I'm curious what people think about this. Is the benefit of the guards (hand protection, possible protection of levers and other components if guards don't swivel) worth the risk of damaging the barrel nut or brake line if the bike takes a spill and the guards do swivel?

Has anyone with a similar installation of Barkbusters or Trackside (or other) ever hit the throttle side guard and taken out their brake line?

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Master of the obvious...
Ol' Bug Brain of the Sons of Practicality MC

2012 DL650AL2

This is what mine look like. I dropped the bike in the garage on this side and the bracket/mount did not budge, although the bar bent pretty well.



I think the most common type of fall (tipping over on it's side) is going to push the mount away from the brake MC. If you whack it hard enough to push it upwards into the MC then you're going to have a lot more serious problems to worry about than a broken brake line...I wouldn't worry about it.

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'12 DL650A VStrom

I installed a set of these trackside guards on my L2 also, but I had replaced my bars first.
The pullback on the stock bars cause my wrists to hurt...

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L2V -- not so much stuff--well I guess that i blew that one...FOR SALE

Great write-up. I had already gouged the plastic cowling and busted my knuckles trying to get the correct Trackside fit on my 08 wee, then finally I checked stromtrooper. It never occurred to me I could shorten the mounting posts by grinding them down a bit. Absolutely solved the fit problem I was having. Now I'm just hoping I can solve the bike dropping problem I'm having when I take my poor wee off road! Totally destroyed both turn signals, one OEM hand guard, one side case and a clutch lever in a single afternoon of off-road, snow packed folly.

Thanks for posting the picture. The Barkbusters have a bit more clearance, but still close to the MC. I think you have it right...I'm just gonna ride and stop worrying about it.

__________________
Master of the obvious...
Ol' Bug Brain of the Sons of Practicality MC

2012 DL650AL2

Cycle gear has these for $20 on sale today!! I got some today! Can't wait to get them!

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2006 Vstrom 650

1999 Triumph Trophy 1200

2012 Vstrom 650 (current)

The ones for $20 are brush-guards, not the handguards that can be had on sale for $45.

Ah.. Touché... Well all I really needed was wind deflectors anyways. . these should do the trick.

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2006 Vstrom 650

1999 Triumph Trophy 1200

2012 Vstrom 650 (current)

Well I got my Trackside Brushguards and got them installed. They are a tight fit, and i had to do some adjusting. Thought I'd share my pics

Trackside Brushguards


I had to move the controls on the right side VERY slightly


I was worried it was going to pinch the cable going into the throttle...but it "looks" ok....


Made it fit (Right side)



I love how the labels come off VERY easily


At first I'd hoped that I could just move over the Heaterz controller and it would work



But 1) it was too far away from my hand, and 2) it hit the windscreen at full lock

It looks better here and is even


The Left side



They look good


Potential use of the stickers....I'll see if it grows on me




One note, even though I did some adjusting, they still do "touch" the windscreen at both full locks...but JUST barely...so i'm happy.

Tomorrow morning it'll be about 36F...we'll see if I like the wind protection.

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2006 Vstrom 650

1999 Triumph Trophy 1200

2012 Vstrom 650 (current)

Well done. You will feel some relief from the cold air.


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__________________
Master of the obvious...
Ol' Bug Brain of the Sons of Practicality MC

2012 DL650AL2