[Al Pendrey]

I love my XSR but all these scrambler designs have no sump guard (bash plate), one short ride on a gravel or stony road could put a nice big hole in the engine cases (big bucks!)....my question is...does anybody know of a company that is making an effective bash plate?

 

[Hallett.edward]

I love my XSR but all these scrambler designs have no sump guard (bash plate), one short ride on a gravel or stony road could put a nice big hole in the engine cases (big bucks!)....my question is...does anybody know of a company that is making an effective bash plate?

I want to refresh this discussion. I've seen some like @gnarlydog manufacture their own carbon fibre bash plate (somewhat out of my reach), and others suggest the now out-of-stock Ibex engine guard for the mt-07, however I am now at a loss.

Hepco & Becker do a sump guard for the xsr900 but is >£200 and don't know if it would fit an XSR700.

SW Motech do an engine guard for the mt09 that apparently fits the XSR700 but is fugly and looks like it would catch on a rut rather than bounce off one!

Any suggestions or examples from people?

 

[KLX678]

Lay something out in light card stock to the shape and coverage you want, then take the cardboard, cut out aluminum and get it welded up. That's all I got.

 

[gnarlydog]

I want to refresh this discussion. I've seen some like @gnarlydog manufacture their own carbon fibre bash plate (somewhat out of my reach), and others suggest the now out-of-stock Ibex engine guard for the mt-07, however I am now at a loss.

while a composite bashplate might look exotic a simple one made out of a sheet of 3mm aluminium would do the same job. If you have some kind of way of cutting one out (jig-saw, nibbler or angel grinder) then a simple bend up front it's all is needed for a basic bash-plate. I have mine now attached with high-temp silicone directly to the sump. A thin layer over its surface ensures it stays put.

 

[Hallett.edward]

Lay something out in light card stock to the shape and coverage you want, then take the cardboard, cut out aluminum and get it welded up. That's all I got.

Do you have pictures of your setup you can share?

 

[Hallett.edward]

What do people think of this:
https://bit.ly/38OalaE

Could add a sheet to the bottom as a sump guard. I like the idea of using silicon to glue on a small cover, but can't figure out a way to also protect the oil filter sticking out the front like it's daring a rock to make a mess of it!

 

[KLX678]

Do you have pictures of your setup you can share?

Heck no, that's just how I'd do it, but my XSR is for street. I do not plan to ride it on any dirt/gravel if I can help it. I have a KLX250 for dual sport and dirt/gravel riding.

Don't really want to offend anyone, but when I started riding some off road in 1971 with a Bultaco I saw how the Honda scramblers "worked" and stayed with off roaders for off road. Scramblers were just high pipe street bikes and still are. I started riding back roads again in the late 80s with a heavy Honda SL350 twin, then an SR500, which didn't meet the needs when the going got rutted and rough on those roads. Went to a KLX650 for dual sporting for about 30 years, then rode a KLX250 and found it felt like a mountain bike! So I have two bikes to do the two types of riding... along with that SR500 which is still in the process of becoming a street tracker.

Not everyone has the space, money, and/or desire to have two bikes so a choice is made. When I could only have one bike I did the KLX650 and rode it for everything. When I could do it I got a street bike too, 550 Zephyr. Last year I got enamored with the XSR, first street bike in over 20 years to pull me in. Nothing else really did it. In the mean time I got into the 300 lb 250 for more serious off road than the 375 lb 650 for someone my build. The 550 has my 66 year old knees scrunched up too much and will be sold off.

It would be hard for me to ride my $8500 street bike intentionally on dirt. I'd rather be on the 250 or 650. You see I like to be sideways when the opportunity calls and to venture a bit further in the rough. I don't want to have the XSR laying on its side, I wouldn't shrug it off like I do with the KLXs. There's something about cruising along at 40-50 mph on a gravel road, hanging the back wheel out a bit when the view is clear and the surface right. There is something about finding that road with the deep Jeep trail ruts, going where few other vehicles could do, with ease. I highly recommend it if you can do two bikes. I will say I know a few roads where it would be tempting to play Grand National flat tracker on some corners... gotta resist the temptation, hit them on the 250.

So, no I do not have a bash plate on the XSR, although I may see if I can work up some sort of filter sump plate to fend off stones or rocks that may be on a lesser quality paved road. A very minimalist piece to be as "invisible" as possible. If I do make one I will put up a pic. No scrambling and bashing about with the XSR here.

 

[KLX678]

What do people think of this:
https://bit.ly/38OalaE

Could add a sheet to the bottom as a sump guard. I like the idea of using silicon to glue on a small cover, but can't figure out a way to also protect the oil filter sticking out the front like it's daring a rock to make a mess of it!

I think that would serve to fend off any road going rocks or gravel. Not overly fond of the look, but that's just me and my preferences.

 

[Flyerdon]

Most, if not all street bikes are sans any means of sump protections, mainly because they weren't meant for terrain that might threaten those engine parts. However, even most off-road or adventure bikes have pretty flimsy excuses for bash plates. Most that are worth anything come from the non-OEM market and cost appropriately. I've been a street guy for a long, long time and rarely even take a dirt road if I don't have to and I've never had an issue screwing up an oil pan or any other part of the lower end. I'm pretty frugal and the though of a new crankcase just isn't in the works for me. They do make some pretty good bikes for off-roading though. A few bikes ago I had a 650 V-Strom which was designated as an Adventure bike but from what I saw, almost all the owners very rarely ventured off the blacktop and they were a really good street bike.

 

[gnarlydog]

What do people think of this:
https://bit.ly/38OalaE

Could add a sheet to the bottom as a sump guard. I like the idea of using silicon to glue on a small cover, but can't figure out a way to also protect the oil filter sticking out the front like it's daring a rock to make a mess of it!

not sure what is your intended use for your XSR700 but making one into a Tenere700 would require substantial work.
The bashplate shown is rather thin and mainly desigend for eastetics rather then serious protection. I did consider it for a while but the saw some detailed images and decided against it.

If however you want to protect the low sump from hitting a stationary rock (or a curb/step) then the filter is certainly out of the way for most dirt road riding.
If a rock was large enough to reach the filter then you are in enduro territory. A rock flicked up by the front tyre certainly won't harm the filter enough to cause it fail. Besides the oil filter is made of sheet metal that deform on impact, not punctured or shatters like cast aluminium (sump).
Next time you do an oil change, once you have removed the oil filter, try to punctured it with a hammer. I have: only with a screwdriver driven by the hammer I was able to put a hole in it.

 

[Agent Smith]

not sure what is your intended use for your XSR700 but making one into a Tenere700 would require substantial work.
The bashplate shown is rather thin and mainly desigend for eastetics rather then serious protection. I did consider it for a while but the saw some detailed images and decided against it.

If however you want to protect the low sump from hitting a stationary rock (or a curb/step) then the filter is certainly out of the way for most dirt road riding.
If a rock was large enough to reach the filter then you are in enduro territory. A rock flicked up by the front tyre certainly won't harm the filter enough to cause it fail. Besides the oil filter is made of sheet metal that deform on impact, not punctured or shatters like cast aluminium (sump).
Next time you do an oil change, once you have removed the oil filter, try to punctured it with a hammer. I have: only with a screwdriver driven by the hammer I was able to put a hole in it.

 

[Flyerdon]

I might be in the minority here but I think the XSR and the MT07 were developed for the road, and maybe dirt roads too but serious off-roading is probably not what Yamaha was thinking. They have other models obviously meant to handle that stuff better. As a few other guys have done, if you're serious about making it safe for doing rock climbing you have to build something yourself that you feel will ward off the demons.

 

[gnarlydog]

update:
The carbon bashplate failed!
An embedded rock that had a really pointy bit sticking out of the grass put a nice hole in the sump. It was a bit of a drama to recover my bike from an area that had no mobile coverage :-(

Looking at the design and execution of my bashplate I realized it was bit under-engineered: the carbon does jack shit but looking bling
So I now have replicated that design but used way more Kevlar (7 layers) and one of steel. It should last a bit better.

Unless one wants to go all out with a massive skid plate like on the Tenere700 the XSR will remain just marginally suitable for dirt roads and occasional bumpy track.
The sticking point is ground clearance, which I am now trying to address on mine with fork extensions and adjustable length shock