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#Post#: 671-------------------------------------------------- |
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Flatland Skid Plate -- Install Notes |
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By: Rusty Shovel Date: April 2, 2014, 3:18 pm |
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Oh, how I love UPS! Here they've come again with gifts! |
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[img] |
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https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jf36TmDl61E/UzxnvXYfujI/AAAAAAAAA9E/CHtyH8fj… |
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Time to get rid of the plastic stocker. Before PIC: |
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[img] |
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https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CK38Ta3lvx0/Uzxnu_H_GYI/AAAAAAAAA9A/XWXZKgMo… |
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There are no instructions but, really, how hard could it be? |
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Let me spoil the surprise; I messed up and had to redo it. |
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Taking off the old skid plate is as easy as removing two 8mm |
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bolts. If you can't figure out which bolts, I'm sorry, you need |
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a new hobby. |
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So here's where I mess up. |
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[img] |
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https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-U-M4sBu3C0E/UzxnuJXebVI/AAAAAAAAA80/OGnkHMlA… |
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I slide the bars into the holes then secure it with the two 10mm |
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bolts supplied with the skid plate. Locktite is easy insurance. |
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https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-C0RT0c_t8dc/Uzxnx3ea5dI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/EBumTSDp… |
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[img] |
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https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bXJA6wo1VnQ/Uzxn56ClkQI/AAAAAAAAA94/vMy9yQZu… |
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It looks done, right? But before Miller Time, I have to give it |
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"the whack test" by smacking with my fist. The plate is rock |
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solid, but makes a metal-on-metal "Ping." |
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I examine the skid plate's rear tabs and see that they're |
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resting, metal on metal, in their housing. So I go back to the |
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plastic skid plate and... |
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[img] |
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https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uLqNdqxEJPw/Uzxnz0ZSNII/AAAAAAAAA9U/4_6K9Vvo… |
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AH HAA! These look useful. (I wonder how many folks overlook |
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this detail and then complain about their "rattle-y" skid |
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plate?") |
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[img] |
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https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-d0u5VexsDQA/Uzxn1KdH3QI/AAAAAAAAA9k/Ajm-0Umx… |
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Like a glove. |
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[img] |
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https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Yp-2TG07idY/Uzxn1qe1OkI/AAAAAAAAA9g/ZfTgNys2… |
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Through trial and error, I learned that it's easier to shove the |
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rubber thing into the female end on the bike and then insert the |
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skid plate. I dutifully tried to craft that last sentence so it |
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wouldn't be laden with innuendo, but there was just NO way. ;) |
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Oh yeah, and PLEASE stop checking out my legs! It's Houston; if |
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I'd done this in pants I would have suffered a heat stroke. |
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[img] |
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https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FCynQqWQzCk/Uzxn4okVEsI/AAAAAAAAA9s/A-pcDrC3… |
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It's a much tighter fit with the rubbers on. (Again, phrasing.) |
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But this time the plate passed the "whack" test with flying |
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colors. |
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[img] |
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https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AnFxr4J2FTE/Uzxn7pcGKuI/AAAAAAAAA-E/_O9aN9AP… |
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BTW, those dark marks on the plate are just my greasy |
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fingerprints. The plate reflects more engine sound than the |
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plastic one, but it should deflect a lot more rocks, so I guess |
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that makes up for it. The plate appears very sturdy, but owing |
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to it's aluminum construction, it doesn't feel much heavier than |
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the plastic plate. Certainly it would be too light to notice a |
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difference from the saddle. |
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I'll update if I experience any trouble down the road. The |
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initial quality feels good. Their are a minimal number of welds |
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and the welds look clean and professional. I can't imagine that |
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competitor's products offer any better protection than this, |
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especially for the price. |
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Good Job Flatland! |
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#Post#: 674-------------------------------------------------- |
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Re: Flatland Skid Plate -- Install Notes |
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By: Colorado Rider Date: April 2, 2014, 10:37 pm |
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Excellent pointer on the reuse of the rubber grommet; I might |
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have missed that! |
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#Post#: 693-------------------------------------------------- |
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Re: Flatland Skid Plate -- Install Notes |
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By: truck11 Date: April 4, 2014, 12:57 pm |
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Good info, thank for sharing. |
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Looks like the flatlands is slightly shorter than the stock - |
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Where the tabs are towards the rear. Any thing not covered now? |
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#Post#: 694-------------------------------------------------- |
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Re: Flatland Skid Plate -- Install Notes |
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By: Rusty Shovel Date: April 4, 2014, 1:50 pm |
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[quote author=truck11 link=topic=147.msg693#msg693 |
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date=1396634258] |
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Any thing not covered now? |
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[/quote] |
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The only fragile looking thing not covered by the Flatland skid |
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plate is the master cylinder. The plastic skid plate ignored |
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this too. The only plate that I've seen to address this is by |
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Adventure Spec. |
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http://www.adventure-spec.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525… |
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But at $300 plus shipping from the UK, I don't think the added |
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protection is worth it. |
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I'd rather just get this master cylinder cover from KTM Twins |
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for $40 and call it a day: |
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http://2479a52abb8084f6f9fe-a26bcd381df50daddd16be398d37c636.r18.cf1.rackcdn.co… |
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#Post#: 2535-------------------------------------------------- |
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Re: Flatland Skid Plate -- Install Notes |
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By: ShakeWell Date: March 16, 2015, 11:17 pm |
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Thanks for the write up, I'm ordering one next week, especially |
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since now I know all I have to do is put the rubber thing in the |
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female end and whack it... ;D |
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Any thoughts of putting something on the top side of the plate |
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like Line-X or some other coating to dull the sound bounce-back? |
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I read about a few people using roll on bedliner, various epoxy |
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solutions, or even spraying flex-seal on the top side to take a |
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little of off the sound. |
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Great upgrade. |
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#Post#: 2538-------------------------------------------------- |
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Re: Flatland Skid Plate -- Install Notes |
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By: Rusty Shovel Date: March 17, 2015, 4:01 pm |
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[quote author=ShakeWell link=topic=147.msg2535#msg2535 |
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date=1426565867] |
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Any thoughts of putting something on the top side of the plate |
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like Line-X or some other coating to dull the sound bounce-back? |
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Great upgrade. |
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[/quote] |
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Not really. The engine doesn't sound louder, just a little |
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different. Once I got used to it I didn't notice it any more. |
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Call me nuts, but I really enjoy the sound of heavy rocks |
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clunking off of it at speed. It has a few cosmetic scratches |
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that remind me I'm glad I invested in stout protection. |
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It's been a year...and I'd buy it again. |
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