Review: R&G Crash Protectors for the KTM 200 Duke
When your motorcycle goes down, it's never nice is it? But I remember a situation where a friend of mine dropped his new GSX-R1000 on some diesel and rolled into the garage still smiling. The reason was that he had crash bungs which absorbed all the damage and left his bodywork pristine. R&G Racing is now offering a full set of crash protection for the Duke in India.
Crash bungs protect the motorcycle from significant damage as it goes down
You get fork protectors that mount on the front axle, cotton reels that mount near the chain adjuster on the swing arm offering a place to mount a paddock stand as well as crash protection, their Aero range of crash bobbins (mounted on a solid plate that mounts on the top of the Y-shaped engine mount) as well as plastic case guards that go on top of the metal engine cases. The idea is simple, the plastic parts will grind down as the bike slides protecting the metal and plastic of the Duke from crash damage. And the cool bit is that, er, they make the motorcycle look cooler as well.
Fork protectors do exactly what the name says
The R&G Radiator Guard is a simple device. A metal mesh panel that replaces the stock item with a slimmer profile. I found that it does not change the airflow significantly enough to change the normal running temperature of the Duke, and that all the bits needed to fit it come in the box. While the the stock plastic is a pretty decent piece of kit, I think the metal mesh will better protect from stones flung off the front wheel. By no means an essential addition, I do think that it looks cooler, even more so if you sprayed an orange or white KTM logo on to it before installation.
Cotton reels protect the swingarm
We mounted all of the above on our long-term Duke without fuss except for the left hand side engine case which requires you to remove the engine cowl first and so is the most complex installation. In our minds these prices are not justified for the products you get but R&G exports these products from UK, hence the premium. We have been lucky enough to not have tested the crash protection on offer but R&G's record and the number of race teams over the world using their crash devices means they should work rather well if and when.
Metal mesh panel replaces the stock item with no restriction to air flow
Front fork protector: Rs 3,200
Cotton reels: Rs 3,000
Engine case cover kit: Rs 9,000
Crash protector aero style: Rs 9,000
Radiator Guard: Rs 4,000
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