Dan Vesel's Delux Skid Plate

[wingman]

I was looking for a skid plate to do two things; keep the underside of my bike from damage in an unlikely event I take it off pavement and to be used as a lifting point when working on my bike. As it turns out, Dan Vesel makes two types of skid plates, a basic model and a deluxe with deluxe doing exactly what I wanted. Here is my fist impression of it.

Description:
This plate cost $125 and is about $40 more then the standard one. It is of heavy gauge steel with all of mounting points welded as well as bolted together for additional strength. This plate uses three mounting points instead of 2 used by the standard one. It is mounted to the holes located at the front bottom of the engine, center stand and replaces and exhaust pipe bolt where it is mounted to the frame.

One thing of importance; if you plan on installing this plate you will not be able to install a center stand in conjunction with it. The standard plate Dan offers is shorter in size and installing a center stand with it is not a problem. However, Dan does not recommend the standard plate to be used for lifting a bike as it does not offer enough of lifting surface. The finished in matted hammer black, which I found to be of very good quality.
http://home.comcast.net/~agolder/Images/skidplate.jpg

Installation:
Installation was about 20 minutes and is pretty strait forward. Remove a bolt that attaches the exhaust to the bottom of the frame. Mount the plate using provided nuts and bolts to the holes in engine front and the center stand bracket. Insert and tighten a new bolt that will attach the plate to exhaust system. Note: its easier to insert the front bolt from right to left. This will provide you with more room to tighten the nut in place.

Here are a some pictures with the plate completely installed.
http://home.comcast.net/~agolder/Images/bike_bottom.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~agolder/Images/bike_underside.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~agolder/Images/engine_lifted.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~agolder/Images/bike_lifted.jpg

As you can see, the plate does indeed provide a good stable surface for lifting the bike.
Overall I think Dan has a good product for a very reasonable price.

Anyone interested in getting this plate or any other product Dan makes for the V-Strom can contact him at CHERDAN@webtv.net

Wingman

[sacdjh]

Wingman: I like this bash plate better than any others I've seen. Couple of questions:
Do you have to remove it to get to the oil drain plug?
Does he make one for the DL1000's?
Thanks

[wingman]

Yes, you do need to remove the plate in order to do an oild change but its really not a big deal.

Wingman

[trailbuster30]

Wingman, if you wish, you can remove the skid plate to drain your oil or you can do it the lazyman's way, like myself : ), and just insert a piece of aluminum foil that has been shaped into a kind of funnel or trough under the drain plug and directed off the side of the skid plate into an oil pan where the oil will collect. It makes the whole procedure quick, easy and clean. Of course, if I'm in a really lazy mood I'll just let it run right off the skid plate. :lol:

Dan

[wingman]

Thanks Dan, good to know but I enjoy tinkering with my bikes and the extra 5 minutes is therapy.

Wingman

[revel22]

Wingman, if you wish, you can remove the skid plate to drain your oil or you can do it the lazyman's way, like myself : ), and just insert a piece of aluminum foil that has been shaped into a kind of funnel or trough under the drain plug and directed off the side of the skid plate into an oil pan where the oil will collect. It makes the whole procedure quick, easy and clean. Of course, if I'm in a really lazy mood I'll just let it run right off the skid plate.



Dan, I modified your skidplate for better oil drainage. It now has a slight indented funnel spout that I muscled into the plate parallel to the drain plug hole. The oil hits the indentation and flows right off the plate into the waste oil container. Oil doesn't mess up the rest of the plate, just the two inch long indentation I put in the skidplate.