Motorcycle handguards

Motorcycle handguards, also called hand guards or hand deflectors, are shields that mount on the handlebar in front of the grips so wind, rain and cold do not hit your fingers head on. On a road bike or scooter they mainly work as wind deflectors; on an adventure bike they also push branches and stones aside. Here you will find handguards from Puig and SW-Motech: universal, made for one model or as an extension of the ones your bike already has.

Handguards, bar muffs or lever guards: which is which

• Wind deflector handguards: a plastic shield that turns the airflow aside. These are the universal and model-specific Puig handguards, in clear, light smoke, dark smoke, matt black or carbon look.
• Adventure handguards: tougher and more firmly mounted, built to take knocks on trails, such as the SW-Motech Adventure; the same brand's Sport models are the lighter road version.
• Bar muffs: fabric mitts that wrap the grip and your whole hand. They are warmer, but a different product.
• Lever guard: a race-style hoop in front of the brake lever that stops it being pulled in a scrape. Puig's versions are listed under Puig lever protectors.

Universal, model-specific or extension

Puig universal handguards suit any bike or scooter with a round handlebar and nothing fitted from the factory. Model-specific ones are made for a single bike, such as the Versys 650, Z900, NC750X or XMAX, and attach to its own mounting points with no modification.

If your bike already has factory handguards, as on the Tracer 7, R 1300 GS, Africa Twin or many KTMs, a handguard extension clips onto them and enlarges the area that covers your hand, without removing the originals. There are clear and smoked versions and, for KTM, orange ones. The whole range is under Puig handguards.

Before you fit them

• Turn the handlebar fully to each side: the handguard must not touch the screen, tank or mirrors.
• Many mount at the end of the bar, in place of the bar end weight, so check what your bike has there.
• With the levers in their usual position, pull the brake and clutch all the way in and make sure nothing rubs.

For a winter without cold hands, pair them with heated grips; and if it is your chest that takes the blast, the answer lies in our windscreens.