[motorcyclistonline] - Rizoma Proguard Race Brake Guard | MC TESTED

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Photo: CaliPhotography


The Proguard integrates neatly onto the end of the right handlebar and shields the brake lever from being depressed. The Race version shown here has a curved mount that positions the guard out of the way of your hand so you have more freedom of movement at full lean.



You’ve seen them in MotoGP—a curved appendage extending forward from the bar end to shield the front-brake lever. Brake-lever guards are mandatory in motorcycling’s premier class and they’re a good idea for anyone looking for a little added safety since any contact with the front brake lever can be disastrous. Think lap one of the MotoGP race at Catalunya in 2006, the final lap of the Daytona 200 in 2011, or clipping a mirror while splitting lanes. (For those of you here in California.)

©Motorcyclist


Rubbing is racing! This incident at Sonoma Raceway (caught on camera by the rider in front of us) convinced me to put a brake-lever guard on my racebike. Thankfully nothing touched but our elbows, but a few more inches and things might have gotten ugly. This is exactly the type of scenario the Proguard was created for.



I usually spend one weekend a month at the track on a small-bore bike with not a lot of horsepower, so drafting, last-minute passing, and cornering in close proximity to other riders is the norm. And seeing as I’ve made contact with competitors in the past, I figured adding a brake-lever guard to my CBR300R was a wise idea.

Rizoma’s Proguard lever guard is available in two configurations, a Street version and a Race version. Both models replace your existing bar end and use the same rigid plastic guard arm, but they have different guard mounts. The Street model has a straight aluminum base and can be used on either the left or right handlebar. The part is designed to protect the levers from unintended application and also provides some protection for the pinky finger. It retails for $103, and most bikes will require a $10 adapter, usually part LP200.

The Race version has a more complex construction and is for the brake side only. It was developed in cooperation with MotoGP riders to provide more freedom of movement, more finger protection, and easier evacuation in the event of a lowside crash. It uses the same bar end but it’s made to fit a 7/8-inch clip-on, and the guard base is curved so the guard angles up towards the brake lever, leaving more room for your hand while leaning off. The Race piece costs a whopping $311, with the price difference said to be due mostly to the more complicated machining process required to make the curved base.

Photo: Brian MacLean



I probably could have used the Street version (Rizoma says many riders use the more affordable Street version for the track) but I hold the throttle like a screwdriver while leaning off in right-hand turns, so the added freedom of movement offered by the Race version was appealing.

Installing the part was straightforward. The bar end slipped right into my Woodcraft clip-on and secures with an expanding aluminum plug. The bar-end bolt also secures the guard base, which is adjustable for a small amount of up/down and left/right angle so you can place the guard right in front of the end of the brake lever. The guard itself was longer than needed, so I simply cut off an inch with a hacksaw.

A year and over 30 races later, I’m happy to report that I haven’t put the Proguard piece to the test. I can say that I don’t notice it at all while I’m on the bike and that it’s never once gotten in my way nor needed any tightening or attention. If you trailer your bike using a Canyon Dancer or similar over-the-grips strap system the lever guard with make loading and unloading the bike a little trickier, but it’s a worthwhile complication in my opinion.

RIZOMA PROGUARD RACE BRAKE GUARD

PRICE: $103 (Street version), $311 (Track version)
CONTACT: rizoma.com

VERDICT: 7/10 STARS

Pricey, but smartly engineered, well made, and presumably very effective.




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