Hand guards for fall protection

[madasadad]

I'm picking up my new to me 2013 650 on 8th of August.  I'm 5'6 have had the bike lowered and purchased Daytona M star boots, all to help with my short arseness!  It is inevitable that gravity will overtake some time and I'd like to put on hand guards that both protect against a drop and provide weather protection.  Has anyone any suggestions or recommendations?

[frez]

Hand guards do not really provide drop protection. Initially developed to protect against branches and such like when riding off road, they also protect against hitting car wing mirrors when filtering and also offer some weather protection. The best ones for physical protection are those with a metal bracket such as Barkbusters, but if weather protection is all you are after then any will do.

[Oop North John]

The Suzuki ones provide good weather protection, and should lessen the damage to levers if you hit something. If you hit the ground / something hard enough to break the levers with the even plastic guards then it's going to damage the handlebars and maybe something else as well I'd say, in which case you probably can't ride the bike anyway.

[madasadad]

My last drop was a 0mph in the back garden and lever and bar end were the victims, it's that type of scenario  I'm hoping to protect against

[mjc506]

The barkbuster type with the aluminium bar are probably the only thing that will help with that. The Suzuki plastic ones do give better weather protection, but they do flex easily enough to ruin levers, and then pop back into place as if nothing has happened...

The other alternative is folding levers? Plenty on that well known auction site for cheap from Hong Kong. Not fool proof, but they'll usually fold themselves out of the way instead of breaking.

[madasadad]

I ended up putting on fold up ones on my Gladius, they were a good job.I'll was hoping to find a strengthened one that didn't need attached to the handlebar also, since I'll be buying online and wouldn't be sure if they'd be compatible etc

[Pedro41]

http://shop.touratech.co.uk/touratech-h ... black.html

I got a pair of these and added the blue spoiler that matches the Glee.

They are pretty tough, but I havent tested them yet.

[Yoyo]

Buy a spare pair of levers and keep them under the seat, M&P are very cheap on them.

[pilky68]

Why have I never thought of this?

Been knocked off a few times over the years and been stranded with broken levers.

Don't fancy being sliding down tarmac again but if I do I'll now have some spare levers.

[madasadad]

that's a great idea   I'm thinking that the levers would be hard to replace, if they broke and the hand guards survived though

[pilky68]

Levers are easy to replace if you have very basic mechanic skills. Only need spanners and socket which I tend to carry in a small tool roll.

[Pedro41]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOURATECH-VST ... 25aae7864d

Some new ones here just gone on ebay........£50 start =£5.85 post

[Pedro41]

viewtopic.php?f=58&t=15751

Barkbusters do a universal and V Strom 650/1000 specific model. They look tough. £85 quid

[madasadad]

Went against my better judgement and chose form over function! Acerbis X Tarmac