On my second ride on the Ultimate Motorcycling Honda CRF300L Rally Project Bike, I cracked $162 worth of the OEM skid plate and front cowl. I contacted SRC Moto in Pendleton, Oregon, the distributor of SRC Designs products, and was advised to install the SRC Crash Bars/Engine Guard with Integrated Skid Plate ($448 MSRP). They also suggested that since the headlight assembly is a $770 part, I preemptively install the SRC Headlight Guard ($98) to protect it.
The crash bars and skid plate weigh about 13 pounds and protect the exhaust header and cases from damage when running through the typical rocks and foliage we encounter off-road. The headlight guard protects the expensive headlight assembly from branches and roost.
The crash bars are one inch in diameter and have eighth-inch walls. The skid plate is 11 gauge, 304 aluminum with stainless hardware.
Installation took an hour or so after I figured out how to interpret the 10 pages of instructions. SRC Moto does have an install video that I eventually used, relying heavily on the pause button, to compare to the paper instructions.
When I took a step back, looked at the individual parts, and laid them up against the bike, the assembly clicked for me. As I proceeded, it was apparent that this is a stout system that will protect the vulnerable parts.
The SRC Moto Crash Bars / Engine Guard with integrated skid plate fit 2021 and newer Honda CRF300L Rallys. They do an excellent job of protecting the bike while also serving as ideal mounting points for my QualMounts highway pegs and Denali D3 DOT, street-legal high-beam spots. A practical added touch is the included plastic crash bar pads, which help protect the powdercoating from being scratched during a tip-over.
The SRC Designs Headlamp Guard is made from laser-cut 14-gauge steel and is an easy 10-minute install. Even if you never venture off-road on your Rally, a car or truck in front of you can kick up a rock that will trash your $800 headlight assembly. I discovered that the center-point bolt is the perfect mounting point for the INNOV7 dash cam.
Protection always comes with trade-offs, and on a small-displacement adventure bike like the CRF300L Rally, weight is a genuine concern. Every extra protective part adds weight to haul around and places additional strain on the OEM suspension.
I am doing my best to manage weight by carrying only essentials for the type of riding I do. That includes me losing 10 pounds and not carrying tools to fix any other bike other than my own.
After cracking the OEM skid plate and front cowl early on, adding real protection made financial sense. SRC Moto Crash Bars / Engine Guard with Integrated Skid Plate, along with the Headlight Guard, definitely add weight. Regardless, they address the vulnerable and expensive components of the Ultimate Motorcycling Honda CRF300L Rally Project Bike in a way the stock parts did not. Once installed, the kit has proved itself to be genuinely stout, offering real coverage for the engine, exhaust, and headlight while integrating cleanly with the bike and adding accessory connection points. For the type of riding I do, the added weight is an acceptable side effect.
