Many riders buy thousands of euros worth of protection and never even go offroad or travel with the bikes. I believe it's just decorative even though many won't admit it 😁

Thanks for this video. Coming from a motocross background, my T7 is a monster "weight-wise"... I've seen people loading so much stuff onto their bikes that they have a very hard time lifting them up if they manage to fall. IMHO, the lighter the bike, the better. I'm a 5'7" 160lbs guy, and every little bit of weight off my bike counts!

One of your best videos Pavlin, I fully agree with the fact that people put too much weight on these middle weight bikes. They still think they have a light bike because it says 205kg on the spec sheet, but it's actually much heavier after all the weight of accessories.

Yes so right! I laid my Tenere on the floor and could barely get it up. So this winter I will shred of as much as possible. I also carry most my luggage as Adam Reiman in two bags below each side of the tank to keep the weight lower.

So nice to see a Bulgarian vlogger creating quality, informative, and entertaining content. Kudos!

Im a new older rider and I have layed my bike down a couple times and the engine guards have been great. Full protection.

Spot on! You are so right. Have some extra weight on my Africa Twin, crashbars and a lot of other stuff. Now I've gone for a lighter bike - an Aprilia Tuareg 660 - and will start off with a minimum of extra weight. I will see how it works, but No1 for now on will be to keep the weight very low. Thanks for all your great videos! Take care and Cheers!

True story. Shaved off 20 kg of my 1190 Adv R by removing the central stand, crash bars, driver peg rubbers, passenger pegs, passenger handles, cast steel luggage rack, tools and by changing mirrors and exhaust. Too much shit installed just to make buyers happy and convince GS drivers to a KTM (which did not work). Feeling way more nimble anf agile now. Weight matters!

Thank You !

This confirms my exact experience. I bought a slightly used T7 that the previous owner had equipped with nearly everything in the yamaha catalog (thinking it was a great deal): Aluminum panniers and racks, rear tail rack and top case, rear seat rack, crash bars with LED lights with their own metal crash guards, skid plate, and center stand. I had sold a 1090r wanting something lighter and easier to handle, but the T7 was awful, just as heavy and tippy. I sold that and bought an 890R and only fitted the somewhat svelt KTM rear side racks, and that's it. It needs nothing more for my puposes, and the weight difference is astounding.

I’ve a Ténéré and the number of dreamers buying these things (same could be said of any of these type of bikes) who will never, due to desire or ability, take these off-road but yet load them up with every single bolt on accessory just makes me laugh. I’m in complete agreement on all this video - Adam Reimann says the same.

It makes a lot of sense ! If the bike is heavier it will damage itselft even more easily because the Energy is proportionnal to Mass... The question is not how much added weight is protection worth, its rather what can you REMOVE from the original bike to make it lighter at first. Many adventure bikes are already stupidly heavy and if you plan to use them as real adventure bikes it makes sense to select a light one first and then to remove any unecessary mass : Passenger suff => foot pegs, sadle, handles... Look => any cowling that's not necessary for the bike to work proprerly. Anything you don't absolutly NEED is a wasted load. Keys, mirrors, reflectors. Then you can start replacing the absolutly necessary parts with... lighter versions. Aluminum foot pegs and handle bar, battery (LiPo), screws (Alu or titanium), side (and or center) stand... the limit is the cost and time you can spend. Then you can consider adding some protection where you feel you need it most but remeber if you drop a feather from the second flor, it will not be much damage to it, if you drop an elephant with an amor it will probably not survive....

So few comments that sort of go against your points a bit, though I agree overall. I ran my 310GS without any of the protection except skid plate and hand guards. My 21' AT IS NOT THE SAME. The first time I dropped my bike off-road without anything but a skidplate, I broke the upper hard plastic fairing. Well cracked it, first drop on rocks and many would replace it. Now partly bad luck, but a lot of that is just due to the design of the bike. If I dont have upper crash bars I would have had to replace at least my upper fairings by now, if not blinkers and etc... If you rarely drop your bike off road, well you likely arent pushing yourself, and dont need the protection anyway. I also went down on pavement at about 30MPH with upper, lowers, and the rear rack for bags. I re-painted the crash pars, replaced the foot peg that got mangled, and its basically impossible to tell. Try the same thing without any protection.... Basically, good video, yet its all relative to you, your bike, and the type of riding you do.

Interesting video. It is always a balance. How likely to break / critical / expensive /heavy is a piece vs. the protection? In my opinion, if bike designers took protection and practicality as criteria they could design things in a way that minimized the need for aftermarket parts. For instance, foldable mirrors, blinkers and levers, low and sturdy plastic tank (as in KTM), holes or straps to grab the bike instead of bars, cheap to replace plastic panels, integrated luggage that didn't need an external subframe, etc.

Hey Pavel, great Video! I used to build my bikes like a christmas tree in the past. When I bought my T7, I recognized that less is often more! I have installed Crash Bars but mainly to add bags so I have the luggage front an low.

As an ex super-bike racer I tend to look at the whole thing differently. I try and remove as much of the unsprung weight as possible from my bike. Ie catalyst and stock exhaust evn the bolts get a trim as far as possible. I have shaved about 10kg from my 790R. Makes a huge difference specially as the bike is tall already for my 178cm frame

Once again a very needed conversation Pavlin - well spoken 👍

Ok Pavlin, if you are pausing even video I'll write a comment! I'm 3 season rider (all one motor -- nc700). I have only crash bars because I want repair less in case of high/low side. The crashbars however benefited me in unexpected way -- saved my right leg to be jammed by car, that was blindly switching lanes. Car door slightly hit the crashbar + I destroyed dude's mirror with my right handle bar. Likely didn't fall over

My buddy bought a Tiger 800 XCX. It has protection over everything. Nice beefy skid plate, engine guards and a clear plastic shield over the headlight. I think it is all original. I was thinking of putting a skid plate in my Goldwing. Took out the water pump on a curb. Easier to not ride over curbs. I had a skid plate on my 400 adventure bike but it filled with oil when I drained the oil. Need to rework the mounts for easy removal.

Perfect video. Very helpful. Thanks and keep going. People who travel longer or shorter trips on motorcycle will understand what do you mean.

Always a refreshing point of view. Thank you from someone in the know.

Your videos are always so practical and useful!

😂Very good points made in your video. And thank you for adjusting your tone regarding others who may do things differently from yours. I also wear minimal protection on my GSA and only protect the important fail safe points like engine, gear shift levers, head light, brake levers, rear brake lever. I protect them because I don’t want to be stranded on the road or off road. They are certainly functional and not cosmetic. I agree with most , if not all of your comments. Well done! ❤

One often overlooked advantage of upper crash bars is they provide place to fix smaller bags that help evenly distribute the luggage weight & those also helps stop the T7 laying flat as a pancake when dropped. Then despite being heavier, it’s almost easier to pick up.

Bash plate, robust hand/lever guards and double jointed mirrors for me. A hole in the sump, snapped lever or smashed master cylinder bracket makes progress difficult, whereas a bit of cosmetic damage doesn’t change the experience one bit.

When I put my CRF1000L 2019 on the weight with all protection and extras it shown 265kg, starting from original 225kg. Just after my measurements I removed everything. Believe me how lighter my bike feels after that. No more … agree with you Paulin.

BMW G650gs set up for travelling. I have found bark busters and soft panniers are good at keeping the side panels off the ground on the occasional drop. Coupled with headlight and radiator protection plus aluminium bash plate and the bike holds up well

Problemyt is not in the offered protections, but in the fact that some bikers try and manage to mount them all :) . I support the minimum protection - if you overdo it, it turns from protection into a danger - mainly because of weight and imbalance... Another great lesson...

Interesting vid and comments. Go minimal, minimise weight is my approach. First level protection for my 2023 CB500x is a bash plate (once smashed a hole in the main casing), radiator guard (once majorly punctured an oil cooler on a DR650), and some decent foot pegs (better control avoids the problem generally). Next level is some new ASX ‘unbreakable/folding’ levers and I’m about done. And yes, I use the bike off-road, I come from a dirt bike background, and I ‘enjoy’ that sort of riding (especially twin track) heaps 😁 As to other protection I hate the weight, and for the first time I’ve got a comprehensive insurance. So, a headlight smashed, major body damage, or anything from being collided with (none of which has ever happened, and I ride to survive) are pretty much covered for replacement/repair. And my son is an apprentice spray painter, so that might help one day.

This VDO of yours is one of many, every rider should watch, Pavel 👍 Chop off everything unnecessary, keep it minimalistic is the way to go.

DUDE, I was literally just about to pull the trigger on a set of engine guards, now I'm not so sure. I DO use my DR650 like a true adventure bike, it sees approximately 50/50% dirt and road usage. I have dropped it on service roads with mango-sized rocks more times than I can remember (hence me thinking about adding more protection for those long trips away from civilization). Not that I can't have an accident, but the engine area, now that I think about it, is still as fresh as it looked when I first bought the bike. The handguards, skidplate, forks, pegs, and fenders have seen way more hard impacts. Thanks for giving me something to think about.

Great video. I have tried to go minimal protection with my CB500X. The bash plate is a must for this bike, barkbusters, and stronger handlebars. Not much else, although my luggage racks with soft bags obviously add a layer of protection. It is not often, I ride without the soft bags but on short day trips that is no problem. You have me thinking about my tools and luggage. I carry enough tools to do a rebuild of the bike, so can probably lose some weight there. But, with travelling alone and remote I find I carry too much weight in needing to be self sufficient. I am usually not remote enough I could get rid of all cooking gear, and eat a good meal at a restaurant at noon every day and eat the leftovers at night, but I enjoy the cooking part at the end of the day and breakfast coffee. I carry a very light, small headlight protector I put on when on gravel with lots of big trucks throwing up rocks. I gave a thumbs up, and subscribed. I found the video on the CB500X forum, where one of your followers posted it. Now I am going to search, how you get to 15 kg of luggage when I have closer to 50, which includes about 5 kg of tools (wrenches, JB weld, parts, …) but that does not spare tube and compressor. Thanks again.

Pukka Enduro and dirt bikes have nothing apart from gand guards and bash plate. For a reason. Makes a lot of sense. Ride safe and happy travels 👍

Totally agree, i don't like the weight or the looks of all that protection i see out there. I have been fine with minimum of optional protection. But i have also seen some bikes with essential functionalities very exposed, if thats the choice of bike it needs to be considered.

Very true, I have a 1290 SAR and it was very to align the screws of the frame guard.

Engine guars protect more that just the engine. I was T-boned while riding my 2012 Tiger 800. The only thing that kept my left ankle from being crushed by the car that hit me was the lower engine guards. The bike was written off as a total loss. My left ankle was pretty sore with some bruises, but no broken bones. I will always have engine guards for that reason.

Palvin on the other side is if you're sending your bike overseas by plane the heavier the bike the more it costs.😊

I have just started watching your channel and I very much agree with you re accessories and weight. When I want something on my bike the first question is how much does it weigh. However I do have engine guards manly because I exceed my ability too often and have even had to replace one side of the guards. I also travel on single trails and rough areas and desert and like to go hard sometimes. I bought a KLR650 so i didn't have to worry to much. it's not the best handling machine and I mostly camp so have more weight. The KLR has a large fuel capacity and there are places down under where outback tracks are more than 400km and I have carried a 10lt fuel drum that gets emptied asap. Yes the poor bush pig gets heavy and works hard. As I have just turned 64 years old I intend to take things a little more cautiously. I am looking to upgrade my soldier with a T7 and that was how I came across your channel. I am working through your videos and enjoying. Thanks Richo from Down under.

This is true. I added racks and Bumot soft panniers to my Super Ten and it’s heavy!! Especially when loaded.

Just ptotect the parts that will be trip ending if you drop it. Cosmetic stuff just replace when it won't stay on the bike anymore or when it is time to clean it up to sell, probaly cost you less than all the protection and all the protection would be scratched/damaged when you sell it.

Protect your bike based on your needs and real practice..

Again, you are 110% CORRECT! Cheers.

I just got a T7, and instead of adding protection, I am putting it in a diet to loose weight. The only Protection I plan on adding is a water pump guard. Well and a luggage rack, My goal is to drop as much weight as possible

Hard truth, Pavlin. But we needed to hear it.

Another very relevant and sensical video! Thanks.

You are absolutely right, Sir 👍

Excellent advice Pavlin! I have been increasingly obsessed with weight reduction on my bikes over my 61 years of riding (now 70 y. o.) and agree wholeheartedly with everything you said in this video. Funny that you refer to heavy adventure bikes as "elephants" as my previous ADV was a Cagiva Elefant 750! A good machine, and I still have it. But it was about 20 kgs lighter than my new 'lightweight' Transalp 750 from stock, and I removed another 12 kgs from that. I have just had to add 6.5 kgs to my new bike with an overly-solid bash-plate (as my Honda didn't come with one) which I will replace with a lighter one if it becomes available. My Elefant has a much lighter bash-plate from stock. I made a rear rack which was significantly lighter than the standard Honda one, and will replace many fasteners in Ti and Al over time, as I did with the Cagiva. I am fanatical with lightening bikes, and spent about $30k on lightweight parts for my Ducati, to save 23 kgs from it. (It is now on minimum World Superbike weight, still road registered). That is a special machine which has now covered 103,000 kms, including many around Phillip Island. Lucky me. Travelling light on a motorcycle is 'part of the deal', but some riders don't expect their bikes to ever fall over. I really enjoy your videos, and your stern but polite advice! You make us want to ride Bulgaria with your videos. You could almost be Australian with your pragmatism (apart from the accent!) - good job mate. I am certain you would have many fans in Australia if you ever felt like visiting us.

I see your Einhell RT-CD 10.8V battery screwdriver on your wall! :) I have the same from 2014, still worksperfectly :)

I kept protection pretty basic on my CRF300L Rally. Outback Motortek crash bars and Acerbis X-Factor hand guards. I plan to add the Acerbis frame guards when they are back in stock. I've read that the stock handlebars are notorious for bending when dropped, so I plan to swap those out with some Pro Taper Evo bars, which will be a bit lighter weight. And finally, when I'm feeling brave enough to modify the plastics, I plan to swap the stock skid plate with a beefier Acerbis skid plate. Added total weight isn't much compared to the amount of protection provided. Beyond that, it really just needs better suspension, then I think it will be perfect for me.

You need a good bashplate when you leave asphalt. That's the most important thing. And you need good luggage. Many things just add weight and cost a lot of money. Perfect to impress people (and stay at home, as you pointed out so well), Happy travels, Günter/Nürnberg

Great video about the weight. I had lower crash guard on the T7, but destroyed my upper panel when crashed offroad. I was worried about damaging the rad too, so I installed the upper guards. I regular ride solo offroad, so I really cannot afford to damage my bike in the middle of nowhere. I'll put up with a bit of weight if it makes the bike reliable. Yeah, I know - don't crash and I'll be fine without protection.

It indeed is surprising how even a little extra weight can affect handling. I have a 220kg cruiser I took on a overnight trip. Filled my smallish panniers, strapped tent & sleeping bag across rear fender. Took off. Instantly wondered what was wrong with the handling of the bike.

Totally agree with You Pavlin

great video Pavlin! Weigt always matters in long distance trips! Many use the adventure bikes to go to the bar on a Saturday braving the dunes of the city😂😂😂😂😂 what can you do!

I have engine guards on my F800GSA. They did protect my left leg when I was sideswiped by a Buick. It also protected the radiator when I hit a deer at about 60 mph. The deer jumped the concrete barrier on the highway

Good advice Pavin. Thank you.

I really enjoy watching your comparisons as I have a T7. I put the smaller sw-motech crash guards on a couple years ago and I’m thinking about taking them off because you can purchase better fairings from Camel Adv. My bike fell over and it still cracked the fairing with the crash guard. I was able to Frankenstein repair it. Great video, keep up the great work. Ride safe my friend. Cheers for 🇺🇸

I spent over £1300 on plastics etc for my Honda ATAS 2021 ! Put heed crash bars on off road road had two right side drops with no damage except. Silver paint on bars £200 well spent . Can’t keep giving mr Honda £1300 for plastics etc

Thx, good information. I’m very curious why they would sell protection for your protection 😂. Ride safe.

You mentioned it correct: What is Adventure? Therefore I started reducing weight By choosing a KTM690 and mounted softbags for 10l each, Max. 170 kg total finally! Honestly I tell you to Carry my bike with car and Trailer to the starting Point of my Adventure-Tour, avoiding k‘s boring km at the Highway, 👍your vids, Stay tuned

great content aas always from you. what you say is exactly what i was praising to all my friends. the T7 will usually land on the handguards, so invest in them. A Rock can still damage the plastics even when you have crashbars. So screw them. and if you are after the "adventure look", a few scratches will also give you that then there is stuff that makes sense, like the skid plate that protects critical parts like side stand switch, waterpump or linkage. Or the exhaust replacement so it does not scratch on the swingarm. First one can be light, exhaust even saves weight

we are a suspension workshop for bikes. We mostly do travel bikes and some offroad-ish machinery too. We never do the setup on theoretical basis - but we always weigh the bike and customer. The amount of crap people like to hang to the bikes, is just amazing. And one would say - if You really like it, then it is ok. But at least be smart enough to take it into account. we have yet to see any tenere go out with less than 225kg or Africa twin - to be less than 250 kg. The bigger he bike, the more You can add, without it making it a problem. +15kg on a 150kg bike, is big difference, especially when mounted in a bad spot.

Bark busters and bash plate (especially where oil filters are in an easy to damage location). Depending on the model something to protect the radiator. Essentially if there is a risk that dropping the bike will result in it not being rideable… it’s a good investment.

I wear my protection. Anything on a bike can be replaced. I can not. My CB500F will have a small windscreen, 50L top box for my photography gear and grip guards, that's it. A very good video sir.

LOL! Yup, great video and as always, thought provoking. I appreciate your practical side. Ok, bought a brand new DesertX.....with the protection package to be supplied later. Later arrives, put my machine into the back of my truck to take to the dealer, (dealer about 200miles away and winter time, no problem, live in Eastern Oregon dealership in Portland). Anyways, all good, until after loading my bike in the truck, and on my way into the garage to get my rachet straps, the damn thing tips over and puts a dent in my tank. Hmmmmmmmm, looks like I got the cart before the horse on this one. So.......tank deformed permanently, even after pulling it out, well as best as I could. So.....after making a few inquires, slapped a big sticker on, and good to go, with a little salt! But.....later on protection package is working out well after a few drops. Anyways, thought I would share! Thank you again, I always looking forward to your videos! Take care Dave

I respect and admire your persistence on weight. It is very important and I experienced it. Actually, the higher guard protection caused my motorcycle to be disposed after an accident where this protection was connected to chassis and caused it to bend…repair is more expensive than a new one! Fortunately, it was the other driver fault and the replacement cost was covered In a nutshell, I learned my lesson. I have a lower engine guard minimalist and hand guard protection. Totally enough, once the bike fell on the ground in the garage and the only damage was on the hand guard and the lower engine guard which is meant to be. Happy for that. By the way, what about boots weight? :) is your Revit lighter than your old SiDi?

Like this video, food for thought for all adventure riders. My cb500x has become somewhat porky with accessories but I never do technical off road stuff so it's manageable however I just got a CRF300 Rally and I will add only hand guards, skid plate and small luggage rack, if the plastics get damaged so be it.

I only have a pair of sliders and after 2 small falls from minimal speeds, with only them hitting ....during a trip one fell off in trafic....screw was bent probably and broke in time.... Spent almost the same amount to dig the screw out of the engine block as a set of new plastics......😂😂

My Tiger 900 Rally does go off road a fair bit. The OE bash plate is purely ornamental so I have got the Outback bash plate. I've got the full engine bar protection and I note the Triumph Adventure Centre have a similar set up. Those guys know about their bikes falling over. My set up has added about 13kg with pannier frames for my Kriega panniers. I don't regret adding the extra weight, but if I were using it only on road I'd dispense with everything bar the pannier frames. However, pretty well all my drops have been at low speed in slow terrain and I'm not sure the protection has actually done anything. So whilst I am keeping my additional iron work on, I think you are probably right.

Very practical vlog dear !

I used to dislike your opinions on protection and weight when I started but now I'm totally agreeing I think engine protection is all I need because I'm on paved roads 95% of the time I use my smaller 450cc naked bike more than my 650cc adventure because it's heavy with protection lol

I have fork and swingarm sliders because any damage to those is super expensive to fix and I ride on the track almost every week in the season. I have a thick plastic bashplate because my engine case is known to be prone to breaking, same goes for the clutch and stator cover, so that has a plastic crashguard as well. I have handguards as stock. I removed 6 kgs from the bike before installing all the protection above, so I still have the same weight as stock, maybe even less...

Very interesting topic for sure thank you. Agreed some individuals decorate their bikes to look more like Christmas trees.

Nice video! Now, regarding the protection: On my NC it's the basic crashpads, the aim is to have protection against damage from dropping the motorcycle and make sure the engine does not suffer. The rest is not that important, and I do not want to add too much weight to the motorcycle given how heavy it is and the horsepower it has. Also, I do not do any offroad, barely any dirt road as well so some protection would hardly be justified. And I do not care that much about the looks, frankly speaking.

I don't know about the t700 but If you crash and the steer is turned in or out, you micht hit the side hard. It's just about what is behind the panels. On my f850GS adventure there was nothing critical behind the panels, so no upper crash bar needed. On my new bike, the norden 901, thee radiator might get damged on a big hit, so I do need upper crash bars, same on my Terra 650, it also needed upper crashbars to protect the radiator. But the t700 is a bike that crashes well I think.

The headlight on my motorcycle is one piece & cost $2,100 usd if it needs replaced. I have headlight protection for that reason.

Great 👍 vid “ some rides have all the gear and no idea “ I have a Honda CRF 300 Rally - for my more snotty off road , it still has original bash plate - plastic and fairing . When it breaks from a drop and crashes- will cut off it off like the 300 L , I have a full FMF system, tail tidy , alloy bars ( replaced steel ) I did put a rear rack on So with weight saved and added it’s close to the same . I also have a Moto Guzzi V85tt , have crash bars to protect the heads , I’m going to put a De-cat full exhaust system on ( but after warranty runs out ) not much weight I can save on this bike ( as it comes stock with most things - like rear rack , bash plate , ( I’m not putting a Center stand on as it’s shaft drive and use a snap jack - like 300 grams compared to 5 or 6 Kg. I’m all about practical stuff that works “ not looks “👍

The key is, to be a real adventure biker or just to have an adventure looking bike and touch the off road when they go to a dirt parquing

I have crash bars on my new vstrom 650 so I can put on small bags with tools and staff (and keep mass lower) and it just looks great!🥰

I flipped my bike and the only non-cosmetic damage was the brake pedal flexing into the case and breaking it. It didn't bend, it just flexed enough to do damage so I bought a CNC pedal for that bike and my new one. Weight is negligible and is great protection that can save you even if you drop your bike on flat ground. Otherwise it's bash plate (since I do bottom out my bike) and rack and that's about it for protection for me.

It all depends on the weight of the rider. If you weigh 100 kg, 10 kg more won't make much of a difference, but if you weigh 60 kg, it will.

F800GSA here, it came with touratech top crashbars and all... too heavy and robust for me, the motorcycle feels better without it 😅

Combine Colin Chapman (Lotus) and Adam Riemann (Motology FIlms): Simplify and add lightness. And get the weight down between the wheels!

The more shit you add to the bike, the cooler it looks going to Starbucks, prove me wrong 😅😂.

Another great video. Rtech now have T7 revolution panels made from same plastic as proper enduro panels. Personal view would be to remove oem brittle plastics and fit these instead of engine guards. Still have bash plate like yours. Refit originals if you ever sell

I find it very confusing and difficult to understand why riders are more concerned about protecting their bike more than investing in their own body and head safety protection.

I've bought my T7 with yamaha crashbars, rear rack end rally bashplate and a couple other accessories and i've always wonder how much more agile it could feel without all that stuff . After watching this vid i'll keep the standard Africa twin i've just ordered stock with minimal protection, just the low engine guard and barkbusters so it"ll be just 8 kgs heavier than the Ténéré i had. Thank you for the vid it realy helped me👍

What is damage in science? Damage is any change in a thing, often a physical object, that degrades it away from its initial state. It can broadly be defined as "changes introduced into a system that adversely affect its current or future performance". I believe there are laws as to what one can put in front of a headlight in certain countries. I was in one country with a lot of dirt highway and people would tape cardboard over their headlights. One guard I've seen allows one to put a lens or wire mesh or both in front of the light. Other than cleaning, the lens is more effective for protection against damage. The cylinders on a Boxer BMW are exposed. Stone strikes, falls on terrain or when scraping a plastered wall as you manoeuvre in tight spaces make it easy to scratch the valve cover. On the 1250s shift cam engines there's also the issue that the construction of the shift cam mechanism is extremely elaborate. Since the valve covers are mounted solely using force locking, there is a risk that the valve cover can be displaced relative to the cylinder head after any violent impact and the elaborate valve drive can be pulled along with it in certain instances. This is why the additional protection of the valve cover is of particular importance.

I always thought that a few scratches on my bike shows character, a polished bike goes nowhere. As for what I would add, as little as possible, my old friend told me years ago about extra weight in cars and motorcycles, takes longer to brake, uses more fuel and prematurely wears out your bike

I add weight to my bike by installing some crash bar because i do some workout...its kinda exercise with your best friend..😂😂😂😂😂

Thank you Pavlin, a very interesting and original point of view. Getting older (64), I worry more and more about picking up my bike (DR650) after a drop in sand or mud since it wears me down quickly. It makes sense to have the bike as light as possible in such situations. However, the rider's body weight and physical fitness should also be a consideration. I guess this is little discussed on biker forums since it is a highly personal matter. For myself, your video inspired me to reduce my own weight by at least 15kg over the following months and maybe also do workouts for strength training. Can you possibly recommend any blogs that offer good advice on the topic of dual sport rider fitness training?

I always asked myself why the motorcycle fairings are not made of some kind of different density foams to absorb impacts. There are so many fantastic materials nowdays that I'm really puzzled that we are still using steel pipes like on a tank... Consider the material for body protection as example. They are amazing. Couldn't they be used as fairing components too?

Great video! I like to put my cb500x onto the trail quite a lot, and while I thought having the protection bars was a good idea when I first bought, I now have scratches behind the bars, I wonder if I’d be better off replacing all of the damaged panels when I choose to sell

Sensible advice, Pavlin.

Skidplate, barkbusters and radiator (stronger sideplates - not crashbars) protectors.

hah so funny. I just removed my crash guards yesterday for good and then there's this video.

For some people the adventure is buying new toys to put on their bike :)

As always, excellent analysis and advice.

I hate that I can’t put a good bash plate on my VStrom 650 without crash bars that tie into the top of the front bash plate attachment point. But that exposed exhaust needs something below and the VStrom doesn’t have that much ground clearance. For now I am holding off on anything as I have a Funduro that is lighter and what I use for more off-road adventures. Oh, and I only put proper hand guards and an mx handlebar on the Funduro. The plastic bash plate is enough and the frame rails protect the engine well enough. I agree that light weight is the best.

As Colin Chapman said - add lightness....