It really depends on what kind of riding you do. For what you have described, your skid plate will not be absorbing much abuse. Most everyone here will agree that a really hard strike on a large rock to a skid plate that is engine mounted might do more damage to the engine cases than a frame mounted plate.

The Happy Trails skid plate mounts to a transverse bracket in the rear that bolts to the frame on the right side (where the exhaust pipe is clamped) and to the kick stand bracket on the left. Mine sustained a hit on the bottom of the plate by a rock that left a gouge in the soft aluminum. No other damage. It is positioned about as high up as a plate can go, just under the exhaust, and it bolts to several brands of crash bars up front. That said, the HT skid plate that I bought for my '13 DL650 earlier this year is enormous. I think they make one size that fits all. It affords great protection and has no downsides other than visual (some folks here have said one brand or another of crash bars look ugly - to each his own) and perhaps cost.

If you are shopping for a skid plate, do a 'skid plate' and 'crash bar' or 'engine guard' search and start reading threads. There is a lot of info here. Keep a pad and pencil handy to take notes and list the brands of skid plates and crash bars that are mentioned. Then go to the websites (google search) and check them out. You can get plastic, steel and aluminum plates; crash bars are almost mandatory if you are going to go off road. Things happen. One item - i think T-Rex racing offers a plastic puck for their crash bars. I made a pair for my bike, experimented to see what would touch down first to locate them, then mounted them. Between my solo box panniers and the puck, I got no scratches or damage when I dropped my bike when attempting to start from stopped on a curve in an uphill gravel road.

 

I went with the Ravetech bolted skid plate. Mounts to oem crash bars and under kickstand bolts. Seems like a good find, Even some videos on YouTube for it. I'll let you know when it arrives and I get it mounted on my 2018 how I feel. Comes from Thailand but it's half the cost of the SW motech that mounts to engine...

 

Although I don’t intend to do the Baja 1000 with the WeeStrom, the engine hanging exposed concerned me a bit even for the slightly rough roads. I went with the T-Rex Racing (Dallas, TX) bash plate that mounts to the frame. It’s a little bulky-looking, but I feel it could take a hard hit and protect the power plant. It has good construction quality at a reasonable price.

 

I did the Happy Trails on mine too. Easy install, mounts to the frame. The Givi plate I had on my 650 wasn't NEARLY as stout and mounted to the engine case.


https://www.happy-trail.com/find-yo...nd-your-bike/suzuki/v-strom-650-2017/happy-trails-v-strom-skid-plate-dl650.html

 

I did the Happy Trails on mine too. Easy install, mounts to the frame. The Givi plate I had on my 650 wasn't NEARLY as stout and mounted to the engine case.

Is that a 650 pictured with the HT bash plate? I got their skid plate this past winter and I've jokingly said it was a cut down bathtub and HT made one size to fit ALL V Stroms. It is enormous on my DL650, but looks like it was made just for your bike.

Sure is stout though. I tagged a rock or two on rough two track and have a nice gouge in the bottom of plate - it did not move and did what I expected of it.

 

I have Givi skid plate on my DL650, and it does mount to the engine. It is only 3mm soft aluminum and is riveted rather than welded. This design to me indicates it will likely deform before any damage is done to the crankcase. My off-pavement riding is all gravel township and forestry roads and an occasional minimum-maintenance road; no creek beds rocky outcrops, etc, nothing severe enough o worry about high centering, so an engine mounted design is of no concern for my riding. I just wanted something to prevent stones & debris from hitting the oil filter.
Although it is strange that Givi doesn't make a frame & crash bar mounted skid plate that would utilize their own crash bars.

 

I went with the Ravtech mini for the same reasons. I'm not even sure I'm going to get any engine guards.

 

Like others I just wanted some cursory rock protection so I went with the Weld86 plate. Reasonably prices, easy to install, cleans up after an oil change easily too. The oil film keeps the powder coated aluminum from rusting too.
I had a humungous steel bash plate from one of the vendors but the first curb I jumped during some road construction, it hit. My weld tucks in closer and doesn't reduce the ground clearance.

 

Like others I just wanted some cursory rock protection so I went with the Weld86 plate. Reasonably prices, easy to install, cleans up after an oil change easily too. The oil film keeps the powder coated aluminum from rusting too.

I went with the Weld86 for the same reason. I won't be riding crazy off road stuff, I just wanted some protection from gravel and dirt. If I somehow find myself in terrain that causes me to damage this plate, then I've way worse concerns than the fate of my motorcycle.

 

Rolled the dice and ordered this skid....
Has anyone installed one???

 

Looks like an alternative to the RaveTech…
If it will allow the plastic cowl to remain.. crossin fingers!!

 

Installing the Ravtech was a little bit fiddly getting the brackets where the holes would line up. Once I got it on, the OEM plastic guard didn’t fit very well. I really had to reef on it to get the holes lined up. It was like the plate was 1/8” too long in front.

 

Do yourself a favor and dont fall for the cheap price on the Givi skidplate. Givi gear is trash.

 

Maybe the plate is, but their panniers and tank bags most certainly are not.

 

The Ravtech is sturdy enough for my needs. I just thought the plastic guard would be easier to install.

 

Depends on how serious a bash plate you need. Don’t come any tougher than B&B off road.

 

Hi All - does anyone know if the Weld86 allows you to keep the plastic cosmetic lower fairing that comes with the newest Wee XT? I really like the look and just want some protection for the lower components of the engine.

Thanks,
Ray

 

Hi All - does anyone know if the Weld86 allows you to keep the plastic cosmetic lower fairing that comes with the newest Wee XT?

It does not. You want the mini skid plate from RaveTech.

 

Thanks Brock!!!

 

I have noticed over the years that people's opinion of the Givi skidpan depends greatly on the riders mission for the bike. Those with harsh comments about it seam to want a substantial skid pan for heavy duty use, like crossing logs and needing to support the bike, and assume anything less is unacceptable. There has also been a tendency to assume that everyone should want a heavy duty skid pan like they want and anything less is "junk" presumably because it will not hold up for challenging single track.

Those who do not need a heavy duty skid plate often love it. I just got a call yesterday from someone who loves his Givi engine protector and wanted to tell me so. I also believe these riders makes up about 98% (SWAG) of V-Strom owners.

In the end it always comes down to why the owner thinks he (or maybe why they think everyone) should want a skid pan. My personal opinion is the Givi is a viable choice for anyone not riding challenging single track and concerned with protecting their oil filter from flying stones and debris. It is a much better choice for its mission than a skid pan that looks like, and sold as an off-road skid pan that mounts to the engine side case bolt mounting points. They have been proven to be able take a hit, transfer the shock to those side cases and crack and/or break those side cases. Examples exist here on Stromtrooper.

It would also be smart to dwell on the logic behind any other rugged (e.g., thick, strong) skid plate that mounts to the side cases. That is not the same as mounting to the lower spare engine mount on the bottom of the engine. That point is much more robust than the engine side case bolt holes.

Which leads to an even greater possibility for that majority of owners that has not yet been explored.

 

I have noticed over the years that people's opinion of the Givi skidpan depends greatly on the riders mission for the bike. Those with harsh comments about it seam to want a substantial skid pan for heavy duty use, like crossing logs and needing to support the bike, and assume anything less is unacceptable. There has also been a tendency to assume that everyone should want a heavy duty skid pan like they want and anything less is "junk" presumably because it will not hold up for challenging single track.

Those who do not need a heavy duty skid plate often love it. I just got a call yesterday from someone who loves his Givi engine protector and wanted to tell me so. I also believe these riders makes up about 98% (SWAG) of V-Strom owners.

In the end it always comes down to why the owner thinks he (or maybe why they think everyone) should want a skid pan. My personal opinion is the Givi is a viable choice for anyone not riding challenging single track and concerned with protecting their oil filter from flying stones and debris. It is a much better choice for its mission than a skid pan that looks like, and sold as an off-road skid pan that mounts to the engine side case bolt mounting points. They have been proven to be able take a hit, transfer the shock to those side cases and crack and/or break those side cases. Examples exist here on Stromtrooper.

It would also be smart to dwell on the logic behind any other rugged (e.g., thick, strong) skid plate that mounts to the side cases. That is not the same as mounting to the lower spare engine mount on the bottom of the engine. That point is much more robust than the engine side case bolt holes.

Which leads to an even greater possibility for that majority of owners that has not yet been explored.

This is a salient point and an issue I brouht in my first post. The Ravetech uses an exhaust and side stand bolt for the rear mounting point and the spare engine mount on the bottom of the engine for the front mount. It's much thicker than I thought it would be too.

 

I have the Givi and it's certainly not junk. It's light duty protection for the bottom of the engine. I have been on rocky dirt roads with stones banging off it and was glad to have it there. If I were to think about more rugged off road work, I would get a beefier plate.

 

3mm (0.125") same as the Givi. A useful oil filter guard for flying stones.

Also a great DIY project, except for the bracket that runs from exhaust bolt to the side stand bolts, but that could be fabricated by a DIY type on a cold winter day.

 

Morning Troopers,

A quick note to share my thoughts on the Ravetech Mini Skid Plate. It came in yesterday. Extremely well packaged and it looks like it is high quality. The hardware seems good and the powder coat was thick and consistent. Photos with step by step installation instructions are included. Installation was easy. The only remotely negative comment I have is in regards to the factory lower plastic cowl. It does fit over the skid plate and looks awesome when installed, but, it barely fits....you have to do a little tugging and pulling to get it to fit. It is about as close to not fitting as you can get.

As far as my thoughts on how "functional" it is...... I am an avid dirt biker. So, I am familiar with big log crossings and that kind of thing. The mounting brackets for this skid plate would bend and buckle if you ever put the weight of the bike on it - during a log crossing or in an attempt to get over a large obstacle. But, I do believe that if you misjudged the height of a rock or did not account for suspension loading, the Ravetech Mini could take a light to moderate strike without deforming the bracket or placing too much force on the engine case - which this plate does bolt to. I think the bracket would bend before the case would be damaged because it uses the hole that goes all the way through the case....not just an engine cover bolt.

Anyway, I think it will be perfect for what I intend to use if for.

All the best,
Ray

 

Morning Troopers,

A quick note to share my thoughts on the Ravetech Mini Skid Plate. It came in yesterday. Extremely well packaged and it looks like it is high quality. The hardware seems good and the powder coat was thick and consistent. Photos with step by step installation instructions are included. Installation was easy. The only remotely negative comment I have is in regards to the factory lower plastic cowl. It does fit over the skid plate and looks awesome when installed, but, it barely fits....you have to do a little tugging and pulling to get it to fit. It is about as close to not fitting as you can get.

As far as my thoughts on how "functional" it is...... I am an avid dirt biker. So, I am familiar with big log crossings and that kind of thing. The mounting brackets for this skid plate would bend and buckle if you ever put the weight of the bike on it - during a log crossing or in an attempt to get over a large obstacle. But, I do believe that if you misjudged the height of a rock or did not account for suspension loading, the Ravetech Mini could take a light to moderate strike without deforming the bracket or placing too much force on the engine case - which this plate does bolt to. I think the bracket would bend before the case would be damaged because it uses the hole that goes all the way through the case....not just an engine cover bolt.

Anyway, I think it will be perfect for what I intend to use if for.

All the best,
Ray

Would you contact Ravtech about the fit? I did, but they sort of blew me off as if I was the only one that had an issue. They need to fix it.

 

Thanks for the report. I'm not into heavy offroading, more like fire roads and it is nice that it fits under the Suzuki plastic guard...even with a bit of wiggling

 

Sure will!!!!

 

Thanks

 

The Ravetech mini skid plate is currently out of stock. Darn it.

 

Do any of these have issues with a center stand? I got the XT touring model that came with the center stand. It will probably take away from ground clearance but I just plan to do light offroad, I have other bikes for the harder stuff.

 

no issue with the center stand.

 

Hi guys: I use to have an 2016 650 XT with the Suzuki plastic protector, I have done some off-road with it (AVD really), until I totaled doing off-road of the road, but I never jumped over a log or a hard obstacle. All that being said, the plastic Under Cowling(as Suzuki call it) received some hits by dropping the bike and debris did hit it, but it never broke or show damage other than scratches.
My newer 650 2018 XT came with an B&B bash plate. The plate itself looks like it was taken from a side of a tank. it's a sturdy 5mm aluminium plate. My concern is that it is mounted using the bolts in the exhaust port.
So if I am to go over a log or an obstacle , I am afraid to break the exhaust port bolts

Bash Plate - Suzuki DL650 V STROM

B & B Off Roads Suzuki DL 650 V Strom bash plate is made from 5mm aluminium 5083 plate. This plate is chosen because of its extreme suitability for welding, abrasion and impact resistance, bearing in mind the full weight of the bike and rider. All bash plates are supplied with the necessary...

bboffroad.com.au

Anyone have had this happened to you ?

 

Resurecting an old post, I know. Just received my Givi skid plate. I read many people say it's not the most robust, so I kept my expectations low. But this thing looks like it's made from cheese. Even more flimsy than I expected. I suppose it might deflect small rocks and gravel while riding fire roads, but that's about it.