"Bark Busters" for your EMTB

[Bikedriver19]

Hi All,

IF you are like me, and ride very tight trails at high speed - skimming trees and at risk of crushing your fingers at times, I've found some hand guards to be great. I used some flimsy ones initially...but broke those...of course, hitting a tree.

I decided to go enduro motocross style, this time. It was a challenge to get these to mount, but worked perfect in the end. .

THese can work ..and they are rock solid....but.
- you've got to replace 1 of the bar mount screws with a longer screw (I had to with my bars anyway). Its just an M5 0.8 pitch screw.
- only the bar end inserts that come with the hand guards are used - throw everything else away. I used an M5 X 40 mm hex screw with a washer and lock washer, and the insert that came with the hand guards only.
- You need an aftermarket bar end plug set like this.....throw the screw, nut and bar end away, and just used the the 2 adjustable parts with the new 40mm M5 screw, nut, washer, lock washer, and bar ends that come with the kit.
- you need to bend them, into position, and lock everything down.
- I cut the bars down about 10 mm, as these add about that, in length.

 

[Ndanger]

Nice work, those look like a great solution for saving hands in tree riding conditions or having a branch catch the front brake

 

[Astro66]

If I'm clipping trees with the handlebars, where I'm pinching a finger. With or without bark busters you are going to have a serious accident eventually. I ride tight tree terrain and have fitted 760mm bars. I no longer clip trees. I do wear gloves with padded knuckles for the lighter branches.

Anyway. If you think that works for you. That's all that matters. I'm just recommending prevention, instead of a cure.

 

[Tim1023]

In the olden days, we would try to catch the trees, not bounce off them:

 

[wenna]

Crushed a knuckle and broke my hand some years ago. That was from a rock in motocross race though, but never rode without hand guards after that.

 

[Astro66]

I would put bark busters on a motorcross bike. You are travelling much quicker and the bike is much heavier.

 

[Bikedriver19]

In the olden days, we would try to catch the trees, not bounce off them:
View attachment 166102

Funny - so True. But we were riding quite slow, in the old days.

 

[Paulquattro]

But we were riding quite slow, in the old days.

Speak for yourself

 

[Ndanger]

I would put bark busters on a motorcross bike. You are travelling much quicker and the bike is much heavier.

Yes, so much so that I would feel naked without them, they saved me many times. For Mtb, I can see a use case for them on the fast tight tree sections, which by nature is the definition of single track in areas I ride. Is there anything to loose if an ultra light bark buster were available?

 

[Bikedriver19]

If I'm clipping trees with the handlebars, where I'm pinching a finger. With or without bark busters you are going to have a serious accident eventually. I ride tight tree terrain and have fitted 760mm bars. I no longer clip trees. I do wear gloves with padded knuckles for the lighter branches.

Anyway. If you think that works for you. That's all that matters. I'm just recommending prevention, instead of a cure.

Yes, so much so that I would feel naked without them, they saved me many times. For Mtb, I can see a use case for them on the fast tight tree sections, which by nature is the definition of single track in areas I ride. Is there anything to loose if an ultra light bark buster were available?

Yeah man, that why I liked these and tried to figure out how to get them to work ...from years of racing Enduro Motocross and Hare scrambles (in the woods,), often damn tight in the trees. To each his own, Injuries' are just part of the sport sometimes. regardless "bark busters" for the trees are essential for MX on some terrains.

OF course they will do nothing for you other than maybe protect your hands in a head on collision with a tree... however if its just close, you can essentially skim, bounce off / push against a tree instead of clipping it , and recover... which I have done countless times on an MX bike.

On this bike, its already saved me from clipping, with hitting quite a few times, I've recovered at speed, quite the same.

Depends on what kind of riding you do and what kind of rider you are,. Cool option if you ride tight trials at high speed.

I had the circuit hand guards without the Bark Buster wrap around at first ...they helped me sense and respond when I clipped a tree...but not bounce or push off, these are way better.

 

[DirkWisely]

Out of curiosity, in a situation where one of these saves your hand, you're still getting slammed to the ground hard right? I'm assuming your bars get wrenched and you go flying.

 

[713Fmhs]

Hi All,

IF you are like me, and ride very tight trails at high speed - skimming trees and at risk of crushing your fingers at times, I've found some hand guards to be great. I used some flimsy ones initially...but broke those...of course, hitting a tree.

I decided to go enduro motocross style, this time. It was a challenge to get these to mount, but worked perfect in the end. .

THese can work ..and they are rock solid....but.
- you've got to replace 1 of the bar mount screws with a longer screw (I had to with my bars anyway). Its just an M5 0.8 pitch screw.
- only the bar end inserts that come with the hand guards are used - throw everything else away. I used an M5 X 40 mm hex screw with a washer and lock washer, and the insert that came with the hand guards only.
- You need an aftermarket bar end plug set like this.....throw the screw, nut and bar end away, and just used the the 2 adjustable parts with the new 40mm M5 screw, nut, washer, lock washer, and bar ends that come with the kit.
- you need to bend them, into position, and lock everything down.
- I cut the bars down about 10 mm, as these add about that, in length.


View attachment 166093
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View attachment 166092

Great idea! I have been contemplating this for some time for my Levo. I raced hare scrambles for 14 years and always ran Enduro Engineering bark busters on my KTM 300's. I think the plastic ones you are using would be just fine, they would even have a degree of flexibility when hitting a tree. Hopefully the attach solid enough to keep from rotating much upon impact. Good job on this.

 

[713Fmhs]

Hi All,

IF you are like me, and ride very tight trails at high speed - skimming trees and at risk of crushing your fingers at times, I've found some hand guards to be great. I used some flimsy ones initially...but broke those...of course, hitting a tree.

I decided to go enduro motocross style, this time. It was a challenge to get these to mount, but worked perfect in the end. .

THese can work ..and they are rock solid....but.
- you've got to replace 1 of the bar mount screws with a longer screw (I had to with my bars anyway). Its just an M5 0.8 pitch screw.
- only the bar end inserts that come with the hand guards are used - throw everything else away. I used an M5 X 40 mm hex screw with a washer and lock washer, and the insert that came with the hand guards only.
- You need an aftermarket bar end plug set like this.....throw the screw, nut and bar end away, and just used the the 2 adjustable parts with the new 40mm M5 screw, nut, washer, lock washer, and bar ends that come with the kit.
- you need to bend them, into position, and lock everything down.
- I cut the bars down about 10 mm, as these add about that, in length.


View attachment 166093
View attachment 166092View attachment 166094View attachment 166095


View attachment 166092

Have you got a link to the barkbusters themselves?

 

[Wombat Breath]

Hi All,

IF you are like me, and ride very tight trails at high speed - skimming trees and at risk of crushing your fingers at times, I've found some hand guards to be great. I used some flimsy ones initially...but broke those...of course, hitting a tree.

I decided to go enduro motocross style, this time. It was a challenge to get these to mount, but worked perfect in the end. .

I seriously think you should tell Barkbusters about your solution because what they market for mtb (see link below) really isn't up to the job... (MTB – Barkbusters Handguards) I would suggest posting on their facebook page or emailing them... Barkbusters Handguards