skidplates

[honda400ex2003]

Who runs one?

who doesnt?

why?

Lets find out.
steve

[honda400ex2003]

Myself, stock skid on the 400

dont have one on the r yet, have a stocker in queue waiting but am undecided if i want to run it or not.

I probably wont run one on it, just cause the trails dont have any big rocks anymore and it looks cool without one running 18s.

steve

[CJM]

I only run the swingarm skid, I do want the belly skid tho. I wouldnt run without one unless I was doing mx or something.

I run one because oyu just never know what you might clip by accident even if there are no rocks. Trails I ride are pretty much sandy soil-but there are stumps every so often and sometimes I also bottom out on this b/c of the angles.

[tri5ron]

Where we ride, Full Skids just means you have a better chance of making it back to camp. you can either spend your money on skids,... or sprockets, rotors, swing-arms, and a-arms.

I run full skids (A-arms, belly, and swinger) on mine and my wifes, and will soon be putting them on my daughters TRX90 too.
For my sons Kymco, I'll probably have to make them myself.


http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/Fathers%20Day%202009/IMG_9868.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/Fathers%20Day%202009/IMG_5615.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/memorial%20weekend%20camp%20trip%202010/IMG_1612.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/memorial%20weekend%20camp%20trip%202010/IMG_1619.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/Rasor%20road%20Thanksgiving%202010/IMG_2526.jpg


Gee, I wonder why it seems that on every trip, I end up having to straighten out a bent lip front wheel.
I'll give you one guess now, why I love my triple rate 450r shocks, and my steering stabilizer so much.

Our bikes have NEVER been on a MX track ! No Adventure in it.
In each one of these pics, The horizon means you are only about half way there !

[blaster12s]

i run both for mx....kinda dumb but every time i take them off skid or belly plate a rock goes threw my cases or bends a rotor.

[jcs003]

i use a UHMW(custom made) belly skid to protect the engine. its light and very durable. for the swingarm, i dont use one because of clearance. they get hung up alot.

[jake"08"400]

Just a swing arm skid for now. Learned my lesson from that old stock plastic one after it broke and I bent a rotor.

[supraloud84]

I run a belly skid and a swinger skid. I couldn't imagine not running them, especially the swinger skid. I put a new armadillo .25 in one on last year due to the old one being trashed and bent up and abused. Id much rather have a little bit of lost clearance than smash my sprocket and rotor on god knows what.

[matts27]

Full skids on mine, I barely make it through the summer with my swinger skid. Each year I've been trying a different brand. End up cracking the welds usually by the rotor. My buddy has a tig welder but repairing the bent skid only lasts a ride or too more. Believe it or not I avoid the nasty rocks but every ride end up with a big hit ripping through somewhere.

Matt

[bdubwiley]

i run the stock swing arm skid... although it does hang up a lot where i usually ride at, but i have been thinkin about making my own belly/swing arm skids with some pretty decent sheet metal. in fact i have some old aluminum street signs i thought about using on the belly cause they are light but also pretty darn strong.

[CJM]

I cant believe you guys break these things (aftermarket ones). My pro armor 1/4" skid has yet to bend or deform in any way.

Weight savings is nill imho for the thinner ones when you can damage very important components if it doesnt hold up.

[01boneless]

i run a swinger skid (even though i dont like them) because my budd caught a small rock on the chain and it slug up and busted a big hole in the case :eek2: it could have been avoided with a 70 dollar skid plate:)

[aaren248]

We run belly skids for mx, so when u case something it dosnt dig into the ground and hang u. Probably a stupid reason but what the heck, why not run atleast a belly skid.

[greencow]

I run full on my 400ex when i got it there was custom made a arm skids that hold up good but my pro armor swing arm (i think its pro armor) is bending a bit but we ride in the coals so its a necessity.

[rooster300ex]

Originally posted by tri5ron
Where we ride, Full Skids just means you have a better chance of making it back to camp. you can either spend your money on skids,... or sprockets, rotors, swing-arms, and a-arms.

I run full skids (A-arms, belly, and swinger) on mine and my wifes, and will soon be putting them on my daughters TRX90 too.
For my sons Kymco, I'll probably have to make them myself.


http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/Fathers%20Day%202009/IMG_9868.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/Fathers%20Day%202009/IMG_5615.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/memorial%20weekend%20camp%20trip%202010/IMG_1612.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/memorial%20weekend%20camp%20trip%202010/IMG_1619.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/Rasor%20road%20Thanksgiving%202010/IMG_2526.jpg


Gee, I wonder why it seems that on every trip, I end up having to straighten out a bent lip front wheel.
I'll give you one guess now, why I love my triple rate 450r shocks, and my steering stabilizer so much.

Our bikes have NEVER been on a MX track ! No Adventure in it.
In each one of these pics, The horizon means you are only about half way there !

There is a rocky riding area like that just 4 miles from my house. I don't even go because it tears my quad all to crap. I run a rear skidplate, but usually the problem is tearing up my rims, and beating my quad to death. Have u ever had a boulder damn near hit u or your kids while riding?

[rooster300ex]

Originally posted by honda400ex2003
Who runs one?

who doesnt?

why?

Lets find out.
steve

Alot of mx riders don't. Depends what kind of riding u do

[tri5ron]

Originally posted by rooster300ex
[B Have u ever had a boulder damn near hit u or your kids while riding? [/B]
Hahaha,...

well lets just say that Chest Protectors, Handguards, Knuckle padded gloves, and Shin guards are required equipment around here too...

(you deffinately think twice before getting too close to somebody's tailend, if they are known to ride hard and fast.

you guys wear goggles to keep the bugs out of you eyes. we have rocks instead of bugs...

...and Sponge Bob would feel alot safer, on the other side of my Headlight guard,...

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/03%20400ex/IMG_0814.jpg

LOL !

[400man]

http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp255/ky2stroker/Alexs400ex007.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp255/ky2stroker/Alexs400ex003.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp255/ky2stroker/Alexs400ex004.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp255/ky2stroker/Alexs400ex001.jpg

these are old pics, but I'll get some new ones. ive beefed up my skid plate alot more than whats in the pics with some extra steel. Im going more maximum ground clearance and protection

[Pipeless416]

i use the GTT maximum ground clearance skid meant for use with their XC link. me likey.

its sitting on the table.

[honda400ex2003]

ive been thinking of making a couple of guards on a mill for my two. just for the sprockets to make them bolt onto them and making a different guard for the rotors. ill have to see how much time i get in the shop next fall at school. I may have to get some milling done and run some stuff on the lathe before my school career is over.

:D steve

[JOHNDOE83]

I ran full skids for a long time and think they are a really good investment for any one trail riding, I would NOT use them for MX they just add to much weight and with tracks being dirt you really dont need the skids anyway.

I drag race now so I do not use any skid plates, I just this past weekend went out to some races and in the between time went trail riding with my non skid plate, +7 swingarm 400ex for the first time since the new swingarm.

I didnt have any issues not running skid plates but everytime I came across a palmetto stump, root, hill, creek, rut or rocks I thought to myself "here goes a sproket" or " here goes a brake rotor". Although it never happend I worried about it everytime and can see just how easily NOT having a skid plate could ruin your whole day.

So for trtail riding or any technical type of off roading a skid is DEFFINETLY a good investment, If you only run MX a swingarm skid is all you need, you may not even need one for groomed tracks.

Just to add a side note, the +7 swingarm worked great in the trails and didnt hurt any movement in the tight areas, the turning radius is slightly wider is the only change, still slides, still does donuts with paddle tires, just more controlable.

I have a chassis skid plate for sale if anyones interested.

[Nac's22]

My 400ex has a frame skid plate and a swinger skid plate. Won't go out in the trails without them. I have a Pro-Armor frame skid plate and a Ricochet swing arm skid plate. For my mx quads I just run a plastic frame skid plate. Saves the frame a little and it doesn't grab the dirt and rocks when you bottom out.

[HondaPohl]

Run full skid. Ride a lot woods and rocky places. Plus i got my EX with on already.

[nelzar13]

any one bought the a 3/16 inch thick skid plate verses the 1/4 thick ones? any opinion on them?

[jrb737]

I have tried the aluminum swing arm skid plates and none of them would hold up. I ride in the Rocky Mountains and some trails are pretty rocky and rough. So about 4 or 5 years ago I bought a stainless steel skid plate form Pro Tect.

http://www.protectfabrications.com/honda.htm

This thing has taken such a beating that some of the bolt heads are deformed, but my swing arm and skid plate is still in one piece. It is fairly expensive at $145, but well worth it. It may be the last one you ever need!

Probably not for the MX guys, because it is heavy, but a must have for trail riders!

Jeff

[honda400ex2003]

i found a nice rotor guard on ebay that is made by blingstar i believe that looks pretty nice. its 99 bucks i think but looks like it would be worth it for the protection. then you could run a sprocket guard and would be good to go. I think i am going to make a sprocket guard this fall when i get back to school.

hopefully i will have plenty of 1/4" steel plate left lol.

steve

[mitchconley]

I have a full motor and sway arm skid. i ride alot of rocky trails and that swing arm skid really saves my rotor

[Budweiserebel07]

Originally posted by Pipeless416
i use the GTT maximum ground clearance skid meant for use with their XC link. me likey.

its sitting on the table.

That is one hell of a workspace for a bike man.