Author Topic: SKID PLATES!  (Read 2729 times)

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Offline KevinTwoStk

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Re: SKID PLATES!
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2013, 10:51:25 PM »
I have the Works Connection skid plate on my '00 KX125. It's lightweight and protects fairly well for use on a motocross track. If you want better off-road protection, you'll want to go with something that wraps around the frame rails at the front.

In my case, I built a small addition to the Works Connection skidplate to cover the area I thought was lacking. I made it out of thin-wall (.080-inch plate) chromoly steel, and bolted it to the aluminum Works Connection plate. That was the most economical route, as the Works Connection skidplate was on the bike when I bought it.

The photo shows the skidplate addition and the frame both in raw steel. I had the frame chemically stripped so I could weld some gussets on as well as complete some of the weld seams that the factory did not.

After the fabrication and welding, I had the frame powdercoated in "steel grey" and the skidplate addition in gloss black. 

Offline cbrfrenzie

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Re: SKID PLATES!
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2013, 03:54:26 AM »
I have the Works Connection skid plate on my '00 KX125. It's lightweight and protects fairly well for use on a motocross track. If you want better off-road protection, you'll want to go with something that wraps around the frame rails at the front.

In my case, I built a small addition to the Works Connection skidplate to cover the area I thought was lacking. I made it out of thin-wall (.080-inch plate) chromoly steel, and bolted it to the aluminum Works Connection plate. That was the most economical route, as the Works Connection skidplate was on the bike when I bought it.

The photo shows the skidplate addition and the frame both in raw steel. I had the frame chemically stripped so I could weld some gussets on as well as complete some of the weld seams that the factory did not.

After the fabrication and welding, I had the frame powdercoated in "steel grey" and the skidplate addition in gloss black. 
Great work!!  I love the gussets just behind the skid plate, should beef it up very nicely for bouncing off rocks should you take that baby up in the mountains.  You're right about the upper protection, going fast enough a branch or even old fence stake could stick your engine case just beneith the exhaust outlet on the engine if there is nothing covering that area.  Again nice work!  :-D

Offline KevinTwoStk

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Re: SKID PLATES!
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2013, 08:01:56 AM »
Thanks! It's working well so far.

Something else I did was to add some material to the short stubs that go between the main tubes and the footpegs. I used 1-inch .120-wall chromoly split down the center. As I'm sure you know, rocks often catch this area, too.

Further back in the photo, you can also see the plate I added to reinforce the link mount on the frame. After this photo was taken, I had to notch the top edge to clear the bulge in the link's bearing housing. That's a side note, though, since this thread is about skid plates.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2013, 10:22:24 AM by KevinTwoStk »

Offline MXonaKawi

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Re: SKID PLATES!
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2013, 02:33:20 PM »
This is awesome and that's great! Sweet work and inventive ideas! I ordered the works connection skid plate. Did you wind up using the foam that it comes with?

P.S. Where do you purchase the chromoly steel?

Offline KevinTwoStk

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Re: SKID PLATES!
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2013, 06:27:51 PM »
There wasn't any foam included when I got the bike with the skid plate on it. I should order some new foam from Works Connection, though, because that area definitely gets filled with mud.

I got the chromoly plate and tubing from Aircraft Spruce in Corona, CA. I used 1-inch, .120-wall tubing which overlays perfectly on the 3/4-inch stub tubes on the frame. Plate was .080-inch thick.

You can probably find round chromoly tubing (or DOM, which is high-grade mild steel and does not have a raised seam on the inside) locally to you, but chromoly plate is harder to find.

Aircraft Spruce is great at shipping things and fortunately you wouldn't need that much tubing or plate to duplicate what I did.

Other relevant details: I did all the plate cutting, drilling, and forming with basic tools. I used a band saw and drill-mounted hole saws of different sizes. I did the sanding/grinding with a stand-up belt grinder (similar to a Burr-King) but the same results could be achieved with a hand-held die grinder or an air-powered grinder. The main point is that no plasma cutter was involved.