Acerbis brush guards are made in Italy
out of an extremely strong and light nylon composite. They are designed
to protect the riders hands from being slapped by brush and branches. They
have the added benefit of potentially saving expensive levers and controls
in the event of a tip over.
The guards pictured are fitted with
"spoilers" to extend the range of coverage, and are equipped with built
in turn signals. In the photos above, the stock turn signals are still
in place. Relocating them to the brush guards makes it less likely that
they will be broken, or cause damage to something else in a tip over. It
also frees up the original mounting spot to mount a reflector, or other
accessory light (or even a deer whistle, if you are in to those).
Unfortunately, what would be a straightforward
installation is complicated by the fact that the inside diameter of the
Quota handlebar is smaller than these "universal fit" guards can accommodate.
We solved this problem by reaming out the last couple of inches on
each end of the handlebar with successively larger drill bits until the
supplied expanding plug would fit. (enlarging the hole from about 12mm
to approx. 14mm) Big drill bits and drill motors powerful enough to run
them can be an extremely dangerous combination, and extreme care should
be taken if you attempt this modification.
Aside from that, installation was easy.
We strayed from the instructions by mounting the inner clamp outboard of
the cross brace instead of inboard as shown. This arrangement required
a little tweaking of the guard, but it certainly seems acceptable. We resisted
the temptation to cut down each end of the handlebar about 3/4" at this
time, but it is still something we might consider in the future.
These are the best looking and coolest
guards we have found, although wind protection is not quite ideal. As you
may be able to imagine from the pictures, some wind gets past the inside
edge of the spoilers to hit the area of ones fore fingers. That said, they
still get our vote.
Acerbis offers this warning:
These hand guards will not prevent injury in
the event of a crash. They are designed to protect the hands from cold
weather and impact with small branches you might hit and flying debris.
Be sure that you follow the instructions for installing the hand guards.
Check to be sure the throttle and other controls are free every time you
ride. Failure to heed instructions and this warning could lead to
interference with the controls, loss of control of the motorcycle, and
an accident.
Also Shown:
Pro Grip Dual Sport Gel Grips
Made in Italy. The gel grip is made
from a soft compound developed for use in Formula 1 race cars. The combination
of the soft compound, greater thickness, and all the dimples, makes for
a very comfortable grip. For this application, we trimmed off the end caps
with a razor blade. They are available in a variety of colors including
black and clear (gray shown).
Looking for other Acerbis or Pro Grip products? Give us
a call.
