Altrider bash plate and crash bars?

Does anybody know anything about the Altrider bash plate or crash bars? Looks like the bash plate debuted at the BMWMOA rally in Redmond; anybody get the chance to look at it up close?

I'm looking to replace my old SW Motech bash plate, and had been thinking of Moto Overland. They say this one is 4.75mm aluminum, which is .75mm thicker than the Moto Overland; plus it looks pretty

I've got both the Alt-Rider bashplate and crashbars installed on my F800GS. Replaced the Adv-Spec pieces. My legs are too long (34 inch inseam) for the Adv-Spec crashbars, although I think they are very good bits!

I looked at all the options I was aware of, and decided the Alt-Rider pieces were the best design I could find. Rode with them for the first time last weekend. Went on easy, very stout, well-made,and provide excellent coverage. Plus, all the Alt-Rider people (in Seattle) are easy to work with!

I was just looking at these

I wanted the Altrider side stand foot plate, then I saw that the bash plate and also the rear rack that they make for the F800GS are pretty cool too. Not sure if the bashplate extends back as far as the Moto Overland one though.

I am told by Altrider my crash bars should ship today. They had the silver in stock but the black were backordered. I have a BMW bash plate and hand guards ready to go on as well. Hopefully there will be no problems with the Altrider crash guards and the BMW bash plate. I'll try to post some pictures, although I am sure I will not be as thorough as many of the fellow inmates!

Pics!

Also, have you had a chance to test them out on the trail? Have they stood up to drops offroad and bashing on rocks?

I don't have them on my bike but I stopped in their shop and checked them out and saw how nicely they fit up on OlyRider's bike this last weekend.

I like the crash bars a lot. They are super solid, look like they will protect the radiator well and the mounting is the neatest of all the crashbars I have seen in person. If I replace my Holan bars it will be with the AltRider bars.

The bash plate is also super solid and the mount is done well. The only thing I don't like about the bash plate is that it does not extend back to protect the catalytic converter.

Thankfully, I haven't "tested" them yet. When I "tested" the Adv-Spec crashbars, I ended up with a check for several thousand dollars from my insurance company. But I don't mean to imply they didn't do their job. They absolutely performed as I had hoped. But the F800GS is a very expensive bike to drop!! The crashbars protected all the parts I needed to ride out the 30 miles to camp without a problem. I could have ridden it the 250 miles home if I wanted.Then it was a matter of deciding which bits of plastic to replace/paint or ignore.

But, as I said, I have an issue with the top of the crashbars being too close to my kneecaps. Thar being said, the bike was resting on top of me when I went down. (It was laying on its right side. The crashbars and my CTI knee brace absorbed *all* of the weight, and I didn't have any injury.

I've gone to Alt-Riders because they are top-notch quality, built like a brick, and the shape is more desireable for me (personal preference there!) I predict (hope) they will become a strong niche business offering great products to adventure riders.

Thanks for the info any idea when they will be available to buy

Sort of a side note - anybody try those Tire Pressure Monitor Caps they sell? You buy a specific valve stem cap for your tire pressure, and it shows whether or not it's under that. Seems like a good idea... Anybody?

Also, anyone remember what the BMW recommended tire pressures are?

Front
2.2 bar, one-up, at tyre temperature: 20 °C
2.5 bar, two-up and/or with luggage, at tyre temperature:20 °C

Rear
2.5 bar, one-up, at tyre temperature: 20°C
2.9 bar, two-up and/or with luggage, at tyre temperature:20 °C

Thanks!

I haven't tried them on the bike, but I did have them on my car for a while. They're pretty useless, as the range of "correct" pressure that they indicate seems to be about plus or minus 10 psi. I took them off as I just couldn't trust them.

David

Hey dendrophobe, Thanks for considering the Moto Overland skid plate! The Alt Rider skid plate definitely looks strong and has some cool shaping going on. Just for the record the V2 skid plate is .160" (works out to 4.07mm). We chose it because it is a great balance between weight and strength.

I hadn't seen their new Top Rack for the F8. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

Either way you slice it you have some really cool, high quality parts to choose from!

Happy Riding!

Dave

Here's the BMW skid plate after a few months of use. I'm not too sure when I got the dent but I'm thinking i may want to get a stronger plate in the not too distant future.

I have the BMW plate as well - got it with the bike, half price! So I wasn't being too picky, but it does have Good coverage. It's got plenty of dings in it at this point - but that's more or less the purpose, right?

Anybody have the thickness for the BMW plate? I thought I heard it was 5mm, but I'm not sure.

One thing to be said about the AltRider part, it looks like the ribs on it would add to the strength.

It is indeed.

Yes that's the point! Glad to see you're using it!

The BMW/Touratech skid plate is 1/8" (.125" or 3.18mm).

Thanks!

Dave

Hey, guys,

Thanks for taking time to consider our products. We’ve put in a lot of time into the design and engineering of our skid plate, because we wanted to provide something that could stand up to the kind of riding the F 800 is capable of enduring.







A few things to note about the AltRider skid plate:

• Flat hardware in front: this prevents the possibility of your hardware shearing off. It also increases tool engagement (which, of course, decreases the chance of stripping the fastener later on). The flat head has a deeper recession for the tool than a button head.

• Stainless steel bracket: it reinforces the skid plate, but also has shorter arms so that’s more robust and less likely to bend. The bracket serves to reduce side-to-side action that could shear the vibration isolation mounts.

• Two channels in the plate: these were designed to increase the strength of the plate without adding more weight.

Our crash bars are always made of 1 inch stainless steel, so they won’t rust. They feature precision-manufactured mounts, so they fit directly into the existing motor mount to create a robust connection. When the assembly is installed, because it is welded (no loose spacers), it is able to distribute energy across the mount points, reducing the chance of any damage. Like our other parts, the crash bars for the F 800 are hand TIG welded, come with instructions written in English, and all the hardware necessary for installation is included.

I’ve seen the MOD skid plate, and it seems like a good piece. You’ll just want to evaluate what is the better fit for your riding and environment.

Get in touch if you have questions, because any of us here at the AltRider office would be happy to help you out.

I have both the AltRider crash guards and bash plate. They fit up well, and I can attest to the crash bars working really well, I put the bike down a bit hard on a rocky hill and the bar took the whole hit, no marks on the rest of the bike.

My only issue is that they put an extra charge on my account for over 300 dollars that I'm still trying to get taken back off. No one can seem to account for where it came from and I haven't got a response from my latest email to them (it's been a couple weeks with the extra charge now).

They were delivered really quick, and packaged really well. Installed in under 30 minutes, make great highway leg rests too

Five stars when I get my money back....until then... Here are pics of them installed though:

Wow, the design of the skid plate and your other products looks great! Must take a lot of work to produce those complex shapes. :eek1

I really like that you use thicker 4.75mm aluminum, the 3mm as some plates have is way too thin. The idea of channels to stiffen up the panel is also nice, probably worth the trade off of reducing ground clearance by about 1/2"?

Have you tested the compatibility of the bash plate with crash bars from other brands?