Hi, 👋 The most vulnerable body part when riding are your hands. They are constantly exposed to hazards such as cold wind, debris, flying rocks, and even branches – if you ride through the forest.
That’s where universal motorcycle handguards come into play.
Handguards will protect your hands from external elements as well as enhance your overall riding experience by providing additional comfort and safety.
In this article, I will explore the best universal motorcycle handguards available in the market and evaluate them by the following criteria:
- Frame base stiffness and durability
- Replaceable plastic covers
- Wind protection
- Adjustable frame-handlebar connection to fit various handlebar shapes and sizes
- Weight
This way you will make an informed decision to keep your hands safe on the road.
Contents
Universal Motorcycle Handguards
Best Overall
#1 JFG RACING
Frame base durability: ✅ Strong
Wind Protection: ✅ Good
Replaceable plastic covers: ✅ Yes
Adjustable frame shape: ✅ Yes
Weight: 1 KG
Benefits & Features
✅ Most roomy from the inside – there is a lot of space for your hands and controls. Very little chance of any interference with the clutch and brake levers.
✅ Great lever protection if you drop your bike. A strong aluminum frame will protect the clutch and brake levers when dropping the bike.
✅ Excellent wind protection. The plastic attachments have big surface areas and block a lot of oncoming wind. Plastics have wrap-around extensions on the sides that create a pocket of calm air inside where your fingers are when you are operating the clutch and front brake levers.
✅ Lots of adjustments available with center handlebar mounts. Can be mounted in various ways that fit your bike and handlebar movement in an optimal way.
⚠️ If you have a wide windshield installed on your bike. These may hit it on full lock turn but this is bike specific problem.
They did create cut-outs in the plastic at the places where these handguards are expected to hit the windshield during full-lock turn, however, every bike is a little bit different and it is impossible to engineer for everything, especially when you want to have excellent wind protection that requires larger parts.
Runner Up
#2 SW-MOTECH Kobra
Frame base durability: ✅ High
Wind Protection: ✅ Good
Replaceable plastic covers: ⚠️ No
Adjustable frame shape: ✅ Attachment base fits different handlebars.
Weight: ⚠️ 1.5 Kg
Benefits & Features
✅ Possible to increase your road presence by installing Integrated blinkers into Kobra Handguards.
✅ Provides really good wind protection to hands and wrists due to relatively big surface area. You could pretty much ride all year round if use Kobra handguards with heated grips and Motorcycle Handlebar Gauntlets.
✅ Aluminum frame offers real crash protection if you crash into bushes. Additionally, it will protect the clutch and front brake levers from damage if you drop your bike.
⚠️ Weight is a bit too big. In a certain way, this may actually reduce handlebar vibration and make countersteering more precise. But in all other ways adding weight to your motorcycle is not a good idea.
Best Looking Handguards for Naked Bikes
#3 Oxford
Frame base durability: Average
Wind Protection: Average
Replaceable plastic covers: ⚠️ No
Adjustable frame shape: Not Applicable since there is 1 mounting point
Weight: 0.7 Kg
Benefits & Features
✅ Minimalistic design that looks great on naked, sport, and even cruiser-type bikes.
✅ Does provide decent wind protection for your hands.
✅ Can handle high speeds without deformation due to an aluminum frame that has high stiffness. However, it has only 1 attachment point to the handlebar that is not as durable as 2 point attachment designs.
❌ Low protection in case of dropping the bike. This Handguard will probably simply brake.
Worth Mentioning
#4 Anxin
Frame base durability: ✅ High
Wind Protection: ⚠️ Low
Replaceable plastic covers: ⚠️ No
Adjustable frame shape: ✅ Attachment base fits different handlebars.
Weight: ✅ 0.75 Kg
Benefits & Features
✅ Strong protection for clutch and brake levers.
✅ Good for hot climate weather where you want to get some windflow over your hands to cool yourself down while riding and while getting protection.
✅ Relatively lightweight and have an aerodynamic shape on the sides.
⚠️ Not good for cold weather riding if you want to get wind protection for your hands.
❌ Will not fit 28mm handlebar. Many modern bikes have variable diameter handlebars with 28mm thickness in the middle and 22mm on the sides where your grips are. This product may not fit the middle section.
Worth Mentioning
#5 Acerbis
Frame base durability: Average (Aluminum but a bit thin)
Wind Protection: Average
Replaceable plastic covers: ⚠️No
Adjustable frame shape: ✅ Yes
Weight: 1.1 Kg
Benefits & Features
✅ Good compromise between lever protection and wind protection. The frame base has an aluminum insert, not as thick as Anxin or Cobra but does the job. The plastic wind deflector is not very big for wind protection, however, these can be used with Handlebar Gauntlets during cold weather.
✅ Many color options available – make it integrate into your overall bike’s color scheme as if it is a stock part.
⚠️ Some users reported a lack of installation instructions.
⚠️ If your stock levers are long and have no adjustments – it is possible that there will be not enough room for your fingers to press the levers. If that is the case – either return this product or get a shorter set of levers.
Worth Mentioning
#6 JFG RACING (Dirt bike)
Frame base durability: ✅ High
Wind Protection: ⚠️ Low
Replaceable plastic covers: ✅ Yes
Adjustable frame shape: ✅ Yes
Weight: 0.8 Kg
Benefits & Features
✅ Highly adjustable center mounts. Easy to fit on most motorcycles due to flexible joints connector.
✅ Great lever protections thanks to the strong aluminum frame, same as with many other handguards in this list.
✅ Replaceable plastic covers that are screwed onto a frame with two bolts.
⚠️ Low wind protection but may be fitted over with handlebar gauntlets on cold days.
Worth Mentioning
#7 Cycra Pro
Frame base durability: Average
Wind Protection: Average
Replaceable plastic covers: ⚠️ No
Adjustable frame shape: ✅ Yes
Weight: 1.27 Kg
Benefits & Features
✅ Has a complex frame design that may fit better with clutch, brake, and throttle cables and other wires coming from your handlebar. However, this comes at the expense of durability since a simple straight bar is stronger at protecting your levers during drops compared to this particular design.
✅ Good looks. It does look like a quality product and may improve the overall looks of your bike due to its complex shape.
⚠️ No installation instructions or installation tools included. You have to figure it all out yourself. But handguard installation is pretty much a straightforward process so any human can do it.
⚠️ Too expensive compared to other handguards in this list, in my opinion. And I don’t see any added benefits in terms of wind or drop protection. A simple thing that works is better than the complex thing that doesn’t, right?
