Dirt Tricks Carbon Slider Guards
Dirt Tricks Carbon Slider Guards
Rethinking the handguard
DIRTBIKE HANDGUARDS TYPICALLY come in two styles: a) lightweight deflectors that fan out from their attachment points near the brake/clutch lever perches, but are too flimsy to fare well in big hits; and b) wrap-around “bark busters” that attach at two points and close off the entire control area. Though
DETAILS Dirt Tricks 223 #C Park Place Minden, NV 89523 775/783-1750 www.dirttricks.com Price. $129 Ups Easily installed No need to modify levers or throttle tube Downs Handlebar space at a premium May not be compatible with dual-purpose bikes
protective, the latter can be difficult to mount, especially on tapered-wall handlebars, and there’s always the fear of getting your arm tangled in a crash.
In an effort to address these issues, Dirt Tricks, a new off-road-oriented company out of Nevada, has come up with a patented design that locates thick strips of carbon-fiber inside molded urethane deflectors. Everything bolts to the handlebars via machined-aluminum carriers. Mounting is a 10-minute job-as long as there’s space between the grips and levers. For electric-start dirtbikes, a $15 adaptor relocates the button to either guard perch.
Dirt Tricks says its composite “beam” will resist a 400-pound load. We didn’t try to verify that claim, but we did manage to bend an aluminum handlebar without doing any damage to the guard itself.
The guards are narrower from tip to tip than conventional deflectors but mount farther forward, which means you hit objects a moment or two sooner. In really tight going, we had to re-think our timing. Also, the urethane, especially the clear version, got soft in the heat and brittle in the cold, resulting in minor cracking in thinner areas. Clear is no longer available, and we’re told a new blend is more temperature-resistant.
Given the high cost of replacement lever perches and brake/clutch reservoirs, handguards are always a good investment. The Carbon Slider Guards are simple, lightweight and tough. We only wish we’d come up with the idea first.
