stock skid plate ?

10754 Views 21 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Kokopelli, Nov 2, 2021

sigshooter71

Discussion Starter · Nov 11, 2018

Is the stock skid plate ok and does anyone know what type of plastic it is. I was looking to just get ar plates for front and back and leave the stock main skid plate. pretty rocky where i live.

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

JimP

· #2 · Nov 11, 2018

I haven't taken my 2016 Kodiak where I took my 2000 Kodiak yet but on the 2000 the stock skid plate held up just fine. It had gouges and scrapes but it never did tear or break apart. I did have to remove a piece of it that got bent down but it was just a tab and there really wasn't anything else wrong with it other than it was bent.

I thought about a nice aluminum one but it will also get gouges, scrapes and dents in it just like the stock one.

sigshooter71

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 11, 2018

Thanks for the info that will save me $225.00

JimP

· #4 · Nov 12, 2018

I have looked at those nice skid plates and would quite possibly start crying when I bashed them up. They do look nice and I would really like to outfit my Kodiak with them but until I see a problem with the stock one those nice shiny expensive ones can stay on the dealers shelves.

There are a lot more other things that I would like to do to my Kodiak that actually perform a job that isn't already being done.

Primethious

· #5 · Nov 12, 2018

I've already had to replace the front outside CV boots..actually a whole axle on one side and a boot on the other from sticks poking at them while riding about 150 miles.
The factory guards guide the sticks directly to the boots so get stick stoppers or something similar to protect the boots.
My footwells have also sustained damage from sticks popping up and jousting them while only going about 20mph.
The under skid plates would be effective against frame damage if you were going slow, but they are so thin and flexible that on a hard fast hit they would flex and transfer all the force onto what they are supposed to protect.
A full set of under armor is going to run you over 500 bucks.
I've been eyballing the HDPE set from Iron Baltic as they are so slick they will slide over rocks without grabbing like AL does, and are supposed to be much quieter as well. The only thing is their front and rear guards don't appear to have a stick stopper flare at the end.

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Vincent

· #6 · Nov 12, 2018 (Edited)

Stock skid plates are better then nothing, but that's it . More and more I feel I need to invest in proper skid plates on my bike.

[email protected]

· #7 · Nov 12, 2018

I went with a full set of ricochet, and they are awesome .

[email protected]

· #8 · Nov 12, 2018

Before and after

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Firefighterjake

· #9 · Nov 12, 2018

For where and how I ride the stock skid plate would have been fine . . . but I use my ATV for plowing duties in the winter and after the work and effort it took to put in the steel mounting plate I opted to keep it on year-round in place of the skid plate since it covered most everything and unlike my old mounting plate did not sacrifice much ground clearance.

As an aside, I did replace the stock CV boot guards with a set from Ricochet after one of my boots went MIA on some ride somewhere.

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Vincent

· #10 · Nov 12, 2018

[email protected] said:
Before and after

Nice!

purl

· #11 · Nov 18, 2018

I have put the Ricochet skid plates on my last 2 Yamaha ATVs. I cant really say they have saved the undercarriage from real damage but I have hit some hidden rocks very hard and the Kodiak just skidded right over top. They are pretty tough and fairly thick aluminum. I see the odd gouge but no real dents. I live in eastern Ontario and both purchases I found the best price and service for these through 2Kool Performance.(hope that plug doesn't contravene forum rules?). Anyway I have found the Ricochet to be of hi quality and fairly easy to install. I still don't have the Aarm protectors but every time I read some of these stories I think I should spend the $ and get them.
Cheers....

Pablo

· #12 · Nov 21, 2018

I went with the Yamaha aluminum bash plate on the front and stock plates everywhere else. Gives me a little more strength up front for the harder hits but keeps the weight and the price tag down. Takes 15-minutes and 4 bolts to install. Very happy.

[email protected]

· #13 · Dec 19, 2018

I think it all depends on how hard you ride and where you ride. We go to Hatfield & McCoys in WV and we ride pretty hard. I honestly believe Al skid plates are worth every penny. I have Aluminum Product full under armor on my Honda Rincon and it has held up great. I was going to put the same ones on my 2018 Kodiak but found a smokin deal ($400) from Iron Baltic and decided to give them a try. When I took of the stock plastic plates I was pretty disappointed in them. Seemed weak and poorly mounted so I was glad I decided to change them out. The IB went on very easy and fit like a glove. I’m a little concerned about the indented washer (for a lack of better words) that are supposed to protect the bolt heads. Seems like a sharp rock could damage or sheer them off but time will tell. I only have 21 miles on my Kodiak. I went with Al over plastic because I don’t think quads hanging up on rocks is that big of a deal compared to a SxS. I took some video during the install and if I ever get time to upload it to YouTube I’ll post a link. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any still pics so I took some screen shots from the vids.

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Primethious

· #14 · Dec 20, 2018

[email protected] said:
I think it all depends on how hard you ride and where you ride. We go to Hatfield & McCoys in WV and we ride pretty hard. I honestly believe Al skid plates are worth every penny. I have Aluminum Product full under armor on my Honda Rincon and it has held up great. I was going to put the same ones on my 2018 Kodiak but found a smokin deal ($400) from Iron Baltic and decided to give them a try. When I took of the stock plastic plates I was pretty disappointed in them. Seemed weak and poorly mounted so I was glad I decided to change them out. The IB went on very easy and fit like a glove. I’m a little concerned about the indented washer (for a lack of better words) that are supposed to protect the bolt heads. Seems like a sharp rock could damage or sheer them off but time will tell. I only have 21 miles on my Kodiak. I went with Al over plastic because I don’t think quads hanging up on rocks is that big of a deal compared to a SxS. I took some video during the install and if I ever get time to upload it to YouTube I’ll post a link. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any still pics so I took some screen shots from the vids.

Is the IB's still available at that price? Where?

[email protected]

· #15 · Dec 26, 2018

Primethious said:
Is the IB's still available at that price? Where?

They gave me a 20% military discount and free shipping, which blew me away because I think they are in Estonia.

Primethious

· #16 · Dec 26, 2018

[email protected] said:
They gave me a 20% military discount and free shipping, which blew me away because I think they are in Estonia.

Thanks you for your service, and Merry Christmas!

[email protected]

· #17 · Dec 26, 2018

Much appreciated. Merry Christmas!

Hercanstein

· #18 · Jan 8, 2019

I ripped the stock rear center skid plate off mine riding through a rough logging skid road (got to use my winch for the first time crossing a muddy gulch there), and have had a couple sticks poke through my footwells, so I will be getting either the Ricochet or Iron Baltic aluminum plates for the beast before I end up ripping more off or damaging something.

Hawktuner

· #19 · Nov 1, 2021

Pablo said:
I went with the Yamaha aluminum bash plate on the front and stock plates everywhere else. Gives me a little more strength up front for the harder hits but keeps the weight and the price tag down. Takes 15-minutes and 4 bolts to install. Very happy.

Have any picks installed?

JD864

· #20 · Nov 1, 2021

The stock skid plate is plastic, and about the thickness of a foam plate. It helps a lot. If you ride hard and actually USE it, it won’t last a long time. The plastic slides nice, and the flex isn’t bad. But it won’t take the weight of your machine in a rock either.
I installed the Iron Baltic. It’s about 5x’s thicker, and still slides easily. Great quality product.

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