Floorboard skids for Softails (and other models)...
 

Hi guys. I have a few questions regarding floorboard skids that have been mentioned as a new product for our possible manufacture. I would greatly appreciate your input as it can really aid in the design process. Do you think that the skids should mount flat under the boards? Or vertical inside of the outer edge of the board? Chrome? Black? Unfinished? How thick should they be as they will decrease the lean angle slightly as well as combined with our extensions. Titanium laced for sparking properties? A quick sketch or two would really help as we are all extremely busy and this kind of thing could make the design process much quicker. Thanks so much for your help. What about a lower profile board with the skids added on so you do not lose any ground clearance?

Sparks! Sparks! Sparks! Sparks! Sparks! Sparks! Sparks! Sparks!

Okay, we got it. Sparks for sure...

I think it would be great if you developed something for this.

A few of my buddies have added acorn nuts bolted under the floorboard just inside the outside lip towards the rear. They seem to work well for protecting the floorboard. I never worried about it , floorboard pans are cheap and I have only had to replace one in 6 years of riding, but if there was a bolt on product that was titanium (for sparks) and it fit up into the outer rear edge of the floor board (at the point of contact) and was only a little below the board so it wont affect the lean angle Id buy it.

Thanks for the comments. Sounds like a good idea. I have never been concerned about the pans scraping either, but it seems most people would prefer to not have them scrape.

I have no problem with the boards scraping but it would be nice to have a cheap replaceable piece to wear out before it chews up the boards. I have been considering rigging up something like this for years... maybe out of magnesium like a low rider. Just need to get a new set of boards to work with. I personally wouldn't mind if I had a little less board/ground clearence because I would get more warning from the boards before I lean far enough to start dragging the primary or my exhaust.

my XB boards grind all of the time...no big deal...

if you have something that will throw a bunch of sparks I would be interested...

It's going to have throw sparks... wear at a decent rate...and be easily replaceable...

I used to ride with a few guys that would put Titanium screws in the heels of there boots so when they were riding they could put a foot down and throw sparks at the cagers behind them... of course this was right before they would pull the front wheel and speed off...
(not me... I would never do anything against the law!)

Like the others I'm gonna say sparks would be great. I thought about magnesium but I read that's impossible to stop burning once it gets going.

I'd say it should go under the board that way there's nothing that looks funky on it at first glance. Selling a whole new board with skids on might be a turn off because wouldn't that end up costing more? Plus the installation time and effort would be greater.

We would like to keep the cost down, that is for sure.

Sparks!