Damage prevention: Best motorcycle crash protection products

These universal bolt-on engine-bar protectors are designed to fit onto any engine bars or frames to hit the ground before the frames themselves, saving a potentially expensive bit of metalwork and even offer more protection to the engine itself.

R&G has a huge range of crash protection for a wide range of bikes and one of the most basic items is something like this crash protector for the frame. They bolt onto the side of the bike and are designed to hit the ground before the fairing or bodywork does.

Off-roaders and adventure bikes are particularly prone to low-speed offs u2013 Iu2019ve been spat off at barely more than walking pace thanks to 4x4 ruts in clay soil and while my shoulder still smarts, the CRF250L I was on literally bounced back again with nothing broken. SW-Motech has a huge range of crash bars for loads of bikes u2013 on as well as off-road u2013 which will help protect the side of the bike and the engine if it falls over

Breaking a brake pedal in a small tumble can be a massive pain; I donu2019t need to explain the potential danger in riding without brakes, even if you still have the front. This handy rear-brake lever has a pivoting tip so that if you do drop your bike on the right-hand side, the brake lever end should pivot instead of snapping off, meaning you can continue to use it. Available for a range of bikes from Amazon.

The BMW range of bikes using the flat-twin is particularly susceptible to engine damage in the case of a fall, as the cylinders protrude from the sides of the bike. Therefore, protection is key and either a set of bars or something like these cylinder head protectors from MachineArt will help to cushion the blow in case any bike using the flat twin does fall.

A variation on a theme, these guards will protect the brake lever in case of a fall so the bike can still be used. However, they are also now mandatory for all race bikes and for use on trackdays as well, to prevent bikes that get close to each other from interfering with the brakes. This example is CNC machined from aluminium and comes with a matching bar end for the left-hand grip.

Crash bungs on the rear swingarm can protect that component as well but building crash protection into a set of bobbins for a paddock stand satisfies two purposes; providing a secure mount to locate the paddock stand to as well as protecting the swingarm. These from Renner are made in anodised aluminium and have plastic wear sections and are available in three thread sizes for various motorcycles.

These engine-case covers from GB Racing are used in a wide range of race series to protect engines from crash damage and are very easy to fit. They are designed to fit over the standard engine cases and absorb impact and prevent the metallic cases from cracking or breaking. Made from glass fibre, they match the OE cases perfectly and not only protect the engine but they look good too. Make sure you get the right set for your model.

While not quite crash protection, these folding brake and clutch levers are designed to fold up in the event of a crash rather than break, so that you can simply pick the bike back up and carry on. These examples are adjustable for length, for use with two or four fingers and also for span, so larger or smaller hands can also reach the lever.

Another handlebar-mounted protection, these are designed to protect the rider's hands when riding predominantly off-road. Generally two mounting points are considered the best method, with one at the bar-end and the other towards the centre of the bike, past the grip itself mounted directly onto the bars.