Ducati Monster Forum

Rizoma introduces the worlds smallest handguards!

(http://www.blog.desmoworks.com/images/blog/rizoma/m1100/rizoma-monster-1100-1-lg.jpg)

Actually, these are $250 a pair protectors for you levers. Question is, what is going to protect your $250 lever protectors. I would have to nominate these for the most pointless accessories of the year.

(picture is from board sponsor Desmoworks)

No, its not  just an expensive lever to protect your expensive levers.  Its also an aerodynamic safety device.... prevents the howling air pressure from applying your front brake or disengaging the clutch at speed....   [laugh] 
Here's Rizoma's own ...um... highly enlightening explanation from their 09 brochure:

"The speed exerts negative influence on the aerodynamics? PROGUARD SYSTEM® solves the problem.
Analyzing the data obtained during the races, it’s been shown up that once the a 180km/h speed is exceeded, both brake and clutch levers are undergone a front pressure caused by the air resistance. This results in a value variation up to 0.7-0.8 bar in the
hydraulic plant and lead to attrition between the brake pads and the disc, as well as to a sliding of the hydraulic clutch components. To decrease these inconveniences and to avoid any possible efficiency loss, the outer parts of our present brake and clutch levers have been machined by milling in a specific way that allows to discharge the air flows. As a result, the problem has been significantly reduced, but it’s obvious that the air pressure exerted on the front levers at high speed does not allow its complete elimination. Another function of the PROGUARD SYSTEM® is removing the pressure caused by the air on the lever, so to avoid the formation of brake attrition and overheating consequences, as well as the clutch sliding and effectiveness losses. All this through its aerodynamic part."

Brilliant, eh?  [laugh].

+1 on your nomination for these for the most pointless accessories of the year.

Sounds like one of those Aerostich funnies they put in their catalog  [drink]

The idea is to save the lever and/or master cylinder from being destroyed in a crash so that your track day/canyon ride/race/whatever isn't ended early -- the same reason they use them in Supermoto... though Supermoto guards are usually just a metal bar with plastic cover. Rizoma is quite style conscious hence the adjustability, machined aluminum, etc... which put the price where it is at double a standard dirt bike style guard.

Also so the lever can't be hit by another bike or rider while on the track... doesn't happen all the time - but remember when it happened to Ducati last year... on the straight the bike started flipping! That was crazy.

I really don't know how to feel about these... I'm that way about some other Rizoma products too - they are all very well made, but some just aren't practical for what I do. They must be for others though or Rizoma wouldn't make them.

Also the more I look at them the more I wonder how well they could protect the lever in a crash. Without a second mounting point like a standard hand guard I'd think they would be prone to sliding around with enough force.

It was explained to me that this was one of the purposes (to protect the levers/masters) so who knows. I'd like to hear some real world experiences with them for sure!

I really do like most of the stuff Rizoma makes. The quality is spot on and the styling is great. I just wasn't sure about these.

hehe, you won't be alone I'm sure.  ;D

Tasty.

Also purely cosmetic and pointless.

Assuming that you would have presumably already paid several small fortunes for the uber-expensive Rizoma 'bendy' levers with the 'speed vents' just in case you have a tumble I'd say they are largely superfluous  [roll]

OK so I have more than my fair share of Rizoma stuff on my baby but no, they aren't really for me ... maybe to protect my 'non-bendy' pazzos? ;D

I'm a Rizoma junkie too, but somehow I think I'll manage to struggle along without the dubious aid of these items....lol.

I'm a rizoma junkie as well.  I wonder how well those mirrors function.

I think these would be the dog's bollocks on a Hyper replacing the big stock items.

I just need to convince the owner of said hyper so i can do it and not get yelled at  8)

well, apparently, as long as you keep it under a buck-80, you're shiny  :D

Or 111.6 for those of us in the US that don't ride around with our bikes set to km/h.  ;D Hmmm, I'm just hitting 6th gear about then.  [evil]

but 180 > 111.6


 :D




ZOMG! the secret of the randallbike revealed!!!!

his 620 capirex was doing 140 km/h!

exactly. im not promoting these, or saying they are not stupid for street, but the point is that if you are on the track and run up on someone who is braking harder than you thought


and the back of their boot nips your front brake..... your day is OVER.

yeah but wouldn't it then HOOK their boot and have the same results.

haha i dunno, if you are badass enough to be racing hard enough that racers bikes are touching each other


you are probably to extreme to feel pain anyways

-too scary for me!