The short answer
Protect yourself first. Helmet, boots, knee braces and body armour come before any bike part. See rider gear.
Then fit enduro bike protection in this order:
- Skid plate with a linkage guard. A holed engine case or crushed linkage ends the ride.
- Radiator braces. A bent radiator can end a ride in one tip-over.
- Full-wrap aluminium hand guards. A snapped lever or smashed throttle can end the ride.
- Rear disc guard. It saves the rear rotor and caliper.
- Clutch slave cylinder guard, chain guide, swingarm and frame guards.
- Front disc guard, brake pedal anchor, rear master cylinder guard.
- Pipe guard on a 2-stroke, and a radiator fan if you ride slow and tight.
Why this order? It follows what the factory hard enduro builds add. The KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO adds "a radiator fan, skid plate, frame protection set, and front and rear brake disc guards", plus closed handguards and clutch slave cylinder protection. The Husqvarna TE 300 Pro and Sherco 300 SE XTREM carry much the same list. The parts first in line protect the things that end a ride on the spot.
Skid plate and linkage guard
What it protects: the engine cases, water pump and, with a linkage guard, the rear suspension linkage. Enduro Engineering's plates also cover oil filters, and side tabs protect the frame rails and footpeg mounts.
What it prevents: a cracked case or water pump on a rock. That means lost oil or coolant, and a walk home.
Plastic or aluminium? Both work. They trade weight against stiffness.
- Plastic (HDPE or UHMW). AXP, which makes plastic plates, says plastic is "30 to 40% lighter than its aluminum counterpart". It says the plate "will return to its original shape" after a hit. It also says it lets you "glide over obstacles" and muffles the noise of impacts. Those are the maker's claims. AXP's Xtrem plate for the KTM 250/300 EXC is 8 mm HDPE, weighs 1.1 kg and includes a linkage guard (€149). SXS makes its plates from 1/4" UHMW with the linkage guard built in. Graham Jarvis's Husqvarna TE 300i ran an SXS plate with a "shark protector linkage fin". Enduro21's Erzberg bike ran AXP's sump guard with a linkage extension: "as good as it gets for protecting the underside of your bike."
- Aluminium. Enduro Engineering says its "Strong Aluminum Construction will hold up to more than Plastic." Its Extreme plate extends higher than its standard plate and is "Made for Extreme Conditions and Hard Enduro type Terrain". Enduro21 ran it at a rocky extreme event: "Yeah, it weighs a bit more than some of the plastic types on the market but it is standing firm all day long."
What to look for:
- A linkage guard if your bike has a linkage. PDS bikes have nothing under the swingarm. See PDS vs linkage.
- Coverage of the water pump and both engine cases.
- A plate listed for your exact model and year.
The Husqvarna TE 300 Pro now ships with a "Factory skid plate featuring integrated linkage protection". If you buy a bike like that, this step is done.
Radiator braces and radiator guards
What they protect: the radiators. They sit out wide and take the hit in every tip-over.
What they prevent: a twisted or holed radiator, lost coolant and an engine that overheats.
Braces vs guards:
- Braces support the radiator from behind and the sides. Enduro Engineering says its aluminium braces "protect your radiators from getting twisted or bent without sacrificing airflow" ($109.95).
- Guards cover the front. Enduro Engineering's 3/16" aluminium guards protect "the front of your radiator from an impact or flying debris" ($89.95). They need braces to mount.
Guards need braces to mount, so fit braces first. Add guards if rocks and branches hit the front.
What to look for:
- Airflow. Enduro21 on its Erzberg bike: "You need maximum air flow for all the hours spent in the trees at Erzberg."
- Fan fit. Some braces work with the stock fan on some models only. Some guards do not pair with braces at all. Check the listing for both.
Hand guards: always full aluminium
Our recommendation: fit full-wrap hand guards with an aluminium backbone. Always. Not open roost shields.
What they protect: your levers and your hands, from rocks, trees and the ground.
What they prevent: a snapped lever or a smashed throttle after a drop.
The basis for the recommendation:
- Enduro21 ran a KTM 300 EXC TPI at extreme events without wraparound guards. Two crashes hammered the left bar end and grip and broke the clutch lever. "If this had been off to the right side and had broken the throttle in the same way it could easily have been game over." Their verdict: "wraparound handguards would have been a good idea."
- Enduro21's Erzberg bike ran Enduro Engineering wrap-around guards, "Like a fail-safe option for protecting the hand levers".
- KTM fits "closed handguards" to the 300 EXC HARDENDURO from the factory.
- Barkbusters builds its EGO guard on a "Heat treated aluminium backbone for maximum strength", to "protect hands and levers during intense trail and tight bush riding". Enduro Engineering says its full wraps help "protect levers in the event of a crash".
What to look for:
- An aluminium backbone, not plastic alone.
- Two mounting points: the bar end and a clamp near the centre. That closes the wrap.
- The right bar size. Cycra sells closed aluminium guards in 7/8" and 1-1/8" versions.
- Room for your levers. Check that the guard clears them at full pull.
Carry a spare lever as well. See the gear and setup lesson.
Disc and caliper guards
What they protect: the brake rotors and the rear caliper.
What they prevent: a bent rotor or a smashed caliper.
Rear. This is the one that takes the hits. Enduro Engineering's rear disc guard replaces the stock caliper hanger. Enduro21 said it "stood up to a heck of a beating and kept the rear rotor intact". They called it "among the best 100 bucks you'll spend on bike protection."
Front. Usually lighter plastic. Polisport makes model-specific front disc guards. Enduro21 ran one with fork-bottom protectors: "Both did their job protecting underneath with no dings to the fork legs afterwards." One mounting bolt did bend. Sherco fits a carbon front disc guard to the 300 SE XTREM.
What to look for: a rear guard with a replaceable fin, and a front guard that suits your fork and rotor size.
Clutch slave cylinder guard
What it protects: the clutch slave cylinder and the engine case around it.
What it prevents: Enduro Engineering says its guard "Saves your slave cylinder and engine case if you throw a chain or fall on a rock." ($29.95–$42.95.)
KTM fits clutch slave cylinder protection to the HARDENDURO. Husqvarna fits a clutch slave cylinder protector to the TE 300 Pro.
Chain guide and swingarm guard
Chain guide. It keeps the chain on the sprocket. AXP's plastic guide is "designed to keep the chain in place as well as protect the rear sprocket". Enduro21 called it "Tough as old boots". Sherco fits a reinforced AXP chain guide to the 300 SE XTREM.
Mind your gearing. Enduro21 found "the 52 tooth rear sprocket is about as big as you can go before the chain guide sits too close". See the gearing guide before you go bigger.
Swingarm guard. It saves the swingarm from rocks and logs. Enduro21 on its Erzberg bike: "The dings in the plastic show you exactly how many time the swingarm would now have a scuff or worse." Polisport's guards fit by model and cost €42.90–€51.90.
One trade-off: "dirt and water can get behind the cover and corrode or be abrasive to the metal underneath." Pull it off and clean under it.
Frame guards
What they protect: the frame rails.
What they prevent: KTM says its frame protection "Prevents abrasion of the frame by dirt, falls or the driver's boots".
KTM and Husqvarna fit frame protectors to their hard enduro models.
Brake pedal anchor and rear master cylinder guard
Brake pedal anchor. A cable from the pedal tip to the frame. Motion Pro says it "Prevents brake pedal from catching on berms, branches, rocks, etc." Graham Jarvis's bike ran a "brake snake". KTM fits a "rear brake safety wire" to the HARDENDURO.
Rear master cylinder guard. A small cover for the rear master cylinder. Enduro Engineering lists one at $29.95.
2-stroke pipe guard and cylinder saver
What they protect: the expansion chamber and the exhaust flange at the cylinder.
What they prevent: lost power. ADB put a dented pipe on a Sherco 300 on the dyno. It made "0.6 horsepower less at peak revs", with torque losses between 5000 and 7000 rpm. ADB adds that "Dents in the first six inches of the pipe are usually more detrimental".
What to look for:
- A guard made for your bike's stock pipe. P3 Carbon makes composite pipe guards per model.
- A cylinder saver, or exhaust flange guard, if you ride rocks. Enduro21: "Plenty of aftermarket companies make them for all bike models, as do KTM". Wade Young's GasGas EC 300 ran Rutherford Racing's "cylinder saver" clamp.
Radiator fan: heat at walking pace
At walking pace, little air moves through the radiators. Dirt Bike Test's reviewer had a KTM 530 EXC that "kept boiling over".
A fan pushes air when the bike does not. Dirt Bike Test found Trail Tech's fan "Substantially increases the cooling in low-speed terrain". KTM fits a radiator fan to the HARDENDURO, and Jarvis's Husqvarna ran its "cooling fan".
Fit one if you ride tight, slow, technical trails. Check it fits with your radiator braces.
Priority and budget
Prices are maker list prices or Enduro21's figures, checked 13 October 2026.
| # | Part | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skid plate with linkage guard | €149 (AXP Xtrem, KTM); $130–$345 plus $45 linkage guard (Enduro Engineering) |
| 2 | Radiator braces | $110 (Enduro Engineering) |
| 2 | Radiator guards, front (optional) | $90 (Enduro Engineering) |
| 3 | Full-wrap aluminium hand guards | $50–$200 (Enduro Engineering, by bar); $196–$200 (Cycra) |
| 4 | Rear disc guard | about $100 (Enduro21) |
| 5 | Clutch slave cylinder guard | $30–$43 (Enduro Engineering) |
| 5 | Chain guide | €82.50 (AXP, via Enduro21) |
| 5 | Swingarm guard | €43–€52 (Polisport) |
| 6 | Rear master cylinder guard | $30 (Enduro Engineering) |
Fitment: check make, model and year
Guards are model-specific. A plate for one year may not fit the next.
- AXP lists its Xtrem KTM plate for the 250/300 EXC and XC-W, 2024 to 2026.
- Polisport lists its disc and swingarm guards by make, model and year.
- Enduro Engineering lists braces and guards per model. Fan fit varies.
Before you order, check the make, model and year on the listing. Match your handlebar size for hand guards.
Some bikes come with most of this list fitted:
- KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO: skid plate, radiator fan, frame protection, front and rear disc guards, clutch slave cylinder protection, closed handguards.
- Husqvarna TE 300 Pro: skid plate with linkage protection, front and rear disc protectors, clutch slave cylinder protector, frame protectors.
- Sherco 300 SE XTREM: skid plate, AXP radiator guards, reinforced AXP chain guide, CNC rear disc guard, carbon front disc guard.
- Rieju MR 300i Hard Enduro: AXP skid plate and chain guide, swingarm protector, front and rear disc guards, handlebar protectors.
Compare them on hard enduro bikes.
