they sell a single S/S headpipe and silencer for now you could buy a complete Tig welded HKS dual exhaust system made of S/S fully mirror polished for a Nissan 350Z for instance with silenced mufflers. Probably cheaper! Which takes about 30 times more material and labor. I should know because I've done it myself.

I would go with the carbon. Its suprisingly resilient as it absorbs impact energy and disperses it over area and time, like a crumple zone without the crumple. Im looking for some for my FMF pipe off the yammy WR but cant source any and havent had any experience fab'ing any. You might have more luck with your Sherco though.

Carbon, was amazed the abused I put it through. Only scratched after many many hits.

What I would really like to know is why do neither of the stock mounting tabs (below the pipe on the front of the frame and the one above the clutch) on the chamber on the Sherco mount to anything. I know nowadays they do have a few single production pipes that happen to fit a few different brands and models but the mounts aren't even connected? WTF. Is that one of the reasons stamped Chambers nowadays are so inexpensive or cheap? Please don't say yes to that because it is ridiculous that it doesn't fit correctly or has unused mounts that don't all line up with something? No wonder I always made all of my own hand rolled cone pipes on all my 2 strokes. I mean what the hell is the Nickel plating for? So it doesn't rust after it falls off or so it will shine in the daylight like a beacon after it falls off so you can go back and find it? Please don't answer that either!

Looks like carbon is the go Boogie

And the unanimous verdict is Carbon!

Thanks guys, next time I'm at the "checkout page" i'll actually proceed with the order on the Carbon Guard.

Its all good Timmy, they just haven't bolted up that one in the pic yet. Mine is secured by those tabs.