Protection from rocks while riding my Tracer 900 GT

[DavidS]

I have not installed any protection for my crank case/oil pan on my Tracer 900 GT. (Nor any on my previous FJ-09 for that matter)

I'm curious if others have added a skid plate or other modification to prevent rocks or other items from hitting the case and causing a crack that might render me stranded. I have had a few stray rocks that bounced under the bike while riding, but none of them did any damage.

I am getting to the point where I think I should add some protection, but most of the skid plates cover the oil drain plug. I really don't want to make oil changes more difficult, and I typically change oil every 3000 miles. Having to remove a skid plate or other device every time I change my oil is not something I really want to do. Mostly because I'm lazy, and won't do it, leading to longer intervals before I change my oil.

Oh, I ride 99% on paved roads, and the only time I am off road is when I'm turning around or riding up a gravel driveway.

I'm interested to hear if others just do nothing, like I have been doing? Or bite the bullet and pull the skid plate for every oil change.

Bonus if you have some magical solution I haven't thought of yet. Please share your strategy, hoping someone smarter than me has figured this out. And if you do remove your skid plate each oil change, which skid plate do you use, would you recommend it, and is it easy to remove and re-install.

Thanks in Advance,

David

 

[kilo3]

17k miles, done nothing. Also no radiator guard, don't believe in that either. However, I also don't take muli-day trips so my tolerance for damage is much higher than those that do.

I will say this, I have never seen a truck brush guard nor any other "off-road" accessory, no matter how well built, that could handle a catastrophic even like a deer strike at hwy speeds. Usually instead of one corner of the truck smashed, now it's both.

Nothing scales in life, but I assume there is some level of correlation to object size and what the plate can actually prevent vs spread the damage farther. So instead of replacing the bottom end, now you're replacing what what bottom end bolts to...

Edited October 28, 2022 by kilo3

[Heli ATP]

There is a thread on this site called 'Buy A Skidplate' where you can read about those that have drilled a hole in the plate for oil changes.

 

Buy a Skidplate

[KrustyKush]

I have never put anything like that on any of the 50 some bikes I’ve owned and never had a broken case from a strike. I have covered lots of daily rider miles and seen a lot of debris. I suppose my odds now are pretty good and I should get a skid plate. Truthfully, the Goldwing is far more likely to have such a problem because it sits so low to the ground. Some ppl do put plates on the Wings because there have been a couple of broken engine cases from debris strikes.

I probably won’t get one, though. They ugly up the bike, add unnecessary weight, are questionably effective, and the odds of a strike are almost impossibly small. 

[bwringer]

1) On my V-Strom, I often heard crap ka-pwinging off the skid plate. So yeah, in ordinary street riding, stuff does kick up and hit the engine. The FJ-09 doesn't have that "sound enhancing tunnel" fairing, but if you look close you can see assorted dings and divots on an unprotected engine.

2) And yeah, for oil changes, there's an exciting new technology called a "hole"...

Of course, on these bikes there's not a good way to mount most skid plates in such a way that they could actually be used to slide over a log or large rock. (There is an expensive system out there with beefy crash bars and such that I believe is designed for this sort of abuse.) The SW-Motech and most others are mounted to engine bolts using long, thin brackets designed to bend without damaging the engine cases. So you get some useful protection from more ordinary road hazards, but of course you can still crack the eggshell oil pan open if you work at it or get particularly unlucky.

Personally, I'd love to see someone come up with a beefier oil pan replacement for the CP3. Thicker stator, water pump, and clutch covers are fairly common for some track bikes.

[2and3cylinders]

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/gb-racing-engine-cover-set-yamaha-fz-09-fj-09-xsr900?sku_id=954987

 A heavier sump pan is one thing and the SWM skid plate is pretty darn light and it's tough though, not like some of the soft eBay Chinese stuff. This was proven when I drilled the hole for the rear drain plug on my original 15 fastest red. I also drilled a 5 mm hole in the pan left of the front left bracket connection to allow any oil that drips down when changing the oil filter doesn't puddle there.

 It is the most practical if not in expensive solution in conjunction with a radiator guard and a front Fender extender.

 Instead of The GB racing cover covers verse I prefer my GD case guards. They also make a good mounting point for driving lights.

 It is a sport tour and the added weight is no hindrance and the added durability make it ideal for my purposes.

Yes? I also have a " " big twin sportbike that I converted into a " " gentlemen's express which is almost molded to me, so it's highly functional On the track Or road, preferably.  It, however was never designed as a race bike like it's faster brother the SP1/2 WSB champ.

 Next to the duck 900 SS the VTR1000F holds its own styling wise, and solving the length of 90 V2 water-cooled architecture by splitting the radiator in half on each side.  The aluminum open monocoque frame was incorporated in its style versus the duck's steel tube trellis frame.  Both weapons swing arms pivoting in their engine cases. 

 I like classic bikes and the "Superhawk" in my opinion is one now but still analog functional. 

 I don't know if I'd say that for a 98 duck SS

[Ride365]

I see zero need for a skidplate of any kind, pretty sure that like 90% of streetbikes don't come with one? I rode my V-Stroms off pavement quite frequently, so that was a no brainer......these are total pavement intended bikes.

[nhchris]

On my FJ...

I made an educated guess and decided a front fenda extenda provided adequate protection from a rock into the radiator.

For the oil pan I swapped to a Mazda headless drain bolt and shaved off the raised part of the oil pan, gaining about 1/2 inch of additional ground clearance.

So far no gushers....

Edited October 29, 2022 by nhchris

[betoney]

7 hours ago, KrustyKush said:

Truthfully, the Goldwing is far more likely to have such a problem because it sits so low to the ground. Some ppl do put plates on the Wings because there have been a couple of broken engine cases from debris strikes.

Actually, the Goldwing ground clearance (5.1") is very close to the Tracer (5.3").

[KrustyKush]

1 hour ago, betoney said:

Actually, the Goldwing ground clearance (5.1") is very close to the Tracer (5.3").

I have a hard time believing that... I can look at them side by side and the Tracer is obviously VERY much higher than the Wing.  It may matter where the two bikes are set up.  The Wing is pretty adjustable, and so is the Tracer.  I may get some energy later and try some measuring... just now am testing some vodka...

[DavidS]

2 hours ago, KrustyKush said:

I have a hard time believing that... I can look at them side by side and the Tracer is obviously VERY much higher than the Wing.  It may matter where the two bikes are set up.  The Wing is pretty adjustable, and so is the Tracer.  I may get some energy later and try some measuring... just now am testing some vodka...

Well we can't really rely on your testing in your current state, now can we. Seriously, I am impressed with your knowledge of both the Tracer and the Goldwing. I would have guessed there was no overlap of owners in those two groups.

Ya just never know......

[bwringer]

17 hours ago, Ride365 said:

I see zero need for a skidplate of any kind, pretty sure that like 90% of streetbikes don't come with one? I rode my V-Stroms off pavement quite frequently, so that was a no brainer......these are total pavement intended bikes.

I installed a skid plate because the reality is that there's WAY too much crap sitting around on real-world paved roads. My FJ-09 never really goes off-pavement (although I'm not overly averse to gravel when needed) but with absolutely nothing protecting that eggshell thin pan, it's not a question of if something's going to bounce up and damage it, but when.

IOW, I know it's useless for "skidding", but I wanted some sort of layer in the way of road debris. 

Similarly, I installed Givi crash bars and beefy bar ends; my inviolable rule for motorcycles I ride to places far away is that they must be able to survive a hotel pushover without trip-ending damage.

When I had a V-Strom, I never really took it off-pavement, but it also had an aftermarket skidplate and crashbars for that exact reason; a V-Strom will almost inevitably damage its radiator in a simple tipover. Insane for something sold as a "dual-sport", and of course we all know that the Strom's silly plastic stock "skidplate" offers a little protection, but not much, for the exposed oil filter and oil cooler.

But that's me; others have different priorities.

And it's true that streetbikes never come with drop or debris protection, even though many will be badly damaged in the simplest tipover.

Personally, I think that's manufacturing and design malpractice; perhaps if I am ever King of the World, I'll mandate tipover protection.

But the market has spoken; most riders don't care one bit, it costs money, and they don't like the way crash protection looks, so the manufacturers never, ever consider it in the slightest. 

Among streetbikes, I think the Honda ST1100 is the only one I can recall with stock drop protection. There are little replaceable bumpers sticking out of the fairing for that purpose. There may be others.

[KrustyKush]

15 hours ago, DavidS said:

 knowledge of both the Tracer and the Goldwing. I would have guessed there was no overlap of owners in those two groups.

Ya just never know......

Same here. I bought my 21 Tracer last January (2022) thinking it is a young person bike. I went home, found this Forum, and discovered a nest of geezers riding Tracers. Turns out, geezers are where the manufacturers are aiming. Almost everything is being made lower, automatic-er, lighter, etc. I mean, I hear guys on this Forum talking about the FJR like it’s a major heavy tank. Even the Wing is lighter/smaller than it used to be. Again, anyone who hasn’t sat on and hefted one of these 2018+ Wings should try it out. They are NOTHING like the competition BMW or Harley. All that weight including fuel is way low in the chassis. 

Edited October 29, 2022 by KrustyKush
clarification

[2and3cylinders]

As Mel said matter of factly, "It's good to be the king."

 Don't feel too bad that motorcycles aren't designed from square one to be drop resistant.

 The fact that cars used to be required to have 5 per hour bumpers which disappeared years ago due to the manufacturerers trading crash cages, airbags and antilock brakes.  Now the front ends of the majority of cars (cages) are a nightmare in terms of impact resistance; and then there's the cost.

I tread very carefully when presenting arguments for crash protection (along with personal protection, and I'm not talking Trojans) because esthetics for most* trump it (choke).

*a significant percentage

Let's just say as a result of not wanting to get flamed, I don't often now mention what type of engineer I was/am and what my experience is because science cannot overcome the heart, and if you love the look, you don't care.

[2and3cylinders]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_World,_Part_I