Skid plate?

I know..... I know....... I used the search function and have been through every thread about skid plates. I think I have narrowed it down to the ''flatland'' bashplate but before I push the add to cart button, does anyone regret buying them? You all know how it is?????? Thanks in advance.

my only regret is i have not made the time to put it on yet. other than that, as i looked at all the choices i think only the factory one provided what looked like fuller coverage to me. i like the solid construction of the flatland, good finish, welds, and excelent service from them. as you have read all the posts you know folks main complaint is noise. many have used various methods to insulate plate from frame to some sucess. i am goiing to try mounting it with some washers to offset it from the frame and some rubber washers to isolate some vibration. no idea if it will work any better or worse than others solution.

sean

Caan Saer wrote:

my only regret is i have not made the time to put it on yet. other than that, as i looked at all the choices i think only the factory one provided what looked like fuller coverage to me. i like the solid construction of the flatland, good finish, welds, and excelent service from them. as you have read all the posts you know folks main complaint is noise. many have used various methods to insulate plate from frame to some sucess. i am goiing to try mounting it with some washers to offset it from the frame and some rubber washers to isolate some vibration. no idea if it will work any better or worse than others solution.

sean

my thought is if the plate is offset from the frame, and you bottom out, something is going to break or more likely to break .. i think you want to have it flush up against the frame. i found squares of thin rubber mat like pieces in the plumping dept at a hardware store and cut out a piece to fit between the plate and bike. Make sure when bolting up the plate with something like rubber between the plate and bike that you dont strip the bolt holding on the plate.

was just looking for a few mm from the frame to seperate that huge soundboard from the vibrating frame, if a lightweight like me bottomed that thing out enough to break something it would likely be me that broke worse. if my metod fails i can do as others had or like you little rubber pads. my thought along those lines was cut strips of old innertube.
sean

Sticky-back weatherstrip foam on the frame works very well.

Sarah

My Flatland was intentionally made with extra cooling holes. I called them up, and asked for the larger holes shown in the photos to also be added across the front for airflow. I ride in very little mud, so it it has no ill effects. My plate has taken some very serious hits with no damage to the bike at all. Be careful on the mounting bolt depth: I believe the right rear is the offending bolt: under some conditions, it can contact the sump. Not a good thing.
I also have their radiator guard which also increases cooling, and just bought their rear disk guard. It looks to be howitzer proof. It isn't quite the mechanical work of art the Zeta parts are, but it certainly is robust.

I strongly recommend their products. I ride in a real rocky area, with grapefruit sized loose rock up to and past bowling ball sized. Anything that can protect me from that is good enough for me.

That was a good idea, Yamaguy. I've read nothing but good about the Flatland stuff. And those holes make a great place to wedge a trail jack, too.

Sarah

With the D606 tires and the rim locks, I can ride on the flat if I ever get one. I don't find the WRR makes a very good long distance bike for old goats such as myself, so I use something else for that.

I did it for the cooling. As anyone that owns one knows, it is a hot running engine. It is designed that way, but any help is exactly that: help.

But for those that do change tubes on the trail, it would work.

bottom line is you cant go too wrong with their products

wrik wrote:

I know..... I know....... I used the search function and have been through every thread about skid plates. I think I have narrowed it down to the ''flatland'' bashplate but before I push the add to cart button, does anyone regret buying them? You all know how it is?????? Thanks in advance.

Don't have the flatland one but I can conclude from my B&B Aus one that the larger they are the more of the noise that would be dispersed into the ground, etc, around the engine is reflected back towards the rider by the bashplate.

I think of it like a dish around the engine blocking and gathering the mechanical noise of the engine and reflecting it back towards me.

That said, I wouldn't do without mine. But I will be taking ear plugs for the highway part of my trip tomorrow.

Flatland makes a great skid plate. I have been using them for a few years now, and they have held up well on my Husky, and TTR225. I recently bought mine from http://www.enduroarmor.com/flatland-racing-yamaha-skid-plates/ because they stock them. I know that Ricochet and Enduro Engineering also make good skid plates, and I am sure you can't go wrong either way. I would steer clear of any plastic or carbon fiber plates, carbon fiber is a bit expensive!

Luke
Husky WR250
Yamaha TTR225