SO, how much drop/slide protection is enough for the Scram?

[Ike208]

OK, at just over two weeks since my MSF and a whopping 150 miles on my Scram (first bike ever) I'm totally comfortable with my noob status. I am also totally comfortable with the argument that "there are two types of riders, those who have dropped their bike and those that will someday drop their bike." I have no doubt that a drop is coming at some point in the future. So how much drop/slide protection is needed, and how much is overkill? I want to do what I can to protect my Scram especially while I'm still learning how to ride it efficiently, but don't want to roll down the road with so many bumpers and spools that I look like I'm riding a koosh ball.

I know my bar-end mirrors are toast in a drop, but that's the cost of doing business when it comes to bar-end mirrors. I can also see the exhaust being at risk, so I'll likely put a slider there for a while.

Which areas on the Scram will take the worst hit in a drop? What kind of drop protection do you suggest? What, in your opinion, is overkill?

Thanks!

Ike

 

[tom_d]

I think your attitude will serve you well. Just be prepared that you’ll need a replacement lever at some point, I just bent mine back to a close approximation. Your brake lever will bend, and can easily be straightened, as well as the shifter though I needed a small pipe wrench to get enough leverage. The bars are kinda an X factor, they will bend though a cross brace might help, or you can just know it’s coming and perhaps get a thicker or braced bar when the time comes. Have fun.

 

[Alan F.]

1. Broken stock parts are an opportunity to upgrade to better/stronger/lighter/shinier.

2. There's no need to waste money protecting your bike from a fall that may or may not ever happen.

3. Enjoy the ride, it's just a bike and they'll make lots more of them.

4. Once you stop worrying about damage to your bike you can get on with the business of growing as a rider.

5. Put your money and effort toward more riding gear to protect your body, the bike can be repaired if needed, protect your body on every ride.

6. Go ride it and break stuff, be a biker, be adventurous, go places and do stuff.

 

[Eatmore Mudd]

I like frame mounted trapezoidal "crash bars". Ages ago the end of the crank of my buddies in line four got hammered in a slide and the tank was a little banged up. Costs being what they were it was end of that bike. Other guys in the circle of knuckle heads did the same crash in the same spot and road home with bruises and grind marks on the crash bars.

I don't think anyone on this forum is that stupid and our Himalayans cranks are only 1/4 the width so we don't have that worry either.

The RE large, *ahem* (air quotes) engine guards, aren't exactly what I want but the do for now and make the bike easier to pick up when I dump it.
Between the crash bars (tested) and the Barkbusters (also tested) my tank, tank guards and crank are unscathed.
So back to the trapezoidal thing. I've "tested" those on previous bikes and they worked well and didn't drag in the twisties .

Don't worry about keeping it shiny and new, RIDE it !

There's no shortage of affordable oil paintings or sculpture to contemplate while still.
To inspire by motion is a bikes purpose, the reason for its inception. Write your story in scuffs and scratches. Get out there.
Don't worry about the paintings or sculptures either. They'll still be there when you get back.

 

[Roy Gavin]

My preference is for extended bars where the tubes turn back and run parallel to the motor so that in the event of a slide they do not dig in and flip the bike.
The factory fit bars on my BMWs which are a simple transverse D are a prime example of the wrong shape DAHIK!
Some pannier frames can give a bit protection at the rear too.
And proper Barkbusters have never failed me.
Fitting protection is a personal choice , but if you love your bike as much as you love yourself I doubt if you will ever feel that you have fitted to much protection to the bike.

 

[AnalogRider]

I had a drop on the right with no mods except pannier rack and soft bags and there was only a small scratch on the front side of the handlebar weight,
a slight scratch on the end of the brake lever ball, and a tiny scratch under the front edge of the brake pedal. There was no scratch on the silencer.
I also removed the "urban badges" and fortuntely there was no scratch on the tank. I think the handlebar stopped it. I did have a crossbrace installed
on the handlebar - see topic if interested.

Since I'm doing a lot of cone practice, getting back on a bike after six years off, I bought hard rubber chair leg protectors to slip on handlebar ends and lever balls
for cosmetic protection, and have engine guards about to install with frame sliders - but again I bought the bike to take a lot of advanced classes
to learn more over my old bike so it has it's ditty bag of temp training mods. I can see the engine guards with sliders will be the prime protection as they arrived
but have a fitment question for maker.