Mikeybikey57
Member
No, I wouldn't fit one onto my car because it would be a very silly thing to do.ace50 said:
As for whether it's "necessary" or not, does it really matter?Need a skid plate if staying on tarmac?
- Thread starter murdock2002
- Start date
As for whether it's "necessary" or not, does it really matter?
RCinNC
Well-Known Member
No, I wouldn't put one on my car, because my car's oil filter isn't hanging in space, unprotected, 8 inches above the road surface.
Ever see all that crap sitting on the shoulder as you're driving down the road? At one time, a lot of that crap was laying ON the road, until it either got swept off by a fire crew after a crash or knocked off the road by whoever hit it. Rusted out exhaust pipes, big chunks of recaps off tractor trailers, that four inch wide piece of tree trunk that fell off a landscaping truck; any one of them could be laying there on the road, in the dark, just waiting for you to not see it and run over it. I had a debris guard on my V-Strom, which had the same unfortunate design quirk of an oil filter sticking out unprotected like a zit on a teenager's face; there were enough dents, dings and scratches on the underside of the debris shield that made me glad it was there. I don't do any off-road riding (the most extreme would be gravel logging roads, and that's not off-roading to me), so all those dings came from the kinds of roads that everybody commutes on.
A debris guard is a nice extra layer of protection between the road and that vulnerable oil filter and sump. In a way, it's kind of like a condom for your bike. Nobody needs a debris guard, just like nobody needs a condom. You could go your whole life not using either, and nothing bad would ever happen. But, much like a condom, when you encounter that situation where one would have been beneficial, and you don't have one, then it's too late to put one on after the bad event happens.
Ever see all that crap sitting on the shoulder as you're driving down the road? At one time, a lot of that crap was laying ON the road, until it either got swept off by a fire crew after a crash or knocked off the road by whoever hit it. Rusted out exhaust pipes, big chunks of recaps off tractor trailers, that four inch wide piece of tree trunk that fell off a landscaping truck; any one of them could be laying there on the road, in the dark, just waiting for you to not see it and run over it. I had a debris guard on my V-Strom, which had the same unfortunate design quirk of an oil filter sticking out unprotected like a zit on a teenager's face; there were enough dents, dings and scratches on the underside of the debris shield that made me glad it was there. I don't do any off-road riding (the most extreme would be gravel logging roads, and that's not off-roading to me), so all those dings came from the kinds of roads that everybody commutes on.
A debris guard is a nice extra layer of protection between the road and that vulnerable oil filter and sump. In a way, it's kind of like a condom for your bike. Nobody needs a debris guard, just like nobody needs a condom. You could go your whole life not using either, and nothing bad would ever happen. But, much like a condom, when you encounter that situation where one would have been beneficial, and you don't have one, then it's too late to put one on after the bad event happens.
Yep I have one on my Honda car. It came with a plate covering the oil filter.ace50 said:
I think it's a good idea to protect the oil filter and sump. There are even some aftermarket oil filter guards available for Honda Gold Wings. Think of it as a helmet for your oil filter or cheap insurance. I would consider the aluminum OEM Yamaha skid plate as the bare minimum. If you don't like the looks of it, get it painted or powder coated black. ::017::
R
RonH
Guest
Total waste of money and makes the bike ugly. How in the heck is the sump going to get damaged on the road? 6 million Harleys riding around that sit 4" off the ground and doubt they worry about the sump. The oil filter is always worried about like it is made out off 1mil thick paper. It takes a big hit to damage an oil filter. No rock is going to do it. Takes a big piece of steel. Guys on the goldwing forum always debating skid plates, but over there they are called belly pans. No need for a pan or plate on the street.
RCinNC
Well-Known Member
Yep, it never ever happens...except it does happen.
The photo is from a member over at Stromtroopers named tmcgee. He hit something on I-95 in Rhode Island (which I'm pretty sure isn't an off road trail). The photo is the resulting damage to his oil filter. He didn't even know the damage was done when it happened, so whatever he hit wasn't large enough or jarring enough to warrant much attention. He continued to ride while slowly losing oil. He lost two and a half quarts before he knew he'd done any damage (and was pretty lucky all that oil hitting the rear tire didn't cause a crash). I'm sure there are other examples out there, if someone wanted to search for them rather than make sweeping statements like "it never happens" or "it happens all the time".
Do what you want. Calling it a waste of money because nothing bad ever happens is the same as saying you absolutely under all circumstances must have one; both statements ignore reality. I assessed the risk on both the V-Strom and the S10 (which share that exposed filter design) and figured the debris guard was a cheap piece of insurance. My experience with dents and dings on the debris guard on my Strom supported my conclusion. You can draw your own conclusions, but yes, damage to your oil filter while riding on roads CAN happen, so sweeping statements like "there's no need for one on the street" are flat out wrong.
The photo is from a member over at Stromtroopers named tmcgee. He hit something on I-95 in Rhode Island (which I'm pretty sure isn't an off road trail). The photo is the resulting damage to his oil filter. He didn't even know the damage was done when it happened, so whatever he hit wasn't large enough or jarring enough to warrant much attention. He continued to ride while slowly losing oil. He lost two and a half quarts before he knew he'd done any damage (and was pretty lucky all that oil hitting the rear tire didn't cause a crash). I'm sure there are other examples out there, if someone wanted to search for them rather than make sweeping statements like "it never happens" or "it happens all the time".
Do what you want. Calling it a waste of money because nothing bad ever happens is the same as saying you absolutely under all circumstances must have one; both statements ignore reality. I assessed the risk on both the V-Strom and the S10 (which share that exposed filter design) and figured the debris guard was a cheap piece of insurance. My experience with dents and dings on the debris guard on my Strom supported my conclusion. You can draw your own conclusions, but yes, damage to your oil filter while riding on roads CAN happen, so sweeping statements like "there's no need for one on the street" are flat out wrong.
Attachments
I've read reports on the GL1800 forum and seen pictures of filters with holes in them. It does happen.
jwhuls
Always looking for adventure
I turned around once in TN while loaded two up. It was on an old driveway in a commercial area. there was some grass growing on it. as I turned, I didn't realize through the light grass that there was remnants of a curb inbetween the 'lanes' of the old commercial space. The sump mount jammed up and cracked my sump pan. It sucked on a late Friday trying to start a vacation.
a couple hundred bucks would have been cheaper than the two cab rides, hotel, hotel res I had much farther down the road and the shop work the next morning.
a couple hundred bucks would have been cheaper than the two cab rides, hotel, hotel res I had much farther down the road and the shop work the next morning.
oilfield_trash
Member
That's the disadvantage of the Yamaha and SW Motech pans. IIRC there was a sump casualty with the SW Motech at the CO rally. I think the Altrider or ACD are really the best way to go. The Rumbux and rideonadv seem bulletproof but overkill for anyone except Ewan and Charlie. I definitely think a small debris guard would be better than nothing. Too much crap laying in the road. It doesn't have to be very big to hurt an oil filter at 80mph. There's probably room for an aftermarket product here from a member.
Me personally, my bike stays on the road 95% of the time now, but I still run the Altrider. The only downsides being it's noisy and my mechanic complains a little on oil changes. I here crap banging off of it all time though. It also catches a lot of the bugs I would otherwise have to scrub off my engine block.
Me personally, my bike stays on the road 95% of the time now, but I still run the Altrider. The only downsides being it's noisy and my mechanic complains a little on oil changes. I here crap banging off of it all time though. It also catches a lot of the bugs I would otherwise have to scrub off my engine block.
imcja
New Member
No.
draig126
Member
::026::RCinNC said:
Truly a wise response. ::008::
murdock2002
New Member
OP here...
Thank you to everyone for your input.
Very good insights, examples, and factors offered for consideration.
I definitely am leaning to going with a skid plate now...just a matter of going all out with an altrider, or going with a less hardcore option like givi or the Yamaha accessory.
Thanks again.
Thank you to everyone for your input.
Very good insights, examples, and factors offered for consideration.
I definitely am leaning to going with a skid plate now...just a matter of going all out with an altrider, or going with a less hardcore option like givi or the Yamaha accessory.
Thanks again.
Had a small piece of plastic stick itself in my oil filter shortly after I got my bike. Didn't notice it until the next day. There was a small spot of oil under the bike. One qt low in 350 mi. The beer can thing and a hose clamp would be better than nothing.RonH said:
Check out the mastech. It's simple and relatively inexpensive anddoesn't mount to the sump.murdock2002 said:
http://www.accessoryinternational.com/merchant2/graphics/00000003/mastech-skid-plate-yamaha-super-tenere.jpg
murdock2002
New Member
Awesome - thanks for the recommendation. If you have it, does it require the side stand being removed in order to remove the skid plate for oil changes? Thanks.motoguy said:
I do have it and no you don't have to remove the side stand. I did however use a Dremel and made it so I can drain the oil. It is possible to remove the filter without removing the skid plate but it's kinda a pain. I just remove the front bolts and drop it down a bit.murdock2002 said:
With the S-10 You may say you only ride on the tarmac but you may find yourself exploring the side roads before you know it. With the skid plate its much less worries. And I must say the alt rider crash bars are worth their weight in gold! Mine fell over at the gas station just the other day from the wind.
Davesax36
Active Member
Does it have an additional plate on the underside like the Touratech one? I'm interested in how sturdy those mount arms are. It seems to mount exactly the same way the Touratech plate mounts, but I can't really find specs on the metal thickness and what not. Any additional info/pics/whatever is appreciated, and what year do you have? I emailed them, but haven't yet heard whether it will fit with the newer exhaust.motoguy said:
Here's the PDF of the Touratech install instructions for reference http://www.touratech-usa.com/media/WCiZOa/09-046-5135-0.pdf
Don in Lodi
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
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Not meant to be a bash plate, pretty much only a random debris deflector.Davesax36 said: