Teaching kids to ride dirt bikes comes with plenty of exciting moments.
It also comes with a few inevitable crashes.
For young riders learning how to use the clutch, shift gears, balance the bike and negotiate their way around the trails, dropping the bike is simply part of the learning process.
That was one of the reasons David Hogan decided to fit Barkbusters handguards to his kids’ new Yamaha motorcycles.
David has run handguards on his own bikes for years, whether racing motocross, competing off-road or simply riding trails. For him, the protection from roost, branches and the occasional encounter with a tree has always made them an easy choice.
But fitting them to the kids’ bikes had a slightly different purpose.
With the kids still developing their riding skills and being relatively short on their motorcycles, the bikes were inevitably spending a bit of time on their sides.
Without handguards, those small falls can quickly turn into broken clutch and brake levers.
Replacing levers might not seem like a major expense after one incident, but repeated falls can make the cost add up quickly.
There are ways to reduce the likelihood of lever damage, including moving the lever position further inboard on the handlebars. However, a simpler solution is to fit Barkbusters handguards.
The handguards provide protection for the levers while also giving the riders an additional layer of protection for their hands.
Installation is relatively straightforward, requiring only a few basic tools before the bikes are ready to head back out onto the trails.
More importantly, the handguards have already proven their worth.
With the kids continuing to learn and the occasional tip-over still very much part of the process, the Barkbusters have already taken some of the punishment while keeping the levers intact.
For parents introducing their children to dirt bikes, it’s a simple upgrade that can protect both the motorcycle and the rider while potentially saving the cost and frustration of replacing broken controls.
In the latest Always Moto video, David Hogan explains why Barkbusters were one of the first upgrades fitted to the kids’ new Yamaha bikes and why he believes handguards are worth considering for young riders.
Watch the full video below.
Barkbusters handguards are available through motorcycle dealers across Australia.
For more information, visit Barkbusters.
