T.M. Designworks Slide-N-Guide Kit

I'm always looking for motorcycle parts that will take the most bangs for my buck. I've found one in T.M. Designworks' Factory Edition Slide-N-Guide set ($159.95-$179.95).

To say that T.M. Designworks has found kryptonite to chain wear would be an understatement. It has proven on many test bikes that it can take some serious abuse. For this very reason I picked the kit in hopes of extending the life of these wear items.

The parts went on super easily, just a quick removal of the front sprocket to get the front chain slider on, and the bolt-on rear chain slider made installation time mere minutes.

I've tried so very hard to wear out the front chain slider, and it is finally showing some signs of abuse. After 170 hours and thousands of miles, the slider is still solid and, I would say, has quite a few miles left before a replacement is needed.

The rear chain guide is a lifesaver as well; the guide has dealt with some serious impacts and soaked up the energy while maybe leaving a scratch or 10, which sure beats the stock units which can crush and bend into your rear sprocket and chain. After the costly replacement of the stock slider cage, rubber insert (and possibly the stock sprocket and chain) the T.M. value starts to show. Plus, the chain guide comes with a one-year warranty!

The system isn't without drawbacks. The most unsavory quality is that it's quite a bit louder than the stock unit and you can really hear the chain slapping on the top slider. This is a minuscule price to pay for the value of not wearing out your chain slider or worrying about crushing your chain guide on watermelon-sized boulders, logs or anything else the track or trail can throw at you.

The kit looks super trick and will really pay for itself. Now that's what I call a value.