zeta skid plate and different ft rack box

[m in sc]

went ahead and got a zeta skid plate mounted, its def better for exhaust protection. this clears the aftermarket stuff pretty well, and gives about a half inch free space under the head pipe incase there is an impact, also will do a better job of protecting the cyl head. while i dont ride mine off road, i will jump a curb here and there and did have a nice crease in the stock one.

also added this waterproof box for carrying small stuff, wallet, phone, etc. the bag was ok but this seems more tidy. retained it with velcro straps to the rack through slotted holes on the side of the box.

still leaves a bit of room behind it on the rack, and in front of it, to strap down a water bottle or something if need be.

 

[SneakyDingo]

I am convinced that Honda calls these things "covers" so they don't get into hot water over what's a bash plate, what's a guard and what's a cosmetic piece of equipment as opposed to a functional one. Thanks for showcasing the Zeta plate, this was the one I had my eye on for the next time I use my "lower cover" to the point of needing to replace it.

 

[m in sc]

its really well made. I bought it because i always liked the way it looked, but its funtional as well. i paid just around 135 shipped, was on sale and i had webike cash back points stacked up from other purchases from other projects.

 

[dmonkey]

I am convinced that Honda calls these things "covers" so they don't get into hot water over what's a bash plate, what's a guard and what's a cosmetic piece of equipment as opposed to a functional one. Thanks for showcasing the Zeta plate, this was the one I had my eye on for the next time I use my "lower cover" to the point of needing to replace it.

I agree. The removable "engine pipe cover" tubes that the skid plate attaches to are not very stout either in material or where they mount to the frame. Zeta also have some legalese text to cover that in the product description as well:
"*Not designed for hard use.Hitting a large stone or putting the bike on a racing stand will cause damage to the engine as well as the frame."

ZETA : Engine Protection Skid Plate [ZE55-8130]

Mine has held up fine to some mild bashing and curb scraping. The Zeta guard also helps block road debris that the front tire kicks up at the exhaust side of the head.

 

[m in sc]

i looked at it pretty hard, some strengthening ribs on the large flat surfaces would be easy to tig weld in on the backside, and i might if i get bored, would def make the whole assembly even stronger. Just to do it.

....and before somebody says 'it will just show the next weakest point'. consider this: if the next weakest point is 3x as strong as the part you just braced, then your comment is irrelevant & fairly ignorant.

 

[dmonkey]

I think Honda also made a subtle acknowledgement of the pipe covers being weak, or just a pain to deal with individually, by adding the cross brace that connects them on the 2023 model.

 

[m in sc]

i can def see that. the steel front mount that cam w the plate def stiffened up the 2 downbars quite a bit.

 

[m in sc]

front shot (i forgot to get yesterday)

 

[bradatlarge]

I've got that and the matching "crash bars" in my cart...