[ Ссылка ] Handguards! Do you really need them on dual sport or adventure motorbikes? What the benefits? What are the disadvantages? Welcome to Cross Training Adventure, we are into all things dual sport and adventure on the east coast of Australia. Do handguards break your wrists if you go over the handlebars? And finally which are the strongest handguards? Our mechanic, Chuck Harder, has a basic test with some interesting results! First? There are three main types of handguards. 'Wrap-around' or 'full-wrap' handguards are the strongest. They are sometimes called 'Barkbusters' as that was the Australian brand which invented them in 1984. If you like dual sport riding in Australia then you might like our adventure riding vids. Keen on adventure riding in Australia? Check out our vids. Which type of handguard will suit you? Some adventure riders say handguards aren't needed if you mainly ride on-road and don't plan on crashing. But we still think the open handguards should be considered at a minimum. Your hands will be warmer in cold weather. You can also fit hand muffs over the guards for very cold weather. Your hands will stay drier (at least in light rain). Is it worth fitting the wrap-around handguards? These adventure bike handguards have two mounting points for the solid alloy bar so they provide the best protection for your hands, levers, and master cylinders for your clutch and front brake. Next is the 'half-wrap' design. There is only one mounting point, but there is still a reasonable amount of protection as the alloy bar extends far enough to cover the hands. Finally? Handguards for adventure ridingThe 'flag' or 'open' style of handguards. Check out our reviews of various adventure bikes and dual sport bikes. It's sometimes just called a 'hand shield' too. Dual sport handguards? These are just plastic so are only designed to protect your hands from the weather and very minor impacts. Advantages of the full wrap handguards? Obviously the best protection. They are the least likely to break and very durable. And if you land on the end of your handlebars in an accident, it spreads the impact so less chance of bruising or busted ribs. It happens! Ask me how I know!Disadvantages? The most expensive. They are the heaviest so they might slow down your steering on a very light motorbike. And there's the small risk of fractures in an accident. We'll discuss that shortly. Advantages of the open-style handguards. Cheap. Light. And very unlikely to cause fractures. Handguards for dual sport riding. But they provide the least protecton and are easily broken. The half wrap handguards are obviously a compromise between the other two. Do you ride off-road a lot? Yes. Do you ride a big heavy adventure motorbike where even a simple drop could bend your bars and/or smash your controls? Yes. Remember these wrap-around handguards will bend with a heavy impact which can greatly reduce the chances of your handlebars bending. Now to the big question. Can full wrap handguards cause fractures? So there is a small chance of wrist fractures with full-wrap handguards. What can we do to lessen the chances? Some riders trim the higher section of the plastic guard or even remove it. Some handguards already have a low profile for this reason. Others actually twist their handguards down so they sit lower. All these are possible solutions, but of course too low and you can expose your knuckles to impacts from branches or flying stones. Also some handguards have a lower section at the side in case your wrist makes contact there in an accident. Which are the strongest handguards? Chuck Harder devised a simple test. Who is Chuck Harder? It's quite rare for adventure riders to go over the handlebars. If you don't let go of the handlebars, there is a chance you will break your wrists. Most riders tend to automatically let go of the handlebars and there's no issue. The big question though, is how often does it happen. Most riders with years of experience agree that it's very rare, and the chances of breaking your knuckles, fingers or hands are much higher. This is why some riders continue to use wrap-around handguards after breaking their wrists. I'm glad you asked. Chuck is a professional motorbike mechanic who is posting heaps of mechanical tips on his True Tech social media. Take it away, Chuck. As Chuck says, this is not necessarily THE definitive test, but it's a good start. Do you think handguards are a good idea for adventure riding? Which type do you use? Do you think Chuck should run other types of stress tests on handguards? Let us know in the comments. So check out Cross Training Adventure.
Let us know if we used your music but forgot to credit you. Many thanks to the following artists for their copyright free music in various vids.
Music: Round 2 by Dolby, Clockworks by Dolby
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