Skid plate / engine guard combination options?

5773 Views 7 Replies 6 Participants Last post by jettawreck, 7 mo ago

The Schrocketeer

Discussion Starter · 9 mo ago

Would you please share your recommendations for both a skid plate and engine guards that work together from my 2009 DL650?

My riding goal is exploring 2-track, with a potential of Trans America Trail. The Westpoint, TN sections are less than an hour from my house.

Givi's site shows they still make the engine guards for our generation, but not corresponding skid plate. Weld86 looks like a good skid plate. Comments here say they have awesome customer support. I'm not sure how it would work with the Givi engine guards?

This picture is my bike as of last week.

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The Schrocketeer

Discussion Starter · #2 · 9 mo ago

Charlie from Weld86 responded (emailed back in less than an hour!) that his skid plate should have no problems interfering with Givi engine guards.

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jettawreck

· #3 · 9 mo ago

I believe my 2007 650 has Givi bars and I added the Cosmo skid plate. Highly recommend them. I have "tested" the bars and plate on and off road multiple times.

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LabradorBoy

· #4 · 9 mo ago

That Cosmo skid plate really does look great.

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Byronw

· #5 · 9 mo ago

Check out or call these guys in Boise. Good folks. And, on my 2014 DL1000, I can lift the bike getting both wheels off the ground with my hydraulic jack under the skid plate at tire change time. Having had the Givi bars and skid plate, these are much, much sturdier.

Protection - V-Strom DL650 (2004 - 2011) - Suzuki - Find By Bike (happy-trail.com)

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dbfairman

· #6 · 7 mo ago

Hello, I'm in the same situation as the The Schrocketeer who started this thread. And I almost bought Happy Trail crash bar and skid plate for my 2006 DL 650. But...it looked maybe a bit cumbersom?? So I now am inclined to try the Outback Motortek bars and skid plate. But my one question remains; wondering about the strength of the upper engine bracket/through bolt as a mounting point. I see on 2016 and later models, Suzuki has an OEM crash bar which mounts to this through bolt. And I wonder if they have strengthened that upper engine mount bracket since my 2006. Most other manufacturers go out of their way to avoid this as a mounting point. On my 2006, that v bracket is not a solid bar, but U shaped with internal cross bracing on the inner side. I wonder if 2012 or later Vs have solid upper engine brackets. Trying to understand if Suzuki's more recent belief in that bracket applies to my 2006 bike as well. Does any one know? Thx.

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bildinsh

· #7 · 7 mo ago

dbfairman said:
Hello, I'm in the same situation as the The Schrocketeer who started this thread. And I almost bought Happy Trail crash bar and skid plate for my 2006 DL 650. But...it looked maybe a bit cumbersom?? So I now am inclined to try the Outback Motortek bars and skid plate. But my one question remains; wondering about the strength of the upper engine bracket/through bolt as a mounting point. I see on 2016 and later models, Suzuki has an OEM crash bar which mounts to this through bolt. And I wonder if they have strengthened that upper engine mount bracket since my 2006. Most other manufacturers go out of their way to avoid this as a mounting point. On my 2006, that v bracket is not a solid bar, but U shaped with internal cross bracing on the inner side. I wonder if 2012 or later Vs have solid upper engine brackets. Trying to understand if Suzuki's more recent belief in that bracket applies to my 2006 bike as well. Does any one know? Thx.

My guess would be that Suzuki is thinking that its fine if you want to protect your oil filter from rocks and branches, but I would go jumping over logs with a skid plate attached to an engine.

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jettawreck

· #8 · 7 mo ago

bildinsh said:
My guess would be that Suzuki is thinking that its fine if you want to protect your oil filter from rocks and branches, but I would go jumping over logs with a skid plate attached to an engine.

True, but that is perhaps also a bit out of the intended market usage of a V-Strom, although I have lightly bounced mine off a few logs to no damage.

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