Some noob questions regarding Enduro Gear.. | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Some noob questions regarding Enduro Gear..

The better riders ( top level woods racers) dont and wont run handguards due to the broken wrist injuries they tend to cause. For me I run them and have bashed them good a few times but can see how not having them can be safer at times.

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Well then there's this guy
861A71D2-EC60-48AD-887D-15444622C779.jpeg
 
Well then there's this guy
861A71D2-EC60-48AD-887D-15444622C779.jpeg
I should have said some those are the open ended plastic ones on that bike that should break if you go over them. Not the ones with the metal bar that wraps around. It was Chris Birch who recommended against the wrap around type ones and said he prefers not running any.

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I use solid wrap-around handguards mostly to protect my levers, not my hands. Without them, a simple tipover speared the left bar into soft ground and snapped the clutch perch right off. The guards are angled down quite far to match my levers (for 95% standing) so it would have to be a very unusual crash to get tangled up in them. But I also tend to bail off the bike early when things start to get out of hand; the bike really can hurt you if you stick around until the end, especially if you get a leg torqued under the bike
 
For the guys that don't want to run hand guards but are concerned about breaking levers wrap some teflon tape around the bars where your lever perch are going to go before bolting them up. They will stay in place while your riding but when you crash will rotate on the bar saving your lever from bending or snapping. After you crash just knock the levers back into place.
 
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You can also loosen off the Brake and Clutch perch enough so it won't move during normal operation, but in an event of a crash it will pivot and not break. My friend Chris Birch told me that.
 
I use the open ended ones that do not wrap around. They have saved my hands from the casual miss calculation against a branch etc, they have served me well.

After having a low side on my race bike and breaking my thumb because the brake guard didn't allow me to move my hand out of the way I don't want anything restricting me from sliding my hand off the grip. Just my personal preference
 
I use the open ended ones that do not wrap around. They have saved my hands from the casual miss calculation against a branch etc, they have served me well.

After having a low side on my race bike and breaking my thumb because the brake guard didn't allow me to move my hand out of the way I don't want anything restricting me from sliding my hand off the grip. Just my personal preference
I agree with this and quickly took off the wraparound guards on my wife's bike. I still have it one mine, but that is only because I crash enough that I have perfected ejecting myself off the bike most of the time.
 
Lots of information here today! thanks

Oh, and that boy Birtch, with NZ having like 3 degree's of separation, I'm sure I know someone who's good mates with him ;-p
 
I should have said some those are the open ended plastic ones on that bike that should break if you go over them. Not the ones with the metal bar that wraps around. It was Chris Birch who recommended against the wrap around type ones and said he prefers not running any.

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I see the reason for guys not running them. I was looking closely at some pictures and it seems that lots of guys run guards that don't wrap around but they still have a solid metal brace to give structure. I rode without them for many years but prefer to have them now. I ride harder knowing that if I misjudge a tree by a cm that I can deflect it instead of hitting my fingers.

I use the open ended ones that do not wrap around. They have saved my hands from the casual miss calculation against a branch etc, they have served me well.

After having a low side on my race bike and breaking my thumb because the brake guard didn't allow me to move my hand out of the way I don't want anything restricting me from sliding my hand off the grip. Just my personal preference

Very different riding styles. You're not leaned over with your hands 12" from the ground while gripping the end of the bar. Also getting your hand stuck between dirt and your bar is more forgiving than asphalt.

I'm not saying you need to run wrap around guards, just playing devils advocate.
 
Interesting discussion about the handguards. I always saw them as a plus as I've hit small trees before.


Another observation.. Are the boots. Looks like MX style boots which a lots of people use have smoother thread on the soles.. Probably good if you're drifting your foot around a corner MX race style.. Not so great in the woods if you're off your bike?

The majority of boots I see on sale are all MX oriented..

Gonna have to shop around.
 
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Yeah, I like the lug sole rather than the smooth MX sole too. Some manufacturers call it an 'ATV' sole, but it usually isn't offered in all of their models. Mine is the now discontinued Alpinestars Tech 3.
 
Interesting discussion about the handguards. I always saw them as a plus as I've hit small trees before.


Another observation.. Are the boots. Looks like MX style boots which a lots of people use have smoother thread on the soles.. Probably good if you're drifting your foot around a corner MX race style.. Not so great in the woods if you're off your bike?

The majority of boots I see on sale are all MX oriented..

Gonna have to shop around.

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I use mine on trees that don't have much give and it's the curved outside that attaches to the bar that makes contact as you brush/check them when passing by.

I've always worn MX boots and have no problem walking around a bit in them. Generally my feet are on the pegs at almost all times as I rarely sit down. If you're walking in mud the treads will be packed full and you'll slide around anyway. I prefer the smooth bottom as it doesn't hold mud and won't catch on the pegs at all when moving my feet around.
 
Yeah, I like the lug sole rather than the smooth MX sole too. Some manufacturers call it an 'ATV' sole, but it usually isn't offered in all of their models. Mine is the now discontinued Alpinestars Tech 3.

they actually have a new Tech 3 boot out now.. and it comes in an Enduro option

http://www.alpinestars.com/tech-3-enduro-boot#.Wbk9OrKGOM8

I've seen the old model on clearance at some retailers...
 
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MX style boots for me. Tech 7's and I don't find any grip issues.

I have scrapes on both forearms from trees/branches from Mondays Ganny ride. I'd also have had a nasty crash or two from small trees hitting my front brake lever (or smashed pinched fingers) had I been without handguards.
 
MX style boots for me. Tech 7's and I don't find any grip issues.
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Is that the Tech 7 MX or Tech 7 Enduro? They come with an Enduro sole as well.
 
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I use mine on trees that don't have much give and it's the curved outside that attaches to the bar that makes contact as you brush/check them when passing by.

I've always worn MX boots and have no problem walking around a bit in them. Generally my feet are on the pegs at almost all times as I rarely sit down. If you're walking in mud the treads will be packed full and you'll slide around anyway. I prefer the smooth bottom as it doesn't hold mud and won't catch on the pegs at all when moving my feet around.

I'm talking more about wet roots, rocks, logs, etc.... nothing will give you traction in mud. I hated MX boots. A course like this years Mexican 500 enduro would have been a nightmare without some traction. Most days you don't need it, when you do, I'm glad I'm wearing them. Everyone's riding style is different.

I think the benefits of wrap around hand guards out weigh any negatives. My fingies have been saved countless times!! :cool:
 
Be prepared to spend a long time trying on boots. I was thinking about getting a set after messing up my ankle and it took a lot of tries before I found a boot that fit my feet and calfs comfortably. Each manufacturer is designed for a specific shaped leg, I apparently have Gaerne shaped legs.
 
I'm talking more about wet roots, rocks, logs, etc.... nothing will give you traction in mud. I hated MX boots. A course like this years Mexican 500 enduro would have been a nightmare without some traction. Most days you don't need it, when you do, I'm glad I'm wearing them. Everyone's riding style is different.

I think the benefits of wrap around hand guards out weigh any negatives. My fingies have been saved countless times!! :cool:

Yep I prefer to ride over that stuff unless I'm out of gas lol. Feet on the pegs!
 

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