SW Motech Skid Plate Longish Term Failure

[angrygirafe]

I’ve got a 16 with the old style oil pan and like many, after hearing how it would explode if you looked at it sideways, I wanted to add some protection. Also like many, I didn’t want to spend $350+ to do so. So I went with the SW Motech skid plate. It looks good, it’s relatively cheap, and a few people have bumped it on curbs and their oil pans were fine. 
 

I bough the bike with 4400 miles on it, added the plate around 8000 miles, and I just changed my oil at 48k miles. After removing the plate (and discovering the shop had stripped out my mounting screws last time) I noticed the center bracket could pivot. And that’s strange considering it has two mounting bolts. Obviously discovered one of the mounting tabs had broken. 
 

Not sure when or how. I don’t think vibration is likely. I was starting to think maybe the shop could be responsible given the state of the screws that had to be drilled out. And I was thinking I’ve never impacted the plate. That’s mostly true, but it looks like I’ve managed just a few light scratches on the edges from cornering. I’m not amazing in corners; I can tell when I’m dragging a peg and it honestly makes me pucker multiple orifices. So I was surprised to see the scrapes. 
 

But that means I guess I can’t blame the shop. Or SW Motech. Maybe just me. Anyway, it’s been fine up until now, and for the cost, I still think it’s worth it, considering this one lasted 40k miles. But if you’ve got one, you might want to give it a closer look on occasion. 

 

P.S. All the SW Motech supplied bolts were pretty corroded. The Yamaha bolts that get reused were clean.

 

[BBB]

Thanks for the update @angrygirafe. I’ll check mine in the next few days, as well as all the fasteners for corrosion.

It’s annoying that the shop managed to strip the threads on yours, you’ve got to be pretty hamfisted to do that. 

BTW, I roughly polish the plate each time I take it off. A wire wheel in a drill tidies it up nicely.

[angrygirafe]

3 hours ago, BBB said:

BTW, I roughly polish the plate each time I take it off. A wire wheel in a drill tidies it up nicely.

Man, I bet that looks nice. I was getting a little ashamed of how grungy mine was getting 😄

[2and3cylinders]

I do not think the SW MT skid plate is particularly inexpensive and given your review, also not durable.  Can't a hole be drilled the plate so the older style bottom drain plug can be removed without removing the plate?

[angrygirafe]

14 minutes ago, 2and3cylinders said:

I do not think the SW MT skid plate is particularly inexpensive and given your review, also not durable.  Can't a hole be drilled the plate so the older style bottom drain plug can be removed without removing the plate?

It’s definitely not something that’s going to withstand multiple impacts, but if can sacrifice itself to save your oil pan. It’s a good option for someone like me who doesn’t want to spend a 400 dollars and add considerably more weight to the bike. I can go through a couple of these and still spend less than a Higdonion. But you’re right, it’s not super durable. 
 

I think a few people have drilled their plates. Never bothered on mine, but I might if I get another one, or if I can just fab a new bracket for this one. 

[BBB]

The plate itself is super easy to remove for oil changes, you just leave the mounts in place. I worry that a big hole in the underside would act as a dirt hoover.

@angrygirafe I think you’ll be able to fabricate another mount. Maybe just skip threading the lower holes and simply use through bolts? Or use rivnuts?

[angrygirafe]

7 hours ago, BBB said:

The plate itself is super easy to remove for oil changes, you just leave the mounts in place. I worry that a big hole in the underside would act as a dirt hoover.

@angrygirafe I think you’ll be able to fabricate another mount. Maybe just skip threading the lower holes and simply use through bolts? Or use rivnuts?

I think the biggest challenge of making a new bracket will be motivating myself to do so 😄 But if I get to it, it’ll be tempting to make everything quarter turn fasteners or similar 

[2and3cylinders]

20 hours ago, BBB said:

The plate itself is super easy to remove for oil changes, you just leave the mounts in place. I worry that a big hole in the underside would act as a dirt hoover.

@angrygirafe I think you’ll be able to fabricate another mount. Maybe just skip threading the lower holes and simply use through bolts? Or use rivnuts?

A piece of quality 2" side electrical tape over the hole would keep dirt out, and On top...

I installed a low profile sunken hex recess drain bolt and trimmed the protective fin and don't jump curbs, and have stiffer fork springs and Matt's advanced fork cartridges and a K-Tech Razor R shock but might get this skid plate for the rare times I check out groomed gravel roads.  Just hard to hand over that much $ for such a simple design.