Wraparound hand guards have come a long way in terms of comfort, convenience and installation. Yet most brands still use some type of expanding wedge to secure the end of the guard to the handlebar. G2 Ergos has an innovative method of attaching aluminum guards to the end of an aluminum handlebar. The kit is comprised of a 5/8 by 11 tap, two Allen bolts with countersunk heads and two threaded nylon inserts. Installation takes some muscle but is simple. Take the supplied tap and cut threads inside the handlebar. This is a very large tap, and we had nothing that could hold the 3/8 square shank, so we ended up using a small adjustable wrench. The amount of muscle needed depends on the bar, since the thickness of the bar-end material varies. The 661 bar we used ended up threaded deeply. Once the threads are cut, then it’s a snap to install the nylon inserts with an Allen wrench. These inserts are cut with threads outside and inside. They spin in easily until they sit just below the end of the bar. When the guards are bolted on, the guard is snugged against the end of the bar, and that creates tension between the guard and the nylon mount. The nylon used in the inserts is “Ultra-strong” and the bolts can crank down like they’re threaded into aluminum. The kit runs $19.95 with the tap. You only need one tap, so if you want additional inserts for other bikes, the kit can be purchased for $12.95 without the tap. The kit is also available as a $29.95 grip-end protective system. It’s the same as the regular kit but includes aluminum bar-ends that protect the grips and throttle tube in a crash. The nylon anchors are claimed to be lighter, absorb vibration and won’t corrode. We used them with a 661 vibration-reducing handlebar, so it was hard to tell about the vibration part. For sure there were no annoying rumbles from the guards. The mounting, once the bar-ends are tapped, is super easy and strong. The kit is designed to mount the guard bar solid against the bar-end, so the end of the throttle tube must be fully opened for it to work, but the end result is extremely clean and trouble-free. -Karel Kramer
