ACD skid plate rant

splatte

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My wife got me an ACD skid plate for christmas (she's cool like that ) and man was it a bear putting it on my 2013 S10. I've been reading some threads about the plate here on the forum and it seems like there are still some persistent issues. The holes barely lined up with the center stand mounts using the provided spacers and following install instructions. Taking off the center stand spring helps a lot. The holes in the bottom of the plate don't line up with either of the oil drain plugs. Did an oil change only to find out the Purolator filter I got is 1/4" too long so the skid plate won't go back on until I get a shorter filter. Taking the plate off to do the change was difficult at best. The plate is also in contact with the exhaust header. Once I take a hammer to it, bend some parts, and drill some holes it should be good to go. ::010::

Other than that it has great coverage!

Sorry for the rant.
 

Chuck B

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I have the ACD skid plate as well. I fiddled with it for a good 30 min then decided I was going to replace the front mount bolts to studs. While that made it MUCH easier to handle it still wouldn't quite line up in the back. After studying the issue I determined the plate must have been dropped at some point as I made a slight re-bending of the front part of the plate (using hands only) and the plate lined up perfectly. I found very little feedback from other owners about fitment problems. I gave this feedback to ACD. They promptly replied and offered to send out a new plate. It was appreciated but not necessary as it fit perfectly and having the studs up front made for easy 10 min R&R. Hope that helps...
 

Checkswrecks

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Chuck B said:
I have the ACD skid plate as well. I fiddled with it for a good 30 min then decided I was going to replace the front mount bolts to studs. While that made it MUCH easier to handle it still wouldn't quite line up in the back. After studying the issue I determined the plate must have been dropped at some point as I made a slight re-bending of the front part of the plate (using hands only) and the plate lined up perfectly. I found very little feedback from other owners about fitment problems. I gave this feedback to ACD. They promptly replied and offered to send out a new plate. It was appreciated but not necessary as it fit perfectly and having the studs up front made for easy 10 min R&R. Hope that helps...

+1 to both of the things you found.
The plate seemed to be slightly warped new and attaching the back first just was terrible for attaching the front. After switching the front to studs and attaching the rear last, it's much easier.
 

Don in Lodi

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I went to studs from the start. I hung the pan from the studs and found things didn't line up at the centerstand too. A very light tap with a hammer on the tabs got the width down to a simple slide in fit. I then used a ratchet tie down looped around the rear wheel and hooked to the pan to pull it back, same effect as ChuckB got. I love the ingenuity with those centerstand pivots. A friend has had problems with one of the bolts stripping there at the pivot. I haven't. Lost a nut once, no clue how long I rode it without the nut before the oil change. Clears the header by a good quarter inch. You've got to use their spacers or an equivalent. The nut and washer I ran down the studs on the crashbar/motormount was a few thousandths thicker, perfect. Takes less time to do the oil and filter now than it did with my old pan with it's little nuts and bolts.
Will not clear the Arrow Headers without some work. I've wondered if working with the spacers and rear mount might give the clearance needed. Others have cut a window in the ACD logo to get the clearance.
 

TimLaw

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Taking off the springs is more work then it's worth. If you place the place into position to line it up, simply place a bar next to the mounts and move it into place. You can do this yourself by prying with one hand and placing the bolt in the slot with the other.

One important tip....never take off the plate while on the center stand! Your bike must be on the side stand for oil changes or plate removal unless the bike is supported. I almost made this mistake. An oil change takes me about 4 minutes to remove the plate.

Also, the spacers must be used on the front to avoid contact with the headers. If you are using Altrider crash bars, you still need the spacers.
 

Don in Lodi

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TimLaw said:
Taking off the springs is more work then it's worth. If you place the place into position to line it up, simply place a bar next to the mounts and move it into place. You can do this yourself by prying with one hand and placing the bolt in the slot with the other.

One important tip....never take off the plate while on the center stand! Your bike must be on the side stand for oil changes or plate removal unless the bike is supported. I almost made this mistake. An oil change takes me about 4 minutes to remove the plate.

Also, the spacers must be used on the front to avoid contact with the headers. If you are using Altrider crash bars, you still need the spacers.
LOL, I do mine up on the centerstand. Those replacement pivot bushings I mentioned...
 

steve68steve

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My ACD skidplate went on fairly easily. I had to lightly pry some exhaust plumbing aside to get the left side rear in, but it only took a tiny amount of "pry" with a tire iron.


Having binged it up a little, tho, I took it off for my first post-ACD oil change today. There's enough warp in the plate from being bashed a few times that getting it off and back on was a bit of a wrestle. There were some deep impressions in the foam, too, and some rub marks where it contacted the (stock Yamaha) oil filter.


I'm not looking forward to having to go thru this at every oil change, but I guess it beats a smashed sump cover in the middle of the woods.
 

Don in Lodi

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Bryce said:
Is anyone else's foam inside the plate starting to peal up?
Only on the exhaust side. I'll probably wind up peeling it off one of these days and be installing that fancy sound deadening stuff, that I'm blank on the name of.
 

sail2xxs

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Bryce said:
Is anyone else's foam inside the plate starting to peal up?
The foam on both of my ACD plates came completely off about a month after installation. I pretty much functionally destroyed the first one at last year's get together in Romney. That plate was the original design, which rubbed on the front tire under full suspension compression (even with Ohlins front). I emailed ACD pictures of the rub, gave them a heads up that the plate had taken a beating, and they sent me a new updated design plate free of charge. The replacement plate did not have any of the rub issues, but after fighting with it for 3 oil changes, I went and ordered a RideonADV plate from Jaxon. I had a RideonADV plate for my 2012, and wanted to get one for my 2014 when I bought the bike last November, but budget at the time dictated otherwise.

ACD's customer service is definitely impressive. I think the product still needs some fine tuning though.

Best,

Chris
 

talcon

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I just finished installing the ACD skid plate on my 2015 ES w/AltRider crash bars. I did the whole thing on the side stand. I used the bolts and spacers that came with the skid plate but may eventually replace these with the studs. The oil filter has the least clearance towards the top (see pic below - taken from top) - did they design a little room to give from underneath into the plate? If I took the spacers out, I think the oil filter would be more centered, but the skid plate would likely rub on the header pipes or the hose on the right side. I think the best fit is with the spacers at this point. Please go ahead and use the paracord method to get the springs off the center stand - it makes the install go much easier and quicker and it's really easy to do.


 

Don in Lodi

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talcon said:
I just finished installing the ACD skid plate on my 2015 ES w/AltRider crash bars. I did the whole thing on the side stand. I used the bolts and spacers that came with the skid plate but may eventually replace these with the studs. The oil filter has the least clearance towards the top (see pic below - taken from top) - did they design a little room to give from underneath into the plate? If I took the spacers out, I think the oil filter would be more centered, but the skid plate would likely rub on the header pipes or the hose on the right side. I think the best fit is with the spacers at this point. Please go ahead and use the paracord method to get the springs off the center stand - it makes the install go much easier and quicker and it's really easy to do.


You were able to sandwich the Altrider, spacers and an ACD all using bolts? Come the first oil change your gonna wish you'd splurged on a couple studs to hang that pan from.
 

fredz43

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Speaking of customer support, read my thread about incredible customer support I got when I had fitment problems with the ACD plate on my 2014.

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=14153.msg222349#msg222349

In spite of such good support and great protection provided by the ACD plate, I have to say that after twice dragging the front corner of the ACD plate whilst cornering in a sporting manner, I went back to the SW Motech plate. Not as much protection when off road, but since I do most of my riding on paved surfaces and like a sporting pace, I don't have to worry about what might happen when one drags the skid plate.
 

Don in Lodi

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fredz43 said:
Speaking of customer support, read my thread about incredible customer support I got when I had fitment problems with the ACD plate on my 2014.

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=14153.msg222349#msg222349

In spite of such good support and great protection provided by the ACD plate, I have to say that after twice dragging the front corner of the ACD plate whilst cornering in a sporting manner, I went back to the SW Motech plate. Not as much protection when off road, but since I do most of my riding on paved surfaces and like a sporting pace, I don't have to worry about what might happen when one drags the skid plate.
I've never liked those 'corners', always though they could have come up with two more bits of compound cutting for a better shape. But I always thought you'd have to grind off the foot pegs before the pan would touch. ::26:: ::008::
 

fredz43

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Don in Lodi said:
I've never liked those 'corners', always though they could have come up with two more bits of compound cutting for a better shape. But I always thought you'd have to grind off the foot pegs before the pan would touch. ::26:: ::008::
Hi Don,

I thought that was what I heard when it happened both times. On the second time, while riding at the S10 gathering at The Hub, in AR, my son could even hear it over our intercoms. I told him that I had drug the right hand peg again. When we got back, he was looking and my pegs were fine, but he showed me this on my skid plate.
 

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Davesax36

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My neighbor went riding in some gravel and got a rock caught in the oil filter cutout of his ACD skid plate. He found this out when he got home and had bumped over something else and figured out that all the oil was gone from his bike leaving a trail down the street. The stuck rock had poked a hole in his filter when he bumped the plate a few blocks from home.
 

talcon

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Don in Lodi said:
You were able to sandwich the Altrider, spacers and an ACD all using bolts? Come the first oil change your gonna wish you'd splurged on a couple studs to hang that pan from.
Yes, it's easy if you install from the top first and then connect at the center stand. Do the reverse for removal.


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talcon

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fredz43 said:
Speaking of customer support, read my thread about incredible customer support I got when I had fitment problems with the ACD plate on my 2014.

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=14153.msg222349#msg222349

In spite of such good support and great protection provided by the ACD plate, I have to say that after twice dragging the front corner of the ACD plate whilst cornering in a sporting manner, I went back to the SW Motech plate. Not as much protection when off road, but since I do most of my riding on paved surfaces and like a sporting pace, I don't have to worry about what might happen when one drags the skid plate.
I ride a lot of mountain twisties, so I guess I'll wait and see how it does. Thanks for the warning though. I'll have to remember to hang off a bit in the corners.


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