SKidplate/Rad Guard

Installed a Ricochet bash plate tonight. Bolted up in 72 seconds, heavy freaking duty, high quality, A+. It definitely changed the sound of the engine though. Sounds even "raspier" than before.
Doesn't sound right to my ears, but ppl tell me this is a 4-stroke and they sound like that? I love the feel of the m e l l o w power, but the sound is just not right. Guess I could try making ring-ding sounds in my head while riding

You'll get more noise because of the skid plate trapping noise in there...you'll also get debris caught up in there too. You might consider drilling some holes in the bottom/front and add some canopy foam or something to buffer in between the frame carriage and the plate. It won't be as annoying.

SheWolf wrote:

You might consider drilling some holes in the bottom/front...

If I was going to do that, I would have bought the Flatland Racing plate. The reason I choose the Ricochet was it's solid design with no extra mud collecting holes. Taking the plate off to clean underneath is no problem. The sound of a four-stroke moto engine is my problem!

Ride on, bro...ride on.

boogn1sh wrote:

Installed a Ricochet bash plate tonight. Bolted up in 72 seconds, heavy freaking duty, high quality, A+. It definitely changed the sound of the engine though. Sounds even "raspier" than before.
Doesn't sound right to my ears, but ppl tell me this is a 4-stroke and they sound like that? I love the feel of the m e l l o w power, but the sound is just not right. Guess I could try making ring-ding sounds in my head while riding

I've probably got the same bash plate. solid bugger

The noise was crazy, couldn't stand it. I fixed it totally by sticking some 2mm rubber mat to the inside and putting rubber grommets in the mounting holes. had to make them bugger though. Now the bash plate is not touching the bike at all, and quiet.

Not solid rubber mat, but light spongy stuff. pretty light.

Totally worth the effort!

boogn1sh wrote:

Bolted up in 72 seconds,

Guess I could try making ring-ding sounds in my head while riding

72 seconds? No way man. That's at least a 75 second job.


Stick this in your iPod and listen to it while you ride. It'll make you feel right at home...

Ring-A-Ding-Ding_Waaaaa

mwakey wrote:

Ring-A-Ding-Ding_Waaaaa

I love it!

Add that to the Hamster Dance and you'll have people peeing themselves.

I failed the test.

You failed it before you even looked at it, you twit.

SheWolf wrote:

You failed it before you even looked at it, you twit.

what if I just started smiling and leaning into the corners and its still playing while I go about my business?

still playing

Flatlands plate here. Bolted on in a few minutes (I used blue threadlock just in case). Sound was pretty bad - and I understand the Richochet is even noisier (!!!!).

Picked up a 17 foot roll of 3/16" X 1/2" weatherstripping at Lowes and applied it to the frame rails where the plate touches, then re-installed the skid plate. Almost as quiet as stock at all RPMs now!!!

I helped my friend to install the flatland skid plate.. and I have to say it is one of the thickest skid plates I've ever seen!!!

But sh!t, my force radiator guard is not here yet.... I placed an order for a black piece back on 23rd of March

E-mail Geoff. He's usually pretty good with that.

SheWolf wrote:

E-mail Geoff. He's usually pretty good with that.

Ya I did... I emailed him on Monday(March 30th), and he told me that it would be shipped on Monday..

So there I was, eagerly waiting for my guard to arrive...

But only today, Friday, that I received the email stating that my item has been shipped

Well I guess it should come next week then

I've always thought OZ is nearer than Japan and UK

That is strange. It only took 5 days for mine to get here when they shipped it.

Precisely... maybe it was due to the fact that I ordered the black one?

I just hope it WILL arrive eventually and not missing any bolts or parts

Finally.......I got the radiator guard this morning

I just installed the guard... pretty straightforward since I've installed one for my friend's new X last week...

It's a HOT piece man!

I was having my leg BBQed while riding the bike... the back plate seems to channel ALL the hot air down, even when it's night time now...

I wonder what will happen when I ride it during the day time?

Mark, if rolling up and over something, will the plate protect the frame or just the engine case???

Hmmm...I haven't noticed excess heat coming from mine. I'd slip in a sheet of bug screen behind it tho; it'll save pluggin up your fins.

INSTIGATOR wrote:

Mark, if rolling up and over something, will the plate protect the frame or just the engine case???

The Evotech plate will mainly protect the engine case. It fits inbetween the frame rails, but it sticks out a bit so I guess it would help some. If I were doing heavy off roading and going over stuff like you mentioned, I would think about something beefier than this plate.

I don't like the way the beefier ones look. I went down some stairs yesterday and the frame bottomed out. I'm staying away from heavy offroading for now. What if I were to shim it out some so it stuck out a little more?

INSTIGATOR wrote:

I don't like the way the beefier ones look. I went down some stairs yesterday and the frame bottomed out. I'm staying away from heavy offroading for now. What if I were to shim it out some so it stuck out a little more?

That would work. Actually I shimmed mine out, but not for the same reason. I put some thick nylon washers on the inside between the bike and skid plate to cut down on the vibes. It doesn't make a sound now. If you bolt it direct to the bike the rear edge is just a C-hair away from the frame cross member and it vibrated and rattled when I hit small bumps. Mine sits just below the bottom of the frame rails now, so you could go out a bit more I think by just shimming the rear bolt holes.