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handguards

8K views 25 replies 18 participants last post by  Nela Skul 
#1 ·
Hi everyone. I picked up my 700 CTX DCT about 8 months ago, just when winter was ending. This is my commuter ride and now I'm thinking I need to pick up some handguards. Which ones would you recommend? Single point or?..... and why. I need something as I'm out the door at 0430 and weather will be just shy of 35degrees. I wont ride with frost but every day in rain. Rain and even 40 degrees is a frozen hand and not fun.
 
#2 ·
I have a set of Barkbuster Storm hand guards. I have the two point mount for sturdiness plus I like the LED lighting that goes with them. For my taste, it’s kind of stylish.
Barkbuster also has some hard core hand guards to keep you warm. They are a soft shell that completely covers the hands. They are worthy of having a look.
https://barkbusters.net/products/bbz/

Glenn
 
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#6 ·
Welcome Auger1wa!

I like the handguards posted. While they may not be heated, I see two major benefits: one, they will largely reduce or influence the wind effect on hand at any temperature (especially below 6 C) and in warmer weather, will reduce the impact of bugs and bees and other flying things when they come in contact at highway speed.
 
#7 ·
I got some single singe point wind deflectors that worked well for me but deflecotrs alone will not keep your hands warm they will only keep the wind chill at bay. If you havent added a tall screen yet the extensions on the givi screen keep the wind off your hands negating the need for deflectors.

The most econimical way to keep your hands warm would be heated gloves. If you dont like puffy gloves heated grips and any type of deflectors or muff will keep you comfortable with regular non-perf gloves.
 
#9 ·
I'm not a huge fan of any kind of electrical heat when it comes to motorcycling. I've been stranded twice with failed gear that left my hands severely frostbitten. In the first case, I was over 200 miles from home and the second case I was just 50 miles from home. I'll never count on heated gloves or heated grips again.


I've also never been able to find a motorcycle glove that can keep my hands warm and still allow me the necessary dexterity to control the bike for more than 30 minutes at 60+ mph. I don't care how many grams of Thinsulate or how windproof the manufacturer claims their glove is, your fingers and hands are going to get cold and numb after a short period at these speeds. FYI: The warmest gloves are only rated for 30 minutes at 55 degrees at 45 mph.


Handlebar mounted wind deflectors can make a huge difference in how long you can ride before succumbing to the cold. Handlebar muffs like "Hippo Hands" can provide all day comfort at speeds over 60 mph in temps well below 30 degrees. They are the best of the best of the best. Unfortunately they are large, fugly to look at and obscure the button controls. The next best wind deflector would be one similar to the cheap Chinese deflector mentioned previously. These give excellent coverage and provide good wind chill protection for the fingers when coupled with a good quality winter glove. Their easy to mount with very little investment. Last on the list is deflectors primarily designed for off road protection. These are usually very expensive and fairly small. They provide some protection to the front of the hand but little to the fingers where it really counts,
 
#12 ·
I couldn't have said it all better...when doing the Blue Ridge Parkway at 34 degrees with the $15 hand blockers
yes my hands got cold...and I had the gauntlet arctic gloves on but I hated the loss of dexterity, so every chance I got I would switch back to my normal riding gloves that I could pick up a thin dime with as they used to say...and ride for as long as I could cold or not. Had to stop for gas every couple of hours anyway so that gave my hands a break.
 
#14 ·
Motorcycle gloves are actually the worst way to keep your hands warm because they provide very little insulation for the fingers. The crash protection sewn into the tops of the fingers and knuckles actually transmits the numbing cold created by the increase in wind chill on the top of the glove. Also, when the body begins to sense a hypothermic condition, it reduces the blood flow to the extremities by constricting the vessels that carry warming blood to them. This is why the fingers and toes are always the first to suffer from frostbite.


I find that insulated wind proof mittens are actually the best way to keep your hands warm when riding in the lower temps. The hand stays warmer because the mittens create an insulating air pocket around the fingers that can then take advantage of the combined body heat from each finger. Dexterity while riding is really not a problem because the mittens still allow you to use the clutch, brake, and throttle with less effort than a heavily insulated leather winter glove. I still prefer gloves but when its really cold or when its wet and cold, I will switch to the mittens.
 
#17 ·
I have wind guards, don't help much for cold. Also installed heated grips. Very helpful for light weight glove riding. As far as gloves or mittens, there is no comparison in cold conditions. Mittens win every time. Keeping all the fingers in one pocket helps keep the heat in. Putting fingers in each individual lining does nothing to distribute heat to rest of fingers. Think skiing, snow boarding, snow mobiles... when very cold they always go to mittens. Harley even made a set for while, but not macho and didn't sell well. I now have a set of "Hybrid" gloves I love. They are "Lobster" gloves. A separation between 2 fingers each side for more dexterity. They are available for MC or winter sports.
 
#18 · (Edited)
When it comes to cold weather gloves, don't be afraid to experiment. The best pair I've ever owned cost about $7.00. My expensive leather gloves crapped out while on a long commute and I was forced to find something quick or freeze to death. I found them in an auto parts store on a rotary rack. They were made from man made leather and insulated with some unknown padding with a fleece like lining. When wearing them, I could easily ride all day in temps down into the mid 40's wet or dry. When temps would fall, I could easily slip a chemical hand warmer into each and ride down into the 20's. They lasted over 20 years. I've yet to find another pair that works as well but I finally settled on a pair of Joe Rocket leather gauntlet gloves. At $100 bucks on sale, their not cheap and the 200 gram Thinsulate and lining makes finger dexterity difficult. Warmth is okay but I still have to rely on hand warmers below 45 degrees.

That leads me to my next point. If your going to ride cold, invest in some cheap chemical hand warmers and keep them in your jacket pocket. Not only may they save your hands but they could help save your life. A gear failure or getting caught out in the cold can ruin your whole day. I've waited up to 4 hours sitting on the side of the road for AAA to show up and spent the night in a road side park in Missouri under a picnic table during a blizzard. Thankfully I carry a small tarp and 10 hour emergency survival candle when I travel as part of my road kit. Lesson learned from another cold night on the side of the road in the Arizona desert.
 
#20 ·
I liked Mittens. Mittens kept my hands warm, and feet warm too. She was a great cat. Gone before her time.
 
#22 ·
When I was riding ISDT qualifiers, scrambles, and other off road stuff (many years ago), I froze my hands the first winter. After that I layered gloves with thin wool gloves next to the skin, thin rubber gloves over them, and leather gloves on top. We didn't have all the high tech "Gear" that today's riders wear. Not much protection in a crash, but crashes came less when my fingers were warm. In winter, now, I use Freeze Out glove liners, and regular Cycle Gloves from Cycle Gear. I'm thinking about getting some of the Guards and installing LED running/turn signal lights on them. We only have a couple months of the year that it gets cold enough to really need them, but I like the safety feature of the additional lights.
 
#23 ·
Barkbusters recommends the single point clamp hand guard for our bike. I just installed it. Did it myself, and I'm not mechanical at all. Pretty easy. They're great. With my heated grips my hands stay nice and warm. I tried the 2 point mount, and could not get it to work. Much more complicated in my view.
 
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