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Handguards: Why/Why not?

Why don't you use handguards?

  • Ineffective

    Votes: 11 6.1%
  • Cost

    Votes: 4 2.2%
  • Interference

    Votes: 42 23.2%
  • They Break

    Votes: 98 54.1%
  • Other

    Votes: 26 14.4%

  • Total voters
    181

wfieldin

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Jul 28, 2009
1,911
444
83
Denver
So who makes a set of hand guards for a Pro RMK that

a) Don't cost $180
b) Bolt right up without twisting in a vice or a bunch of other nonsense
c) Have a metal-backed frame so they don't break as easy as the Polaris-issue ones do

I have a hard time believing nobody makes a realistic hand guard option for the Pro RMK .... I've seen the ones Skinz sells, but there is no chance I'm paying $180 for a set of hand guards.

The Skinz are less than $70 and work well for the cold days, a little protection form tree branches but not much.
 
T

TheHardWay

Well-known member
Jan 2, 2011
169
131
43
43
Hesperus, CO
When you go over the bars, there is a chance you could snap your wrist.

Agreed. In reality, there is a probably a slim chance that this would happen, but it isn't a risk I'm ready to take, and is why I won't run bark busters whether its on a sled or a bike.

Another reason to run a hand guard besides wind and protection in the trees that hash't been mentioned is that they help when you are on the trail headed to you riding spot. If you don't happen to be first in your group and leading the way, hand guards help to deflect the chunks of ice/snow coming off the person's track that you are about to haul *** past because they are *****-footin' around.
 

backcountryislife

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Nov 26, 2007
10,893
7,413
113
Dumont/Breckenridge, CO
So who makes a set of hand guards for a Pro RMK that

a) Don't cost $180
b) Bolt right up without twisting in a vice or a bunch of other nonsense
c) Have a metal-backed frame so they don't break as easy as the Polaris-issue ones do

I have a hard time believing nobody makes a realistic hand guard option for the Pro RMK .... I've seen the ones Skinz sells, but there is no chance I'm paying $180 for a set of hand guards.

These I can get for about $45,

http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/1036/-/67574/Tusk-D-Flex-Handguards-Spoilers-Black-Black


Since it's a Poo, no need for bending or anything... just install. 5 min.

1525029_10201381352917855_1053752848_n.jpg


I just bought 3 sets. I'd prefer cycra or enduro engineering, as both have bigger guards, but these are 1/2 the price, so I'm gonna run em.

Since you're a poo... it's probably closer to running that rainbow colored unicorn though, so you should probably just get some flag style badazz powermadd ones.


Spending $180 on some FABRIC is the most idiotic things I can imagine one doing if you need handguards. Yes, they cut the wind... and then do NOTHING else we expect from them.
 
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backcountryislife

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Nov 26, 2007
10,893
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Dumont/Breckenridge, CO
Agreed. In reality, there is a probably a slim chance that this would happen, but it isn't a risk I'm ready to take, and is why I won't run bark busters whether its on a sled or a bike.

I'd like to see how many people have done this on bikes? I don't know ANYONE who runs without them on a bike here in CO... and I've never heard of anyone having this happen, aside from the mythical snowest "you could break your wrist" unicorn that says this every now & then.

Btw, I've got about 20k miles with them on sleds alone... still waiting.
 
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TheHardWay

Well-known member
Jan 2, 2011
169
131
43
43
Hesperus, CO
I guess you missed my post where I said it was slim chance. Anything is possible.
I didn't have them on my bike when I still had mine and I'm in CO. But of course, you don't know me.
To each, their own.
 

backcountryislife

Well-known member
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Nov 26, 2007
10,893
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Dumont/Breckenridge, CO
I didn't have them on my bike when I still had mine and I'm in CO.

I reject your reality & substitute my own!!

There's a slim chance that putting the skis on forward facing could cause you problems in a reversing situation, therefore causing you to fall off & be run over by the sled, cutting your tongue off.

HENCE... skis should be installed backwards.


The odds of you being injured by either
A: the post jabbing into your body causing internal damage (yeah... that sounds far fetched till my buddy got flight for life out of the riding areas one day... punctured his spleen)
B: a tree breaking your hand because you got it pinched between it & the bars.
or C: hitting the bars into something, & not having anything to allow it to deflect off, it now grabs your sled & causes a bigger issue.

happening I'm gonna go out on a limb & say are MUCH more common than the broken-wristed unicorn thing... being that I've seen EACH of these (C more than once) and have never even heard of someone breaking their wrist in a barkbuster.

oh yeah, and D... your bloody hands being cold!:D


It could happen though.:face-icon-small-win
 
T

TheHardWay

Well-known member
Jan 2, 2011
169
131
43
43
Hesperus, CO
I reject your reality & substitute my own!!



There's a slim chance that putting the skis on forward facing could cause you problems in a reversing situation, therefore causing you to fall off & be run over by the sled, cutting your tongue off.



HENCE... skis should be installed backwards.





The odds of you being injured by either

A: the post jabbing into your body causing internal damage (yeah... that sounds far fetched till my buddy got flight for life out of the riding areas one day... punctured his spleen)

B: a tree breaking your hand because you got it pinched between it & the bars.

or C: hitting the bars into something, & not having anything to allow it to deflect off, it now grabs your sled & causes a bigger issue.



happening I'm gonna go out on a limb & say are MUCH more common than the broken-wristed unicorn thing... being that I've seen EACH of these (C more than once) and have never even heard of someone breaking their wrist in a barkbuster.



oh yeah, and D... your bloody hands being cold!:D





It could happen though.:face-icon-small-win


Quite the imagination you have there! I think I'll switch my skis around each time I have to back up now. I don't want to lose my tongue! LOL!

Ok I get it, you've never seen someone break a wrist in the manner that I believe is a possibility. Must make it the be all end all since you haven't seen it in your reality. You win!

But if we are rejecting realities, I'll take your approach and reject the situations you mentioned because I've never seen those happen personally. If I haven't seen it happen the MUST mean that it isn't possible, correct? Cuz ya know, freak accidents never happen.

A quick google search of 'broken wrists and bark busters' will pop up results of this occurring. The bottom line is that these type of hand guards probably do more good than they do bad, but to make a statement that they don't pose a potential risk of broken bones is just plain foolish.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I

ice man

Member
Jan 26, 2008
119
15
18
oliver bc canada
I have been using power madd handguards for 5 years, would not ride without .protection, warmth,far out weigh interference,had a buddy get a stick 3" in his hand,have not broke yet ,if you cant ride and roll your sled all the time well they are not for you
 
D
Oct 13, 2008
768
148
43
I leave the bolt holding the guard to the mount just loose enough that it can twist with a fairly hard impact. Have only broken 1 guard in 2500 miles this way. Actually my wife drove it into a tree well. It split it about 3/4 the way from top to bottom and I rode it that way for most of the season. It never did completely break off. Have rolled sleds over lots of times with no breakage. Last weekend I pinched break side on a tree and guard was touching the bars. Thought it was broke for sure, but it did not even crack about 20* out. I think the key is to not tighten them too tight. I do have the mount tight though. Maybe I have just been lucky because I have gone through miles of alder brush and my fair share of trees.
 
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Wild_Canuck

Member
Mar 5, 2012
45
14
8
Ontario Canada
I have the Polaris Guards on my Assault and have yet to brake one. I roll my sled over all the time, and nothing has bent. I find they take a lot of the cold snap out of riding, considering almost all our riding around here is in the -20C and colder range.
 
C
Sep 11, 2011
22
3
3
I would on my sled - but I don't see how you can put them on the standard RMK bars. The flange for the mountain strap is in the way. Neither of the lock and ride style mounts will work and neither did a standard powermadd set I had. So I've been handguard-less. Great when I'm in the woods but I have to take a trail to get there and have had some frosty hands on the rides back to the truck at the end of the day.
 
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