Hi all - I’ve been looking at frame sliders for the V4. It seems there are two types, the R&G style that connect to an engine mount but unfortunately require some drilling of panels, and the CNC style, that connect to the clutch and alternator covers and which don’t require any modification. Does anyone have experience of the latter? I’ve read that the torque settings for the clutch and alternator cover bolts are quite low, and that if you over-torque them then it’s easy to strip the threads. If that’s the case then are these mounting points really capable of withstanding the force / weight of the bike in the event of an off? Also, there are a variety of billet and carbon protectors available for the clutch and alternator covers themselves, however it seems that these are generally as expensive as the parts that they’re designed to protect. Are these protectors of any real use, or are they considered more an item of ‘bling’?
Drilling the fairing for crash bungs will have a few forum members sucking their teeth and tutting. You have a point about the CNC Racing bungs but I guess a chat with your supplying or local dealer’s workshop is the way forward on that. Sadly there’s not much meat on the bike to attach robust crash protection for the bodywork. Clutch and alternator protection IMO is essential if you are going to track your bike but still a good idea if not because a simple stationary drop will scuff up either. I bought https://www.spiderracing.it/ parts through https://www.motorcycleraceparts.co.uk/brands/spider/ the quality is very good, the parts are made from aluminium not plastic and are blingtastic.
Thanks for the response. I saw you’d posted about your spider crash protection in the dry clutch thread after I’d posted my question. They are indeed blingtastic! You’re right about the ease of scuffing, the reason I posted is that I ended up laying my bike down in the gravel at Oulton on Wednesday (purely down to rider inexperience, the bike was more than capable of making it round the corner). Damage was thankfully limited to light scratching to the fairing which I’m sure will polish out, but there also some marks on the clutch cover which won’t (although it could probably be repainted). I phoned my dealer to find out the cost of a replacement and was surprised to hear it’s just £154, which is what made me wonder about the value of a protector - since a scuffed protector is likely to cost more to repair / replace than the part it’s designed to protect!
