It's been discussed in three or four LONG skid plates threads on this and other sites. It's a little complex because various plates make tradeoffs based on how they mount. Very few are entirely "frame mounted" because this is pretty hard to do on the S10 - it has no frame under the engine, so anything that doesn't attach to the engine in some way has to carry a lot of structural strength around the engine to points above.Mzee said:What bothers me about all skid plates is their point of mounting. Are these mounted on the frame or on the motor? I have seen some photo of one where there was a hole in an S10 motor as a result of the mounting on the motor. Any clarification on this matter?
I'm not an expert, but there are those who are and their info is in these other threads. My only comment is that some riders are going to break anything they put on the bike, and others are looking for little more than a gravel-road rock guard. It's a compromise and a lot depends on what you are planning on doing with the bike. In my view, the SW-Motech one discussed in this thread is a pretty good compromise for light to moderate use.
- Mark