Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Not All Case Guards are Created Equally

For simplicity lets break them up into two categories:
     1. Small and Ugly
     2. Big and Ugly

Lets begin with the Small and Ugly as they are the most prevalent. To my knowledge Mother Honda did not provide these stock for the earlier years. They probably wanted the aftermarket crew to weed out all the the bad ideas for them.

With the valve covers sticking out so far on this H block, there were several styles that went to work to protect the covers at all cost. Including looks.


This style is the most redeeming of the Ugly and Small but are a functional nightmare as the riders shins will most likely hit the back side of the guards. That was my biggest complaint.






Now on to the second category. Big and Ugly. Some people don't know when to stop!







This set is the clear winner of the Big and Ugly category if you have to go with one. The front is still quite ugly  but they are probably the least offensive of the lot. 


Hondaline came out with a simple, solution to this catastrophe. These little gems below. They are extremely difficult to find in the wild and almost never off of a bike. As for trying to get someone to sell you a set off of a bike, you can almost forget it. The owners will never part with them. 

The Hondaline case guard, engine guard, highway guard (whatever terminology you prefer) has an inch and an eight body and are a single tube. No convoluted bars wrapping every-which-way and blocking all access to the rest of the bike. Simple, strong and sexy. They also allow for adding the aftermarket floor board kits like I did on the dressed wing.



My wonderful wife found me such a set, after all my failed attempts, and gave them to me for Christmas. I'll post up some pictures as soon as I get them polished up and mounted. I'm excited as they are going to look really nice on that bike.