Outback Motortek’s KTM 1090 Skid Plate

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

The first thing I noticed about Outback Motortek’s skid plate for the KTM 1090 was the thickness of the plate material. Even though my old skid plate claimed to be 5mm, the Outback Motortek (OM) has the same spec but seems thicker and a little stouter.

As with other skid plates I’ve tested, the foot pegs have to be removed for the installation. The best way to do that is by sliding a screwdriver into the bolt hole with the peg and spring in place. Then use the bolt to push the driver out. This saves a little time and lots of frustration.

I tested the OM skid plate over the course of a couple months. It took a beating, too. The first real test was the Outlaw single-track in West Virginia, which had the skid plate banging off rocks and slamming into downed trees on the trail.

I was impressed with how it can withstand a beating. After a couple of months in Virginia, I took it on the road to Park City, UT, for the KTM Rally and the Ultimate Race. There, the underside of my 1090 slid and slammed into more rocks than it had seen in its life, but the OM skid plate suffered only one crease and no cracks. I was really liking this plate!

Next stop was Baja California, Mexico, for the Baja Rally. After a couple of high-speed impacts with washes, lips, and rocky ledges, the skid plate maintained its integrity and did not bend or break at any of the mounting points. Another thing I noticed, or rather did not notice, was that there wasn’t any noticeable heat coming from the headers, as some complain about. The skid plate seems to be well vented, even in the dead of summer on the tight single-tracks, whether in West Virginia or the washes of Baja California.

MSRP: $349
OutbackMotortek.com

PROS:

• Very durable
• Lightweight
• Easy to install
• Vents well so you don’t get that oven effect as with some others
• Tight to the bottom of the bike so you do not sacrifice clearance.
• Now compatible with factory centerstands

CONS:

• Stock sells very fast

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