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Rear Master Cylinder Guard

4K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  Yeravener 
#1 ·
I am hearing conflicting opinions on these. Some people say they are a waste of money? What do you think, and if you are for them Which one did you buy?
 
#2 ·
I have one. I’m sure it offers protection but I have to be honest in that one of the reasons I put it on was simply for the aesthetics. I haven’t heard of anyone bashing up the master cylinder specifically in a fall.
 
#8 ·
I put one on my 2012 and glad I did. I was on a rocky road with deep ruts. I dumped it on one of those ruts and a rock hit the master cylinder. It put a good scrape in the guard. If it was not there, more than likely the cylinder would have been damaged. I also have one on the side stand switch. Just in case.
 
#10 ·
I have had one on my 2003 for 13 years and the master cylinder is still functioning happily behind it.
I suspect I bought whatever was cheapest at the time. To me, it is inexpensive peace of mind though I have no idea if it actually provided protection as I always drop the KLR on the radiator side for some reason. (maybe 20 times over the years, always less than 20 MPH...) I also have whatever was the cheapest at the time radiator guard and the radiator and fan are both still functioning happily behind it at 62K miles...
 
#11 · (Edited)
Mike,
I spent a bit of time trying to find one with a good design. My Gen 2 has stepped bolts where the larger diameter under the head of the bolts acts as locating pins for the master cylinder. I got an SW Motech guard and it was designed to go under the bolts, effectively lifting the locating steps out, or almost out, of the master cylinder. I didn't want to trade solid cylinder mounting for exterior protection so I don't use it. I instead got one that mounts between the master cylinder and the frame, and then curves around to protect the cylinder. It is steel, so it is much thinner than the thick aluminum type. It is a MUCH smarter mounting system and took awhile to find. See the pic. I was worried at first about the welding of the "screen" onto the larger bars, but on inspection it is well made. Plus it looks madmax and fits the rest of the bike! It is more expensive than the standard ones that interfere with the stepped-bolt cylinder mounting, but it was worth it to me to get a solid mounting system. I found this one at KLR650.com, in the brake section, but I would bet they are available from other locations as well.
 

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