Huggers. Practical or pathetic?

[Slingblade]

Ok next issue on the streetfighter discussion. The german tails caused a variety of opinions but the consensus seems to be most Aussie fighter fans are not keen on stumpy ass ends.

Next up is huggers.

Do you like seeing nothing but a big rear tyre and fresh air or does a sleek hugger float your boat?

No doubt they are practical and offer protection to vulnerable shocks and undertails but do we need 'em?

Give us your YES or NO and tell us why.

[03gixxerpilot]

boris, generally no i dont like huggers, love the clean bare look, no the fighter that i am building im an having a shorty ( not kicked up ) tail and due to our rego laws ( tyre has to cover to an angle of 45 degres rearward from the rear axil ) and some over enthusict coppers i will have to run a hugger to save my licence evaporating so as an old hotrodder from a few years ago told me " if you can't get rid of it, can't hide it, make a feature of it " so i'm going to do so, as is alway the case there are exceptions where someone dose something that is diffrent and somehow gets away with it ( i hope to be one of these people ) but in genneral no i dont like huggers.

[Iceman]

Pracital, yes.


Would I put one on, no.

[Stocky]

I don't personally like them but if you have a $2000 rear shock in front of the back tyre they are really good at keeping the crap out of them.

I've actually gone to the trouble of fitting an R6 hugger to keep it small and practical.http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/342555382108066.JPG
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/34255538255758.JPG
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/34255538259153.JPG

[dazz]

I have always removed them for the minimalist look. remove as much shit as possible.

[Gix11]

Mine lasted 5 minutes after buying the bike. Practical? - yes. Shit looking? - yes. Ruin the rear end? - yes. Got one? - no. Sensible? - Me? As if!

[fimpBIKES]

with a stubby little german tail the huggers just look too damn big


i say pathetic

[zx12argh]

I think my hugger looks pretty shit hot actually - but it took fibreglass and a day with a dremmel to make it look like this

and yes i know its a shit photo but thats the best i have with out breaking out the camera which i cant cause my ex flogged it.
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/55156649564959.jpg

[kevkatana]

Make a hell of a mess of them when ya blow a tyre doing a top gear rev-limiter burnout.
Don't like 'em.

[alfiestorm]

In the uk they are practical piece of kit co's of the mostly crap weather but in dryer climates rip the bastards off

[Kamakazebusa]

Shit to look at.........would i put one on, Maybe. First i gotto find something that fits the JMC arm.

I like the empty look....:)

[cammy9r]

I would have to say no. I don't like them. I much prefer the open rear tyre. However i do have one on my bike as the weather here is mostly shit.It does keep the crap off the shock . An off the shelf hugger will never look good but they can be made to look like part of the bike with some time spent on them. Like gixxerpilot said if it needs to be there then....

zx12argh, you need to remove more of the plastic on the chain guard section (just my opinion :)

[madmaxman1986]

I agree with stocky, if your running an Ohlins or the like, a nice slim hugger isn't bad. Personaly I like to be able to see my big fat 180, so
NO

[hooligan]

I've got one. And i like it. Like most people have said, it keeps crap off the shock/undertray, and if it's modified, looks kinda cool.

[ZenDes]

NOOOOOOOO!


http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/76056660578461.jpg

[outlaw6660]

At my suzuki
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/2969/moorridermc098dv7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
NOOOO NEVER!!!!
At the CBR
YES! not without this one. and you dont see it from behind

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/1339/dsc00008wz3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/1775/dsc00009aa5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Gix11]

That fireblade hugger is awesome mate. Your work still blows me away. Great bike.

Hey ZenDes - The bandit is now finished? You've been missing for a while so I was guessing you were in the shed!

[Rocket]

When huggers first came out, they looked race, at the time I liked the one on my K model Gix.
But now I'd rather see the rear wheel. I've used a piece of insertion rubber bolted to the undertray to protect the shock from shit and tyre rubber on my fighter.
I like the R1 type that sit on the swingarm brace, kinda like Outlaws. If I fitted a swinger like that, i'd have one.

[SA77AN]

I was going to say I didn't like them until I saw that one on the Blade - Thats awesome - Might have to put an order in - nice work Outlaw...

[dazz]

I have finally worked out why the euro style fighters kick thier bikes arses up so high.........


TO BE ABLE TO MOUNT THOSE ROAD SIGN SIZED NUMBER PLATES SOMEWHERE! THEY ARE MASSIVE!

what about the seat on ya slabbie Outlaw,is that glass or perspex?

[outlaw6660]

It`s 15mm epoxi... (perspex)

[hmmmnz]

im glad i had one on my bike when the chain snapped at 90mph (around 150kph) it managed to get caught in the hugger and not slam into my leg :D

[megareg]

First post here....
Short answer... NO...
Long answer... why bother... did they start coming in because the GP guys could go 0.005s quicker a lap??? If you must protect your expensive shock, I think a little one is ok though.
Not too impressed with the German "raised Tail" look, they look like choocks waiting for the rooster to fuck them... or those hogley tractors about to mount them!!

[BOHEMION]

Reg u Crazy kat rider! Fancey seeing you on here...Looks like you gave into Tony's words about this place.

[megareg]

Hi Bo, yep, and Crazymofo too, I aint going to give the Kat a streetfighter look, I like the way they come out of the box, although, back in '82, I did have my Kat without fairing and had removed a few other bitz, I even had an "over/under" headlight, but no mx style bars, I like the clip-ons! this one I have now will have an EFE engine in it (have most of the bitz) and some subtle other changes... custom seat being made as we speak...
Cheers mate.

[Gix11]

Hey Reg, welcome aboard mate.

[megareg]

Thanks Gix11, I know a few of the members of this forum and they are good blokes, so... here I am.

Ooooh, do you need a hug do you Slingy?







Fuggin poofs getting in everywhere these days

[Slingblade]

and to think we were all missin you chalky....

should have known better:D

Sorry to hear bout the tail risers. i came close to buying one of them. glad i ended up going through stu.

[fimpBIKES]

CHALKY!!!!!

your here, just like the good old days [:x]

YEAH! and I'm still not kissing you pretty boy, so calm down.

You fixed the Kat exhaust yet?

[fimpBIKES]

WHAT exhaust!! ;)

At least you have the right answers there Fimp.

[Jockney Rebel]

anybody know what the law is re: mudguards in NSW? i got told that the bike wouldnt get pink slipped without one and as they dont make huggers for twin shoked bikes[do they?] ill have to make one out of an old lorry tyre:}

[fimpBIKES]

i think in nsw a hugger has fuck-all to do with the mudgaurd rule

[Jockney Rebel]

quote:Originally posted by fimpBIKES

i think in nsw a hugger has fuck-all to do with the mudgaurd rule
hmmm well seein as i dont have a mudguard anymore[ no officer they are all made like this] and this was brought to my attention[by a very observant RTA officer, with no sense of humour] i think ill plead ignorance and show him the "spare euro" licence [ the one they didnt take off me when i got my NSW licence]

[fimpBIKES]

i think in some other states if u got a hugger u caqn have less mudgaurd

but in NSW its all about the 45degrees from the rear axle

which i find hilarious
cos with the tail i am putting on the TLR it ENDS before the rear axle :D