I layed it down this morning. Glad I had an engine guard in place!!!! - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

old new biker · 06-24-2008, 11:33 AM

Boy am I glad I installed my engine guard a couple of weeks ago.

I have JK forwards, but decided to try to install an MC Enterprises guard anyway. I had to make some adapters, and shorten the JK spacer between the front peg bolts, and I am so glad that I went to the trouble.

In the parking lit where I work, there is a concrete pad where we park our bikes. The pad is just deep enough for larger bikes to fit on it comfortably, and there is a guard rail along the back side. Usually there are other bikes there already, and I drive along on the asphalt in front of them, pull out and away to get parallel with the other bikes, then back my bike into place, on the concrete pad, next to furtherest one (standard parking procedure).

This morning there were no other bikes there, so I drove right onto the concrete pad, next to the guard rail, so as not to have to back up the bike so far to get into place. It had rained over night, and unknown to me, there was a thin layer of wet silt along the back edge at the beginning of the concrete pad, where I never drive.

I was going maybe 5 mph, when I started braking with the front brake, and turning out to get into position to back into place, and just like that it was down and sliding on the engine guard. That wet silt was just like being on a thick layer of grease.

I picked up the bike, dusted myself off, and went into work. Thanks to the Engine guard, there was no damage to the bike at all. I was wearing my chaps, so my knee was fairly well protected as well, and only smarted for a bit.

Without the guard, this would haved been much worse. You just never know when it will happen.