I went mudding two weekends ago and really crunched my front stock skid plate like it was tinfoil. Are there any skidplate systems to protect the bottom of the quad that are significantly sturdier/stronger? The highlifter plates look cool, but are they any more dent-resistant? Any other suggestions? There are sure a lot of stumps hiding under some of that water!(and gators)

 

Ricochet has a .190 6061 aluminum alloy for the P650 for around $95, I have a friend who has one for his P650 & swears by it.

 

I have the Ricochet skid plate on my P650. It is far better than the stock one! My front stock one ended up just like yours! I save it to show to others. It is crumpled like a beer can squashed flat by a drunken frat boy! The Ricochet plate will take a beating and keep on coming back for more. I have banged mine off good size rocks at high speeds and the worst that has happened is small dents and scratches. Oil filter is still easy to get at and the Ricochet plate covers all the way from the front of the quad to the back of the engine. Stock units leave oil filter and coolant hoses vunerable to sticks that could poke up. The Ricochet plate protects them. I got mine from Rocky Mountain ATV. The only negative that I can think of is that if you ride in mud, it collects in the skid plate and is tougher to clean out than stock skid plate. This is because it is a full plate, rather than the two units w/ a large gap between them, like the stock units. I consider the new skid plate some of the best money I have spent on the quad to date!

 

Sounds like a good deal, and its literally half the cost of the highlifter plate. Can anyone see any downsides to this ricochet plate?

Does it simply bolt up to the stock holes?

 

Lightman,

I have the highlifer skid and find it to be very tough and of great quality construction. Only two notable issues. One is it's a bit pricey. Second, they have a little removeable door to make it easier for changing the oil (which is a good design feature and handy) that seems to be more fragile than the rest of the skid. I hit a rock which was hidden in the mud and the impact was right on the door, it broke the weld holding the door frame in place. To be fair, it was only welded in a small section and when I get it repaired I plan to weld around the entire door frame which should make the thing bullet-proof. Would I buy it again? No question, it looks trick and performs great, I love it.

 

Ricochet plate bolts right up to the stock holes. It took all of 15 minutes to install.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I ordered the ricochet plate. The highlifter looks a little cooler, but not $80 cooler... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]