Motorcycle lever guards

A lever guard, also called a lever protector, is the hoop fitted ahead of the brake or clutch lever at the end of the handlebar, so that nothing can pull the lever without you deciding to. It was born on the racetrack, where contact with another bike in a corner could squeeze your front brake, and on the road it does the same job against a car mirror as you filter, a pillar in the car park or a low-speed spill, where it also stops the lever from bending.

Three ways to fit one

• Universal with an adapter: the guard is the same for every bike and a separate part joins it to the end of your bar. This is the Puig system, available in standard, Raw and integrated-mirror versions.
• Model-specific kit: SW-MOTECH makes them for particular bikes, such as the CFMOTO 675NK or the Triumph Tracker 400, with the mounting for that bike included; the 675NK also gets a version with a hand deflector.
• Rizoma PROGUARD: aluminium with a rounded tip and no bike in the name; before ordering, check on the product page which handlebar and mounting it accepts.

Before you choose

• The bar end is a crowded spot: the guard takes the place of the bar end weight and does not usually share it with a handguard mounted at that same point.
• With the lever set to its furthest adjustment, it must travel its full arc without touching the guard, and the throttle should snap back on its own with the steering on full lock.
• If you want the mirror version so you can do without the stock mirror, make sure the product page states it is approved for road use.

Lever guard or handguard?

They do different jobs. A lever guard only shields the lever, while handguards keep wind, cold and branches off your hand and are the norm on adventure and off-road bikes. On nakeds and sports bikes, on the other hand, the lever guard is the popular choice, partly for the look. The versions, colours and adapters for each model are under Puig lever protectors, the bike-specific kits under SW-MOTECH, and lever types and their adjustment under motorcycle levers.