One of the most overlooked pieces of biker protection equipment are certainly handguards. These pieces are attached to the handlebars and serve to protect your hands from the weather elements, rocks, roost, trees and crashes. You might be thinking “But that’s what my gloves are for”, but while gloves do provide a great amount of protection, they simply might not be enough in certain situations. For instance, when riding in an open back country road or on sand you won’t necessarily need handguards, but you’ll definitely need them for off-road and motocross riding.

It’s always best to be prepared instead of getting injured and then wishing you had them on. Besides, these pieces of equipment are relatively inexpensive and easy to install and uninstall. You can get handguards and any other motorcycle parts online at cheaper-than-retail prices and have them shipped directly to your home. That being said, buying motorcycle parts online opens a wide range of options for you to pick from, and buying handguards is no different. You’ll generally come across three basic types: handguards for motocross, off-road riding and mud/cold weather. Additionally, there are also handguards engineered with a wide array of features to suit every rider’s individual needs.

Motocross Handguards

These handguards provide extra protection from roost on rocky tracks. If you’ve ever done some motocross riding you probably know how much roost hurts, and you can feel the sting of rocks even through the gloves just going at your hands and fingers. Not only do motocross handguards keep roost out, but they also deflect it from the other parts of your body and bike. This will consequently result in your clutch levers and brakes having a longer life-span thanks to this protection.

Off-Road Handguards

Off-road handguards are a must-have piece of equipment. True, you might make it through the ride unscathed, but most of the time that won’t be the case. Off-road handguards are also known as bark busters, and their main purpose is to prevent slamming of the gripping end of the handlebars into trees, bushes, etc.

Mud/Cold Weather Handguards

Handguards that are meant for muddy and cold weather conditions aren’t extremely popular, but if the areas where you most frequently ride have a wet and cold climate, handguards that are especially designed to keep the mud away and deflect the wind are a great solution. Typically, these handguards offer less venting and serve more as deflectors than protectors. Less mud on the controls makes for a more enjoyable ride and an easier clean up.