Why your dirt bike needs a bash plate
Nowadays, manufacturers like KTM, Honda and Yamaha are producing high-performance dirt bikes that are practically ready to race straight off the showroom floor. Responsive, torquey engines, long-travel suspension and fade-free brakes are all standard fare on higher-end models, but there’s one area that every factory fresh dirt bike is sorely lacking: protection.
They might have the performance to keep up with some race-prepared machinery, but standard dirt bikes aren’t built for racing – they have a number of mechanical vulnerabilities that only reveal themselves when they’re pushed to their limits.
One obvious weak point is the lower part of the engine casing, which hangs low at the bottom of the bike. When you ride on rough trails or on demanding circuits with plenty of jumps and rutted surfaces, your engine casing is likely to come into contact with rocks and debris. Eventually, one errant rock or log could be enough to do some serious damage. Think cracked engine cases and ruptured water pipes… enough to end your day of riding and leave you with a pricey repair bill. That’s where bash plates come in.
The advantages of bash plates
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the advantages of running a bash plate on your dirt bike. Believe us, once you have one on your bike, you’ll never ride without one again!
First up, reliability. Bash plates shield your bike’s engine, water pipes and sump from damage, acting as a barrier between things like rocks, logs and other debris. Fitting one will significantly improve the reliability of your bike, lessening the likelihood of premature mechanical failure. If you’re planning on competing, a bash plate is therefore an essential part.
Plus, a bash plate could save you serious money in the long run. Not only can they take repeated hits, even when they do need replacing, they’re a lot cheaper to buy than a new engine!
Our lightweight, carbon fibre bash plates weigh next to nothing, too – meaning you can protect your bike without hampering its performance. Explore our range of carbon fibre motocross parts online today and place your order – we ship worldwide!
New releases
We’re always working on new products here at Pro-Carbon Racing – and because bashplates are one of our core products, that means keeping up to date with the latest releases from brands like KTM and Husqvarna. As they bring out new models, we work to develop protection parts for them, creating products that are simple to install and fit like a glove.
On the KTM front, we’ve just released bashplates for the 2023 250 SX and 300 SX, as well as the latest version of the 300 XC open-class machine.
We’ve also been hard at work creating bashplates for Husqvarna’s latest releases, the 2023 TC 250 and TX300. So, if you’re lucky enough to own any of these new machines, make sure you protect them before you hit the track or trail.