Skid and sump plate

Tenman

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Of topic but. Has anybody actually seen a sump broke from a sump mounted skid plate. My altrider has some nice grind marks from rocks and goin over a curb or two and its still hangin in there.
 
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ballisticexchris

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Of topic but. Has anybody actually seen a sump broke from a sump mounted skid plate. My altrider has some nice grind marks from rocks and goin over a curb or two and its still hangin in there.
My AltRider plate has taken some huge hits as well. I just removed it and banged it back into shape. Funny you mention curb hopping. Even with suspension set at full stiff the plate seems to always hit the curb going up or down it.

IMG-0206.JPGIMG-0207.JPG
I think the reason it's bent has something to do with the factory mapping. Maybe a reflash will give it some more power so I can just wheelie over everything!
 

Jlq1969

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My AltRider plate has taken some huge hits as well. I just removed it and banged it back into shape. Funny you mention curb hopping. Even with suspension set at full stiff the plate seems to always hit the curb going up or down it.

View attachment 57739View attachment 57740
I think the reason it's bent has something to do with the factory mapping. Maybe a reflash will give it some more power so I can just wheelie over everything!
If it were “my” skid plate, before thinking about a reflash, I would have placed a Grilon plate under skid plate... (I don't know what it will be called in each country, it's a polyamide). The pics are illustrative only, but I think with a 3mm black Grilon plate, it is enough not to ruin the skidplate
D0F1F808-6B3B-49EB-AC9D-4FC5FD5E3CD4.jpeg6372050F-FD00-4AE2-B250-2B8A8FE29E22.jpeg
 

RCinNC

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Of topic but. Has anybody actually seen a sump broke from a sump mounted skid plate. My altrider has some nice grind marks from rocks and goin over a curb or two and its still hangin in there.
Yes. There was a vlogger on Youtube named Halfthrottle that had a sump mounted skidplate on a GS. He hit something with his skidplate while riding that broke off a piece of the sump where the plate mounted, causing him to lose the oil supply.

This is where he actually broke it:

This is where he talks about it:

I realize it's a GS and not an S10, but the skidplate designs of both are similar in how they mount. Stuff like this is one reason I don't usually call it a skidplate if I'm writing something about it; usually I call it a debris shield. I've always felt like the OEM shield on an S10 was particularly vulnerable with its single attachment point at the rear. Anything that smacks that shield towards the rear is going to concentrate most of the force on that one single point.

It's good that these sump and engine mounted plates bend, because that's the only way for them to absorb impacts without transferring it directly to the engine. Reinforcing them to keep them from bending would actually make them even worse.
 
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ballisticexchris

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If it were “my” skid plate, before thinking about a reflash, I would have placed a Grilon plate under skid plate... (I don't know what it will be called in each country, it's a polyamide). The pics are illustrative only, but I think with a 3mm black Grilon plate, it is enough not to ruin the skidplate
That is some really good stuff!! My Beta skid plate and chain guides are made of that material.
 

thughes317

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I think the reason it's bent has something to do with the factory mapping. Maybe a reflash will give it some more power so I can just wheelie over everything!
I'd try switching to Rotella T6 first:
1) the lower stiction coefficient allows for faster throttle response thus enabling easier wheelies
2) the synthetic oil is lighter, per equal volume compared to dinosaur 'squeezins, therefore reducing the sprung weight resulting in additional ground clearance
 

EricV

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Trolling is frowned upon gentlemen. There are other places to stir the pot and fish. Leave that to the lounge.

UHMW is a good material choice for skid plates. Fiber reinforced plastic with self lubricating properties. A lot of 4x4 guys use it on trucks and it's commonly used on sailboats for wear areas as well. I would suggest if you're going to put something between the skid plate and the sump that it NOT be something hard, but rather something that would absorb impact and compress. Non-compressible materials are more likely to simply transfer that impact directly to the sump in the form of a crack or broken area. Cast aluminum does not bend, it breaks.
 

Cycledude

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I have very luckily managed to accidentally ride over a couple different curbs with both the Goldwing and the Tenere without doing any damage, but I sure wouldn’t recommend trying it.
 

Jlq1969

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welding is synonymous with melting both parts. Interesting to see what a weld looks like, it's just a nice seam ... without welding the parts
D161E137-EA69-476C-896D-E998BB2FE75C.jpeg
 

Sierra1

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....Even with suspension set at full stiff the plate seems to always hit the curb going up or down it....
Nope, it's not because of the lack of a reflash. You don't have enough air in your tires. :D How big are your curbs?! Even with my fat ass on her, I rarely bottom out. Of course I do use "2 helmets" for preload.
 

Checkswrecks

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Even with suspension set at full stiff the plate seems to always hit the curb going up or down it.
I and others can touch a peg to the ground. If talking about ground clearance straight ahead, that's another subject.


ALL - This thread was split off of one about ECU reflash and mapping. That thread is still going if you want to comment. Thanks
 
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ballisticexchris

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I and others can touch a peg to the ground. If talking about ground clearance straight ahead, that's another subject.


ALL - This thread was split off of one about ECU reflash and mapping. That thread is still going if you want to comment. Thanks
All my curb hits have been hitting it straight. Come to think of it, it's almost always on the same curb on a local horse trail near home. I try not to make it a habit to bounce off curbs or ledges on this beast. The skid plate was dented by some small rocks in a small rut. The ground clearance on this bike is pretty dismal.
 

gunner

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With the split right down the middle of the weld, it's screaming insufficient penetration.
Even if the seam had been properly welded, I don't think the skid/bash plate would have prevented the oil pan from being compromised.

This was a combination of the ES being set too soft and riding at a higher than prudent speed.
 
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