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cycle gear hand guards

9K views 29 replies 15 participants last post by  BaileyMan 
#1 ·
#2 · (Edited)
I picked up a set since i have a cycle gear store somewhat local to me. Installed it this afternoon. Have not ridden with it yet, so cannot comment on protecting against the elements, but it is definitely very sturdy, and should protect the levers in the unfortunate event of a drop.



The aluminum part of the guard is quite long, and you WILL need some type of a spacer at the end of the bar. I had a set of R&G bar end sliders sitting around, so I used the spacers from that and just toss the Delrin into my tool bin.







This shows an overhead view of the guard, relative to the lever.





This shows clearance at full lock



The right hand side touches the hardline coming out of the brake reservoir. I rotates the brake lever down slightly, to maximize wind protection. I CAN leave the brake lever (or perhaps rotate up a tad) and have the guard under the hardline. But I figure that in the event of a crash, the guard will likely be pushed up, and want it pushing away from the hardline to minimize damage.


Peter
 
#7 · (Edited)
Cycle Gear Hand Guards

Nice pics...

I have had a set on my '09 V since last year.
They fit well and don't rub anything.
If you can get them on sale they are an even better deal.

Some of the cruiser guys I sometimes ride with think they are OEM.

I should also mention that I had an embarrassing 'flop-over' on the
right side in a parking and snapped the front brake lever at the 1st
break joint. Now I have a shorty brake lever that I kinda like. That
was before I installed the hand-guards!!

Highly recommended... Dave in sunny Surprise, AZ
 
#15 ·
#10 ·
I just got a pair of these Trackside guards from Cycle Gear. I removed the factory weights and simply screwed the guards into the end of the bar. It worked out well, everything lined up good. I haven't had a chance to test ride it yet, hopefully I won't get any additional vibes by removing the bar end weights. I got these for the additional protection from the weather, I know, they have slots in them, I expect them to keep MOST of the wind off my hands in the winter and still let some of the wind by in the summer.
They clear the tank and my fat winter windshield (the left guard just 'touches' the windshield at full lock, the right one misses it by about 1/8").
I wasn't real impressed with the packaging. It was shipped by UPS and when it got here it looked like the UPS truck had drug it here. The box corner was smashed and busted open. The Trackside package inside had been opened, the pieces inside were all over the place and there were no instructions (not that I really needed any) or no warranty or any other written information.
Sorry for the crappy pics, it has been pouring rain so I took them in my garage with a crappy camera.



 
#12 ·
I have Speedy's anti-vibe riser on my 09 last time i took the barend weights off i noticed a slight increase in the vibes. Just took the weights off yesterday to put my hippo-hands on so i"ll pay attention on my ride tomorrow.
 
#16 ·
I just got back from a 20 minute ride, my first ride since removing the bar end weights and installing the trackside guards. If there's a difference I certainly can't tell. Maybe slightly buzzier but nothing to complain about. I rode through the whole RPM range at different speeds and the biggest difference I can tell, and it's a good difference, is my left mirror seems clearer at certain RPMs. I used to have a bit of a shake in that mirror at times, that has gone, both mirrors are clear now.
So far I can recommend the Trackside guards. I don't know if they are as good as the more expensive brands but they seem to be worth the $50 they cost me and I'm not seeing any harsh effects from just removing the bar end weights and bolting the guards right to the ends of the bar.
 
#20 ·
EIT for update: I got a chance today to ride to work, my regular, everyday ride. I think I do feel a bit more VVVVVibe right around 3000 rpms. Not bad enough to worry about but a bit noticable. The mirrors are still good and clear though.
 
#18 ·
Thinking of ordering a set myself at that price. Quick question: is the Versys the 7/8 or 1 1/8 size? Guess I could measure but I am sure someone here knows. Thanks.


7/8
 
#19 ·
Thanks for the post. It's timely. I'm looking into hand guards and thought about seeing what CG had. Glad to hear they're on sale. I might swing by and pick some up. If I don't like them, they have a great return policy.
 
#22 ·
Yes, I did. (Sorry i'm photo challenged at the moment.). You need a longer bar end bolt than standard with a lag thread. Really can't be too long since the handlebars only have about .5 inch of thread before going hollow.
I ended up putting a small spacer between the handlebar end and the guard bar and a washer beteween guard bar and the reattached bar end weight.
Everything else is pretty intuitive. Obiously adds a bit to the lenght of the handlebars but I don't see any downside. Might have to deal with cosmetic issues but that is a personal choice.
I ride early in the morning when it is still a bit chilly and my only comment is "Why the ----didn't I do this years ago."
 
#23 ·
Cool. Thanks for the feedback. I just picked up a set. The guy gave me an extra 10% off. I think he was happy to have someone to chat with for a little bit...

I'll hopefully get mine on by the end of the weekend. I have some plastex left from a plastic repair job on another bike that I might use to fill in the vents...we'll see...

I'll try to post pics when it's done

B-Man
 
#26 ·
I really like the looks of the Strom guards as well (individually that is).
Maybe it's just camera angle but is one guard higher than the other?
I couldn't stand having them at different heights. I don't mean to crack on anyone's work because they are awesome handguards, and probably cheap enough as well as retaining the bar end weights, but that height difference would just bug me to no end.
 
#27 · (Edited)
It might be the angle. They are centered on and mounted to the brake/clutch perch and thus would move with either one. Since their location is fixed to the perch and not the bar there is no adjustment. When I installed these there were no Kawasaki equivalents. I'll post some more pics to detail what I had to modify to make them fit.
 
#30 ·
Nice job Yamadog, looks good.

An update on my handguards...I've been happy with the cycle gear guards. I opted to try them without the bar end weights. What I've noticed as far as buzz, is that I feel more buzz right around 4500 RPM. I'm not often cruising at that RPM, so it doesn't bother me too much. The mirrors are a little more buzzy overall. Maybe one day I'll get to the hardware store to get longer bolts to attach the bar end weights, but I'm in no hurry.
 
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