The Tiger 900 I bought came with a set of Heed crash bars and in looking for a skid (bash) plate that actually provides some protection, I decided that the Heed product would be assured of playing nicely with their bars. Their products are available only on their website and come from Poland. They're very reasonably priced, however, so I placed an order for a skidplate and a set of small bags that fit in the crashbars. Including shipping, the total came to just under $300. I placed the order online. The next day, I received an email from Heed saying that they appreciated my order, but I should be aware that, due to Donald Trump's tariffs on imported goods, the order might be subject to a 50% tariff, which, of course, would be my responsibility. They asked me to respond to the email indicating that I wished to proceed with the order and said that if they didn't hear from me by the following day, they would cancel the order and give me a refund. I responded that I had received orders from China and did not have to pay a tariff on them, but with the higher value of this order, I would prefer not to take that risk and to please cancel the order. They did so and issued a refund through PayPal right away. It's nice to have a vendor that goes out of their way to look out for their customer's best interests, as Heed does, and if the tariff situation changes, I will definitely do business with them in the future.
@pbansen I used to deal with a few American dealers who had no problem in sending me items as a gift or present. That way i did not have to pay customs on them. Don't know if that would work for you. Or do you know someone in Canada.
Joe, I’m going to wait for the Supreme Court to decide that the unilaterally imposed tariffs are presidential overreach and violate the Constitution. Then I’ll place the order. Or maybe buy a Puig skid plate! Pete
I have a sw motech on my tiger 9 and it is about 4mm thick plate i think that would take a few knocks i don't know of a supplier as my bike had it already fitted but I would recommend it as it is a solid bit of kit
Something to think about..... although as I don't know you, you may already be aware? Is the bash plate/sump guard going to be put to the proper intended use or just an "enhancement"? If the former, and assuming by the choice of bike it would be gravel roads more than mx tracks, then plastic or composite would be so much quieter than aluminium. If you were planning on sumping it i.e. over fallen tree trunks then ensure the mounting arrangement is up to it.
Thanks, Eldon - you make excellent points. This bike will probably not be 'sumping' or ridden on single-track to any extent. The bash plate/skid plate is intended to provide improved protection to the oil filter and pipe from gravel or road debris. I consider that a intended use, just not a stringent test of the plate's capabilities. I would be all over a plastic/composite plate if I knew of one - do you? I have an Acerbis skid plate on a Suzuki DR-650 that is excellent: great protection and it is, as you state, much quieter than aluminum, but I have been unable to find a comparable product for the Tiger. If you have found one, I am all ears! Thanks again for your help!
A quick search turned this up which although aluminium (noisy) it looks to offer far greater protection than the flimsy OE item. Any good, does that help?