What Is A Skid Plate? Why Do You Need One? And Which One Is Right For Your Motorcycle?
A Closer Look At The 6 Different Skid Plates Available From AS3 Performance
If you do any form of off-road motorcycle riding whether it be motocross, enduro, supermoto or trail riding at some point you will have experienced a heavy impact to the lower part of the engine which could have been a rock hitting the engine casings or a log against the frame either of which will have no doubt sent you in to a panic about “What’s damaged?” or “How much is that going to cost to repair?” A skid plate can relieve you of that panic by absorbing that impact, protecting the lower part of your engine, frame and your wallet! At AS3 Performance we have one of the best selections of skid plates available that we have seen on any online store, but with selection can come confusion so this feature will hopefully help you decide which one is right for your motorcycle and the type of riding you’re doing.
Aluminium Skid Plates for Motocross
The skid plate on a motocross bike is mainly designed to protect the engine casings and the lower frame. As you can see from the photo below of our Kawasaki KX 250 project bike it follows the contours of the frame perfectly and sits neatly in the space where the frame forks off in to two sections to hold the engine, it then sits flat against the lower frame almost up until the linkage. Most Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha motocross bikes will come as standard with plastic engine guards at the front of the bike as you can see from the photo below, these are designed to protect the sides of the engine casings which can eliminate the need to install a complete 'enduro style' skid plate that could feel quite heavy on a motocross bike, however if you are looking for an all in one solution to replace the plastic guards we have options for this that we cover later in this feature.
Without a skid plate installed on the bike the engine casings and lower frame are both left very exposed and vulnerable to damage from rocks kicking up from the front wheel or from the roost of other riders. Our motocross skid plates are designed to provide the best possible protection with a minimal overall weight increase to the bike. They are manufactured from 4mm thick aluminium with laser cut holes for both ventilation and access for maintenance They have a polished aluminium finish but not to the point that it will cause glare from reflection from the sun and are finished off with a laser etched AS3 Performance logo at the front. The skid plate below is installed on a Gas Gas MC 350 F which covers the lower frame and engine casings perfectly. All AS3 Performance motocross skid plates are a one-piece design with no welds or joins.
Aluminium Skid Plates for Enduro
Our enduro aluminium skid plates are manufactured from the same 4mm thick aluminium as our motocross skid plates and are pretty much the same in the centre of the plate. However you will have noticed that they have extra protection to the sides that will protect more of the frame plus the clutch, ignition and water pump covers, all of which are much more susceptible to damage when riding enduro. The photo below shows one of our enduro aluminium skid plates installed on a 2018 Beta 300 RR with 14 laser cut holes for ventilation on the right side of the bike plus a hole cut out at the front to allow space for the exhaust mount for the large header pipe on the 2 stroke models. The plate then extends right up at the front to the point where the exhaust meets the engine to give the engine casings as much protection as possible.
Our enduro skid plates start as a plain flat piece of aluminium and both the centre piece and the left and right side are all precisely cut out with a laser cutter. They are then bent in to the correct shape by another machine before the 3 plates are hand welded together on both sides to create the finished product. They are left as a natural aluminium colour, a painted finish is possible but we decided against it as although it may look good when the skid plate is new, this is a part that is will take more impact and abuse than any other part on the bike and the natural aluminium finish looks much better long term where as the painted finish can end up looking very second hand, even after one ride. The photo below shows one of our enduro aluminium skid plates mounted to a 2022 Husqvarna FE 501, this is a great angle to see exactly how much protection the skid plates offer.
DTC Plastic Skid Plates for Enduro
Depending on the type of enduro riding that you’re doing you may want to consider one of our DTC plastic skid plates. If you’re riding in a lot of extreme enduro races where you have to have to manoeuvre over large obstacles such as logs and concrete pipes. In these conditions a plastic skid plate is often preferred as they glide across the top of those objects much smoother than aluminium skid plates and with a much quieter sound. We have plastic skid plates available for the Honda CRF 250 X and CRF 450 X and the KTM PDS models without the rear shock linkage. They are manufactured from 6mm thick DTC plastic which is industry standard for premium quality plastic skid plates. If you are reading this from either the United States or Canada, unfortunately due to a distribution agreement with our supplier we are currently unable to supply any DTC Plastic skid plates to the US and Canadian markets and these products will not be visible on our website in the US or Canada.
DTC Plastic Skid Plates for Enduro With Linkage Protection
Our plastic skid plates also have the option of linkage protection too, where as with our aluminium skid plates this is not possible. On pretty much all enduro bikes the rear shock linkage is very exposed below the swing arm and as we mentioned before if you are using the skid plate to slide the bottom of the bike over obstacles it’s very easy to damage the linkage which could result in an expensive repair. As you can see from the photo below on the Rieju MR 300, the skid plate runs from the very front of the engine, just below the header pipe right past the gear lever and foot pegs, almost to the rear wheel. This covers all vital areas of the bike allowing you to ride with peace of mind knowing that the underside of the motorcycle is completely protected.
Due to the one-piece design of our DTC plastic skid plates it is very easy to extend the plate to cover the linkage. The elongated plastic plate will flex against the linkage on impact and the sound of the two parts connecting is minimal. As the linkage protection can come under a lot of stress and pressure it is supplied with an extra layer of DTC plastic that bolts to the very back of the skid plate where the linkage comes in to contact with the plate. When this part is installed it doubles the thickness of the DTC plastic to 12mm which adds an extra layer of protection to prevent the linkage guard from cracking or snapping. This is shown in the photo below on a Sherco SE-F 250. If this part becomes worn or damaged over time it can be purchased separately and replaced which is a much more cost effective solution than replacing the whole skid plate.
DTC Plastic Skid Plates for Motocross
We also do a motocross version in DTC plastic which is just a smaller lighter option than the enduro skid plate as most motocross riders only require protection for the engine casings, however many of our enduro style skid plates will also fit motocross bikes if you are using a motocross bike for enduro. As mentioned earlier we are unable to supply our aluminium skid plates in different colours due to how they wear, however this is not the case for the DTC plastic skid plates as the finish will remain intact after many hours of use, they are all available in a choice of either black or the same colour as the bike’s plastics for example red for Honda and yellow for Suzuki. We know how much weight matters in all forms of motorcycle racing but especially motocross so you will be interested to know that our plastic motocross skid plates are 40% lighter than aluminium and offer the same level of protection from the 6mm thick DTC plastic.
Skid Plates for Adventure Bikes
As well as skid plates for motocross and enduro we also have a extensive range of skid plates for trail and adventures bikes from the from the BMW G 310 GS to the Honda CRF 1100 L Africa Twin and many others in between. Some adventure bikes come as standard with a plastic skid plate but these are often quite flimsy and offer protection against very light impacts or even just stone chips, some bikes come with no engine protection at all. The skid plate in the photo below is for the all new Ducati Desert X and is one of the more complex designs in our range as it includes 2 large mounting brackets at each side and a smaller one at the front to fix it in place. All of our adventure skid plates are supplied with all hardware required for installation and come with step by step fitting instructions.
Our adventure skid plates are a stronger and more robust upgrade from the OEM hardware as they are manufactured from 4mm thick aluminium and offer much better protection to the lower engine. They all come in a textured matt black finish which looks great on any bike, we did previously offer an ‘ice polish’ grey colour but the textured black was far more popular which is why it has now been discontinued. The textured black colour is also a perfect match for our crash bars if like many others you decide to install them to compliment the skid plate and protect the upper part of the bike too. The photo below shows one of our adventure skid plates installed on the Aprilia 660 Tuareg where it fits around the lower engine crash bars perfectly and also offers some protection to the lower part of the header pipes.
Which skid plate is right for you?
Hopefully there is enough information in each of the sections above to help you decide which skid plate you need for the type of riding you’re doing but if there’s something we’ve missed or you still have a question about any of our skid plates feel free to contact us and we will be happy to discuss.
What other parts can help protect my motocross bike?
After a skid plate, radiator braces tend to be the next go to part to protect a motocross bike as although they are covered by the radiator shrouds they offer little to no protection in the event of a fall. Front and rear brake disc guards and caliper guards are also popular protection parts for motocross.
What parts do I need to fully protect my enduro bike?
A skid plate is an essential part when riding enduro but it's impossible to cover every area of the engine so many riders also choose to upgrade to our billet aluminium clutch covers, ignition covers and water pump covers to double up on protection and help prevent any damage to any of the vital engine parts that could potentially lead to the end of a race.
How can I add additional protection to my adventure bike?
In addition to our range of skid plates and crash bars for adventure bikes we also offer upgraded chain guards and fins to match, master cylinder and reservoir protection, headlight guards and water pump protection. All parts are available in the same textured black finish so everything will match the skid plate.
