Just got a 07 wolvy 450 for the girl and a 2nd machine for me when its to technical for the sport quad. The stock skid plates look pretty cheapo, anyone have any experience with aftermarket ones?

 

i don't have any aftermarket ones, but the yamaha GYT-R ones are supposed to be pretty strong, and they're made of aluminum. you can get them for pretty cheap off of this web site.Click Here. the only other option would be some of the ones they sell on ebay, which are more expensive and aren't even a brand name. congratulations on the new purchase also, the new wolverines are pretty nice machines. where are you from in mass.?

 

Any reason why you haven't got the GYTR ones? I dont really want to do anything to the bike, just let her ride it as it is her first machine ever, but am afraid might have some problems on rocky trails with the plastic stock ones and do some serious damage. We're right over in westboro, lookin to do some legal riding soon, Pittsfield?, and planning on registering and checkin out NH.

 

I have a 07 wolvy and ride it hard. the plastic skid plates work perfect. My buddy bought some aluminum ones and he is always bending them back after he runs into the big rocks out here in the desert. I go over rocks and train tracks and the hold up fine. I thought about buying some and after I saw my buddy's, I changed my mind. Instead I bought some ITP wheels and it now handles a lot better. Just a couple of weeks ago I bought another quad and my wife drives the wolvy. She rides it as hard as I do and the skid plates hold up fine. The plastic ones flex and move when the rocks hit them. Aluminum bends, scraps and keeps the shape of the rocks. This is just my opinion.

 

maybe they changed them in 07 cuz the one on my 06 are crap. I rode up in tower city PA about a month ago and its very rocky(and my rocky i mean bolders, jagged rock ect) and cracked the Plastic skid it cracked in 3 places and i bent the beed on the back rim. Its all minor stuff but I plan on getting the gytr ones even if i have to bend them backevery once in a while. I do ride hard and i do but the woly up to almost anything i can find thats including small jumps. Like i said maybe they did better ones in 07 but mine doesnt do it for me. HTH Anthony

 

I GOT AN ALUMINUM ONE MADE BY RICOCHET .REFERRED TO IT BY SOMEONE ON THE BOARD. I JUST GOT THE ONE FOR MY REAR AXLE ON MY 2K6 WOLFIE.ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. I KNOW I WILL NEVER HAVE TO BEND THIS ONE BACK INTO SHAPE. SEEMS LIKE IT IS BUILT VERY SOLID.

 

steveio, the only reason i don't have the gytr skid plates yet is because i don't have enough money, and i just spent 4500 on a new machine. (i'm 14 and usually make my money in the winter by shoveling for my dad, so you can see why i haven't made much this winter. lol) sure, the aluminum ones might bend if you hit a rock pretty hard, but they are definitely stronger than plastic. i've already got a big crack in mine from when i landed a jump and the shocks bottomed out and i landed on a rack. i'd rather have a dent that i can pop then a hole or a crack in my skid plate. once you get a crack, they don't protect half as well as they did to begin with. i think the all of the aluminum skid plates are probably pretty damn close to exactly the same, but i'd go with the gytr ones because i would think that they would fit better because its a yamaha machine.

 

Great info, thanks to all. I think i'm leaning towards the GYTR ones as the more i look at these plastic ones they just look to cheasy for me to be comfortable with on a brand new bike. I got DG full aluminum skids on my mojave and do have to bend them back to shape once in a while but never had any damage to anything with them on. CAnt wait to get them ordered and on, let you all know how i make out with some pics, etc, as i just joined yesterday.

 

I have the aluminum A-Arm guards right now and just ordered the rear diff guard from Yamaha, I also have the Radiator guard which I would definetly reccommend to anyone who rides where there is any sticks or trees around the trail (saved me one rad already). Not having one cost my buddy at Yamaha one, stick between the white pieces in front but killed the rad.

 

I have an '06 Wolvy. I bought the Yamaha a-arm, belly and dif skid plates. First ride out: bent one of the a-arm gaurds. Third ride out: put a nasty crease in the belly plate just in the front portion. Fifth ride out: darn near ripped of the dif gaurd, and BROKE the mounting boss clean off of the bearing plate on the diff. Fortunately no oil leaks. I then fabbed a new mount for that part from 1/4" aluminum plate. It now bolts to the other side with 2 M10 bolts, very sturdy! I can post some pics, just not tonight.
Ride it like you stole it, Dave