Just wondering if the stock swing arm needs a skid plate for riding trails? The rear sprocket and break look very exposed, has anyone had a problem with this?
Thanks

unless you are EXTREMELY careful, or your trails are walking paths... YES.

 

I remember reading about these disks that go next to the rotor/sprockets to take the impact from rocks without loosing ground clearence. Never tried them.

I did try a skid plate and it was a love/hate relationship. It protected the swingarm but I lost a lot of ground clearence. Too much with 18 inch tires.

I race MX and do not run a skid plate because I would be huge up all the time from ruts. But if I ever took my quad on the rocky trails, heck ya I would put it on.

 

hey man i wanna ride with u some time looks like a nice area. that sucks but thats why they make a BFH!!!!!!!

 

Guess it depends on what trails and how you ride. Where I ride, a skid plate is required, no doubt about it. We have big rocks out here in the desert, hard to miss somthing going 5th gear pinned. When I trail ride, I could probably get away without one if I was real carefull and slowed down some, but what fun is that! When I race, have to run a skid plate, can't slow down then, loose to much time. I have actually destryed skid plates in one race, with no skid plate that would be a sure dnf. I have known people that have ran with out them, a few of them have hit rocks so hard the chain actually breaks, not any fun getting towed back in.

Bottom line is I guess it depends on you. If you think you can avoid everything, run with out one. I will keep mine.

Doug

 

hey man i wanna ride with u some time looks like a nice area. that sucks but thats why they make a BFH!!!!!!!

Nothing like good ol' Shamokin to give a good beatin to your equipment haha. I was up there a month ago and we hit the rockiest trails ever, my arms were jello after about an hour.
BigRed where you located at?