Any chance of a closer look at your finish Max. Does the bedliner hang on to the alloy pretty well? I imagine it is pretty easy to touch up any scrapes anyway...? BTW, as far as slickness goes, my work truck has a slide out Joey Bed. The floor of this has lumpy, sprayed on blackness that looks like bedliner. Despite the textured effect, this stuff is the slipperiest thing I have ever seen in the back of a vehicle - everything in there slides around like you wouldn't believe. Not what the fabricators intended I think, but makes me want to find out what it is
I've used the bed liner on quite a few parts and it works well. But on the skid plates a strip 3" ( 7.5 cm. ) will get blasted off over time by sand and stones from your front tires. That's easy to re-coat. Twist it, Max
so I got mine a couple of days ago, given the fact that it had to travel 3,000 miles it came in pretty fast thanks Charlie!!! (sorry about the crappy pics) here's the kit/ set of instructions and a sidestand reinforcing plate complete with bolts included note the thickness of material :eek1 The weight is really not that bad some comparison pictures to the existing one, note the additional protection surface that the new one provides stock plate open for service Charlie's plate doesn't open as much not a big deal as I remove the plate completely for service, but I might end up notching the back a bit so it can open all the way lots of protection on the clutch side same on the sidestand side, completely covers the weak spots the whole install took less than 10 minutes just have to transfer the existing rubber bushings from the stock plate to the new one and you're good to go. here's one of the front, I never thought that I can be sexually attracted to a weld but I had more than one dirty thought for these ones....:huh Overall very satisfied with the product, very robust, easy install, great value and service. Thanks again for doing this Charlie if you're ever up this way first four rounds of drinks are on me
I just got my skidplate- took just a few days from CA to WV Box was weighed by UPS @ 12lbs, I weighed the plate alone and it is just over 8lbs. Overall impression is a robust, simple piece. I was wondering if the aluminum was going to be as thick as I would like, and it was that & more. If you damage this thing, you're hard on bikes or jumping off cliffs. I think I'll just install it and let Mother Nature do the painting and fine finishing work.... but then again now is the time to get it anodized since it's clean & new... blue? No, black... no... Orange!
I just finished installing mine too. I'm happy with it. Good customer service, fast shipping. I wrote a review along w/ my mod to the kickstand bracket (so that it doesn't bolt to the weak area of the case) here: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=15445924#post15445924.
Hi Guys, Just an update. I have sent some plates to the powdercoater. They will be available in a Satin Black. I'll post pics as soon as I get them back. Thanks
....that building the toughest skidplates in the world was something you wanted to do a lot of Charlie...otherwise I apologize for the glowing review. Let me know when you have company stickers. Any thoughts on my suggestion for a toolbox on the front? Thumbs up on the black version!
Not to step on any toes... Do you guys feel this plate is superior to the BlackdogCW skid plate? I had a rock bang the stock skid plate pretty good yesterday. It didn't crack, but I figure it's only a matter of time with my luck! I was going to get the side stand bracket too - any comparisons on those?
FWIW, I haven't seen the BDCW in person, but I would almost guarantee Charlie's is stronger. There are trade offs with everything, but the little extra weight down low has little effect on anything. I ventilated it for some airflow, as others have done here.
...built strong too and love the toolboxes, though it makes em wide. The price was the killer for me, especially with the shipping to the states. I think the shipping was going to be about the same as what I paid for Charlies bash plate. As an ex-pat, let me say that I am jealous of all the great stuff being developed for the KTM's back home.
Thanks for the review. I really havn't thought too much about a toolbox mounted on the skid plate. I'll take a few measurements and see what I come up with. Cheers
...if you could replace the front mount bolts with some that are drilled and tapped so that toolbox mounting screws would screw into them? Maybe that would take up too much room inside the toolbox?
Here's mine. Its a good fit and very rugged. After looking over the case, I decided to mod it so it won't mount to the known weak spot at all. I think this gives the best of all the options. It removes the known weak spot, isn't cantilevered like the BDCW one, and doesn't relocate the stand. It remains to be seen if I've just mounted to a new weak point on the case, but I don't think anyone is doing side by side destructive tests to see what is really the best solution.
my skidplate and sidestand relocator from weld86 went on easy- very nicely made, and caused skidplate envy from another 990 rider.
Don't know if it's superior, but it's built like a railroad bridge by an inmate at a reasonable price, and that's good enough for me. Great stuff, Charlie. I'll post a photo of my bike with its bedlined skid plate when I get home.
I don't wanna piss into anybody's pool, but wouldn't it add a possibility to fry the VR without a venting hole on the plate?
By "VR", you mean voltage regulator, I assume? I doubt that would happen with normal charging loads in normal riding conditions. Maybe if you were trying run a coffee pot stationary on a Death Valley summer day it would cook it, but remember the voltage regulator isn't really in a well-ventilated area to start with.