Protecting your levers and fingers

Few motorcycle crashes are more catastrophic than those which

result from one bike's front brake lever being suddenly and unintentionally applied by contact from another machine.  The result is usually an instant stoppie, followed by a violent series of summersaults.  We can tell you from experience that it is no fun to hit the asphalt headfirst with a 400 pound motorcycle still between your legs.  Woodcraft Technologies has come up with a product to help protect you from this terrifying possibility.

Woodcraft's new Hand Guards are designed to shield your levers in the event of accidental collision with another motorcycle as you jockey for position.   The clamping hardware is machined from 6061-T6 billet aluminum, while the rest of the device is molded of a tough yet pliable plastic.  These guards are strong enough to withstand a bike-to-bike impact but will not splinter in a crash.  They are adjustable in length for different lever spans.

Woodcraft's Hand Guards cost 109.99 for just the brake side or 179.99 for a kit that protects the clutch lever as well.  Huh? Aside from wanting to create a balanced aesthetic, why in the world would you need one of these on the clutch side?  There have been riders unlucky enough to have lost a pinkie finger during a crash by having it get caught between the track and the handlebar end.  Have you ever felt the pinkie finger of your inside hand slip over the end of the bar as you hung off while cornering?  Ever considered what would happen if it got trapped there in a crash?  It is for this reason that Woodcraft chose to call their product "Hand Guards," as opposed to "Lever Guards."

Installing these Hand Guards takes all of 30 seconds, but only if you've done an hour of prep work first.  You need three-quarters of an inch of bare clip-on tube exposed beyond the end of each grip in order to clamp the Hand Guards to the ends of the bars.  (This must be actual tubing, not the plastic end cap or bar weight.)  For this reason, Hand Guards quite possibly will not fit a machine still equipped with its stock factory clip-ons.  Since most of us who run aftermarket racing clip-ons have positioned our grips right out to the ends of the tubes, this means that we'll need to rework them to get the Hand Guards to fit.  In the event that your current clip-on tubes are not long enough, Woodcraft also offers extended length bars for $16.00 each.

Ours is a dangerous sport.  It only makes sense that we do whatever we can to decrease risk.  MotoGP has mandated brake lever guards, so obviously they think the concept to be worthwhile.  Do you deserve less protection than a MotoGP star, especially if it can be had for less than $200?  Woodcraft Hand Guards are both sensible and affordable.  The only question left is one of your personal aesthetics.  We've heard a few comments about the devices making a motorcycle look ugly but we see it differently.  To us, these Hand Guards have a very aggressive look that has totally grown on us.  Rather than grumbling about how they ruin your motorcycle's sleek lines, just imagine that your sweet, sexy baby is wearing brass knuckles!