Use Hand Guards or Not? (Saving Lever Type)

[mglmstr]

I was about to purchase some hand guards from my local dealer, but the owner suggested not to.  He's 69 and rides hard. 

 

His reasoning is if you crash, you are much more likely to break your wrist or arm if it gets caught in there.  After he said that it makes a ton of sense.  You can always limp your bike home with no clutch / front brake lever so I've decided not to get them.  I might buy some brush guards, but I don't think I'm going to get the barkbuster type guards because of his reasoning.

 

What are your thoughts?

Edited April 17, 2014 by mglmstr

[Tro1086]

Id rather have the protection on my bike.  Im not really worried about my arm going thru the guard in a wreck.  Im sure it could happen, but I dont see it happening that easy.

[flattrack1]

Interesting opinion. I can visualize that as I have seen body parts end up entangled in some pretty strange ways on motorcycles. Personally I prefer plastic guards not the solid bark buster style. No real reason. Just personal preference.

Cheers.

Go Green. Ride Air Cooled!!!

[MentalGuru]

I have avoided many broken fingers using them.  Used them since '85 and haven't had any issues or reasons not to use them.  I've seen them help many times though...

[gnath9]

I do not think I could get my arms in there very easy .... your levers are in there too. Maybe if you had some super skinny/small hands and the bark busters where a big loop type then maybe I could see it .... also if you crash that bad ... you also have lots of other things to worry about ...  ?

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2014 by gnath9

[hockeyrick]

Im old school, unless your in some weird stuff, or doing ISDE, just an added expense. Also, aesthetically, takes away from the clean look of a bike! Plus, here need all the cool air to keep the hands from sweating so much, but like everything, to each his own!

[hockeyrick]

Id rather have the protection on my bike.  Im not really worried about my arm going thru the guard in a wreck.  Im sure it could happen, but I dont see it happening that easy.

Common sense wise, if your crashing or going down, most dont hold on for dear life, u let go and break your fall in other ways! Back in the day, its the palms  in the hand and all the tiny little broken bones that take all the abuse. 

That being said, maybe its the psyche factor!

[jakePawoodsrider]

I don't think he means your Arms getting stuck I think he means like you going over bars still holdin on and you could break your wrist/hand but if you wanna save levers and keep Jagger's or whatever from hitting and ripping your gloves by unbreakable levers and brush guards you get the best of both worlds

[gnath9]

I have avoided many broken fingers using them.  Used them since '85 and haven't had any issues or reasons not to use them.  I've seen them help many times though...

 

I am with MG on this one ..... if you are about to bounce of a tree it is pretty hard to let go to save your hands and risk a crash  .... if you are about to or in a tumble or go down .... it is easy to let go to prepare for the crash landing .... this is some logic I have a hard time putting into words to make my point ...  ?

 

The guards are not for protecting your levers .... they are for protecting your hands ....   hence the term ... "hand guards" 

 

once again it is all about where and how you ride .... on a MX track they make mud/roost deflectors that do a fine job. In the woods ... they make hand guards. 

Edited April 18, 2014 by gnath9

[dmrphy03]

I was about to purchase some hand guards from my local dealer, but the owner suggested not to. He's 69 and rides hard.

His reasoning is if you crash, you are much more likely to break your wrist or arm if it gets caught in there. After he said that it makes a ton of sense. You can always limp your bike home with no clutch / front brake lever so I've decided not to get them. I might buy some brush guards, but I don't think I'm going to get the barkbuster type guards because of his reasoning.

What are your thoughts?

I actually had some of the same worries about these in the past, but more about the bars on the sides getting in the way and not being able to get my hand out of the way in a crash. Anyway, i was at the honda shop a few days ago and they actually have 2 different types, the typical bark busters and then theres a "pro" series they make where the bar still hooks on the side but then drops down to provide clearance so you can get your hands out of the way in a bad situation. Just thought i would throw that out there...

http://www.cyclebuy.com/shopping/cycra/handguard_series_one.htm

[Billi Ji]

Like gnath said, handguards, for protecting hands from branches and so on. The mx handguards for stones and stuff thrown up by other bikes. 
But they can also protect hands when you come off on the road. i have a fkd-up little finger that is unusable, because it got fkd up by hitting a car that turned in front of me while i was overtaking it, it would probably have been ok if i'd had handguards. But, "back in the day", on a CB350. If you go down like a low-side or somehow your hand is still on the handlebar when it hits the road, it could stop your hand getting between the handlebar and the road. i'm thinking of getting the Acerbis plastic handguards for that - the ones like Rick Ramsey got, because i think that thick plastic - with the screw - would do the job. Still clutter but much lighter. These...

 

 

 

...but see the big "fold-back" part, that's what puts me off them, don't know why they make them like that, what the point is. 

Edited April 18, 2014 by Cat ji

[sruiz67]

I'll just say that I have hand guards on my wr250f and those things have saved my levers. I have laid the bike over 3 times since I've had it. None were that crazy but if I don't have these I would have been replacing levers for sure. Those things are super good. I've never had any trouble getting free either. When I'm going down I'm like "bye felisha" and I bail.

[Billi Ji]

some handguards are bettter than others. some have better metal.  some bend, some get pushed out of place, depends. i heard that the Zeta ones with...separate/hinged mount clamps can get pushed away/deflected. 

[Tro1086]

Cat, what "fold back" part?  They look like they mount just like the acerbis pro rally handguards I had.  Im betting those also have an aluminum bar inside them that the plastic is molded around, thats how my pro rallys were.

[USMCVietVet]

Here i thought you were not suppose to fall down??? ? :facepalm:? my bad ?

[Billi Ji]

No, these/those Acerbis don't have metal bars, just a...insert/reinforcing part where they mount to the handlebar ends. The clamps are plastic. In Rick's photo, the top one in my previous post, you can see the plastic clamps have metal sleeves where they clamp on the handlebar.

All i'm really interested in is protection for the hand and fingers - like i mentioned - especially on the road. 

Bar ends, like on road bikes, provide protection for the throttle tube, maybe some for the fingers - maybe, and with the levers mounted loose enough so they rotate in an impact, and folding levers, that would take care of the levers. 

> what "fold back" part?

The way it extends back towards the hand, unneccessary - unless it is supposed to provide more wind/rain protection, which i'm not interested in.  highlighted with green arrow lines here: 
 

Because of that...i have some Cycra Probend guards and clamps, i might just put them on, but with the mx/supermoto shields, small ones, i don't want the big wing-shaped things. But the clamps are big and heavy. 

Edited April 19, 2014 by Cat ji

[Tro1086]

The black parts that clamp onto the bars are aluminum.  The inserts you see are to fit them to 7/8s bars.  Although I didnt have those guards the ones I did have had the exact same black inner clamps, and they came with the inserts to use them either on fat bars or 7/8s bars.

 

Iv never seen these exact guards in person, but I still think theres a chance that the guards also have an aluminum bar from end to end that the plastic is molded around.  That is how my Acerbis guards were.

 

I see what you mean now about the fold back part, I like it, but that kinda thing is all personal.

[Billi Ji]

i can't swear to it until i've actually seen them, but go by Rick Ramsey's blog.  He said lighter, not so strong, ok for what he will use the bike for...

[Tro1086]

You may be right Cat.  I think the black mounting piece is aluminum thou, the mounting hardware looks exactly the same as the rally pro acerbis I had, and the black mounts were aluminum with those inserts to fit 7/8s bars.

[mglmstr]

Thanks for the comments.  I'll probably get some brush guards to protect fingers from branches and not worry about breaking a lever. 

 

Also a tip for some that might not know this.  Have your lever assemblies on semi-loose so they move in a crash.  If you watch supercross, you always see them pounding on these assemblies after a crash.  If they are on semi-loose, much less likely to break a lever.