Protecting your 2025 Dirtbike

Essential Protection Components for Your New 2025 Hard Enduro Dirt Bike

Congratulations on acquiring a new 2025 hard enduro dirt bike! Whatever brand you've chosen, investing in the right protection components is critical to ensure your bike stays in excellent condition, no matter the gnarly terrain you tackle. Here’s a guide to the essential protection components for your hard enduro dirt bike, complete with brand recommendations.

1. Skid Plate

A skid plate is one of the most crucial protection components for your hard enduro dirt bike.

A. Purpose:

• Protects the engine and frame from rocks, logs, and other trail hazards.
• Shields components from impacts and abrasions.

B. Recommendations:

• SXS Skid Plates: Extremely durable, supported by John Seehorn who is incredibly supportive of the sport of hard enduro.
• AXP Skid Plates: Made from lower-grade plastic and often fail earlier.
• TUSK Skid Plates: A newcomer and well-received, but TUSK has a reputation for copying designs and outsourcing to China. Consider where you want to put your dollars.

2. Handguards

Handguards are essential for protecting your hands and control levers. If you run flag-style handguards, your controls will be more at risk; use Teflon tape and a looser torque on the clamps so they can rotate in a crash. It should be able to be rotated with your hands with moderate difficulty. Full wraps afford more protection for your controls but make your bars more rigid and can result in a "double wrist breaker"... ouch!

A. Style: Full wrap-around or flag style.

• SXS Handguards: Offers great flag-style handguards, supported by John Seehorn.
• Molecule Motorsports: Also notable manufacturers of handguards.
• CYCRA Handguards: Preferred for their full wrap-around style. An excellent choice for those who prefer the extra protection.
• BEDURO: Makes a really interesting flag style handguard which cages the controls. Burly! 

3. Hard Parts (Radiator Guards, Disc Guards, TBI Guards, etc.)

All of these parts are vital to protecting your dirt bike. The most important ones are by far the Radiator Guards and rear disc guards. TBI Guards are relatively inexpensive and protect expensive sensors. It's a tough call, but I think it's worth it given all the stuff we put these bikes through.

A. Recommendations:

• Bulletproof Designs: Trusted for high-quality radiator guards.
• ARES: A smaller company, also making noteworthy radiator guards.
• R&Duro: Makes a very interesting full-coverage aluminum front rotor guard.

4. Full Wrap Fork Guards

Provides complete protection for the lower forks from rocks, dirt, and trail debris. Prevents damage to the fork tubes and seals.

A. Current Market Status:

• Currently, no brands make truly full wrap fork guards that live up to the name. I am working on an alternative that will be released in the coming months, so stay tuned.

5. Swingarm Guards

Swingarm guards help protect one of the most exposed components on your bike. In addition, they help your bike to slide past rocks in gnarly terrain. Having these installed from day one can make a serious impact on resale value, and I really appreciate the way they hide the scratches while I own the bike. The bike looks fresher, and that makes me feel better in a sport where things get beat up quickly.

• Shields the swingarm from scratches, dents, and impacts.
• Extends the lifespan of the swingarm by reducing damage.
• Increases the resale value.
• Keeps the bike looking fresher while you own it.
• Prevents stress concentrations that can lead to swingarm breakage

• Durable and thick HDPE plastic works best. Our mounting bracket makes for guards that hold tight and don't fall off!

Crosslinked components brand specific advantages

1. Mounting bracket that attaches to the chain adjuster bolt provides a rigid mounting point without modifications. This makes our product The most durable swingarm guards on the market.
2. Over 2X thicker construction, with a highly abrasion resistance HDPE material. This makes our product the longest lasting swingarm guards on the market. 
3. Extremely heavy duty front zip tie for the front closure. 

Check out our full product offering for your bike at: https://crosslinkedcomponents.com/collections/all

6. Upper Fork Tube Protection

Upper fork tubes are one of the most exposed and expensive parts of your dirt bike. Protecting these from scratches and dents is crucial. Dents are really difficult to produce, but are possible. Scratches are really common.

• Shields the upper fork tubes from rocks, branches, and other trail obstacles.
• Maintains the functionality and longevity of the forks.

• Durable plastic sleeves provide excellent protection.
• Our products are lower profile and have better fitment than competitors. 
• Dingo Designs work well but have an awkward bulky fit 

Components to Avoid

While many protection components are incredibly useful, some are less effective in the context of hard enduro riding. Here’s what to consider:

Pipe Guards:

• Pipe guards can end up causing more harm than good in hard enduro. They often break and cause damage to both the guard and the pipe, making them an unnecessary expense in the long run.

Carbon Fork Skins / Fork Shrinks

• These products modify the appearance but do not adequately protect the forks from rock impacts. 

Conclusion

Equipping your 2025 KTM, Husqvarna, or GASGAS hard enduro dirt bike with the right protection components will help you conquer the toughest trails while keeping your bike in pristine condition. Skid plates from SXS, handguards from CYCRA, radiator and disc guards from Bulletproof Designs, and swingarm guards from crosslinked components are essential for any serious rider looking to maintain and protect their investment. Ride hard and stay protected!

Stay Tuned

In our upcoming article, we'll explore the top performance parts you should invest in for hard enduro riding and racing. Stay tuned for tips and recommendations to take your hard enduro experience to the next level!