LightSpeed Carbon Fiber Frame Guards And Case Protectors

I decided to fit some carbon fiber frame guards and case guards on my RMZ450, I thought they would firstly give some protection, and secondly I like the trick look of carbon fibre bits.

I did some searching around on the net and eventually found LightSpeed Performance Products. They manufacture a range of carbon fiber motorcycle parts, specialising in offroad and motocross.

The company is based in California in the U.S. but I found a business, Phil Tomlin Racing in Sydney, who is the Australian importer of their products.

The fit of both the frame guards and case guards was very good, the only thing I had to do was to file just a little bit of material off the front of one of the guards because the kickstarter shaft was fouling on it when I kicked the bike over.

The finish was excellent, they're certainly good looking bits of gear but I wondered how carbon fibre parts would stand up to the harsh muddy conditions that a motocross bike is put through. (click the pic to enlarge)

Well, after 12 months I can say that the case guards are still looking pretty good but I can't say the same for the frame guards. Riding in wet muddy conditions with my boots rubbing on them has worn through the top layer of matting which was no suprise, they still came up looking not too bad if I wiped them over with some silicone spray.

I did some research online about resurfacing carbon fibre parts and found some websites that recommended using epoxy resin to refinish carbon fibre components. I purchased some resin and followed their instructions on my frame guards.

The end result looked good but not for long. I found that the resin scuffed badly and that the scratches and scuffs were whitish in colour which made them stand out even more.

To add insult to injury, after a couple of rides and washes the resin itself started to flake off making them look even more ordinary! This may have been caused by the shoddy job I did of resurfacing the guards but I closely followed the recommended procedure.

Anyway, the case guards are still on the bike but the frame guards are in the corner of the shed until I decide what to do with them. I don't think I'd buy another pair, they cost about $250 Australian and I really only got one season out of them. The case guards however are still looking good which is a bonus given that they cost me just under $300.

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