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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

backcountryislife

Well-known member
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Nov 26, 2007
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Dumont/Breckenridge, CO
Anything other than barkbusters just seems like a complete waste of time....those floppy things don't usually make it past lunch....

For some reason though, people think they need to lean all over the place, and let the sled ride them instead of the other way around. If you are riding with your hands on the bars, barkbusters work perfectly. If you're lollygagging off the side of the sled like someone on their first day out riding a thundercat... then yeah, barkbusters will limit you in some way.
 

tdbaugha

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Apr 18, 2009
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USA
For some reason though, people think they need to lean all over the place, and let the sled ride them instead of the other way around. If you are riding with your hands on the bars, barkbusters work perfectly. If you're lollygagging off the side of the sled like someone on their first day out riding a thundercat... then yeah, barkbusters will limit you in some way.

Have you never heard of danglin'?!?!

C'mon! :wacko:

I don't run handguards because they look stupid and I like when my hands freeze and get smashed by trees. Completely logical.
 
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R
Feb 12, 2010
61
21
8
th
Iride with joe rocket 5.0 motorcycle gloves plastic knuckles a bulky glove that feels like riding with a lite glove. hands have not gotten cold in them.
 
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F

FCR112

ACCOUNT CLOSED
Feb 1, 2008
2,010
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For some reason though, people think they need to lean all over the place, and let the sled ride them instead of the other way around. If you are riding with your hands on the bars, barkbusters work perfectly. If you're lollygagging off the side of the sled like someone on their first day out riding a thundercat... then yeah, barkbusters will limit you in some way.

Great! Another guy coming onto the Polaris forums bashing Thundercats... I'm getting so sick of these mf'ers adding to the internet hysteria...

You know what BCIL you don't know jack about the handgarrrrds on my sick mtn modded T-banging Thundermonkey!!!
 
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M

milo303

Well-known member
Sep 16, 2011
824
199
43
Littleton
I have a set of soft velcro on hand guards that I keep with me just in case it gets stupid cold. Otherwise I don't ever use guards personally
 

WYsteph

Well-known member
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Nov 27, 2007
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WY
www.dxgillette.com
My hands like having some protection from the wind. Had the Polaris ones, kept striping the bolts out on the mounts so went back to the powermadd. Made it a year, but since I also bent my bars in that wreck I'm not mad they broke (might be fixable too.)

Up till this spring when I got my dirt bike I had really no idea that barkbusters existed. So thinking that is what will be going on the sled this fall. MSR is what is on my bike and they seem nice and strong.
 

schmidty89

Member
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Dec 5, 2008
136
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18
Spirit Lake IA
I have a set of soft velcro on hand guards that I keep with me just in case it gets stupid cold. Otherwise I don't ever use guards personally

I carry these for the same reason, very light weight and worth having when your hand warmers quit or your gloves get soaked? First ride out this time last year the back country was fine but getting there and home with no hand warmers and decent gloves wasn't an option! Otherwise I agree too easy to break to have on the sled all year round. Besides picked mine up for twenty bucks at haydays.

Edit: never really thought of it till I read it about breaking your wrist if you go over, Just another reason to limit the time they are on the bars.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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Z

Zak.V

Active member
Jul 28, 2011
41
25
18
Great to have on the trail and in trees. After a rollout you need to reposition the mount. It got too troublesome so I go without them. That said I have taken a few branches and stones to the fingers and wish I had them.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 

bobback

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Feb 21, 2008
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"The Last Best Place"

I'm going with these...would be nice to quickly put on when done riding and heading out to help keep the hands warm after a hard day of riding and the gloves are iced; could of used them the other day and was thinking it would be nice to have hand guards.

And for you fashion queens...:face-icon-small-win it's not about looks but comfort! You will realize this at a certain age.
 

sledheadd

Well-known member
Premium Member
Dec 1, 2007
1,621
372
83
too far from mountains Alberta Canada
I use rpm composite hand guards. They are made of carbon fiber and are near bullet proof. The set that I have now on my nytro I bought in 2006 and they have been on 3 sleds very solidly built. Saved my fingers from branches numerous times and up in Northern Alberta it can get mighty cold on the way home after the sun sets. These offer lots of wind protection.
 

Dogmeat

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Feb 1, 2006
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Castle Rock, 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.
 
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