Mudsling or Hugger?

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I look past the numberplate into the wheel area of my GSA and it's noticeably bare - looking like it's missing something.

Which is more effective at protecting both bike and rider from road crud - Mudsling type guard or a hugger?
 

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Ive got both and everything still gets covered in crap.


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I’ve had a mudsling and now use a hugger. Both are limited benefit. Huggers are not long enough at the back to be really effective.
 
Mudsling to protect the shock................Cheapo chinese, PIA to fit but works
Frame infill panels to protect the rider......Puig, best out there I think
Hugger to look good..............................Ditto
 
Mudsling to protect the shock................Cheapo Chinese.
Paid £23. from E-bay. :coold
But look around as there are a few people who sell. fitted straight on, did make the holes bigger to use a heavy duty cable tie.
 
I’ve tried Mudsling, BMW infill panels and Wunderlich hugger, with all permutations with and without the standard rear fender and if I was doing it all over again, would just leave it as standard. I have probably spent in excess of £350, with no real benefit in reducing crap being flung over me or the bike.

I’m currently running with the std rear fender, BMW infill panels and Mudsling, but seriously thinking of removing the Mudsling, as I am sure it is creating a vortex, in which it is pulling air back towards the bike.
 
Are the mudsling moans about Chinese knockoffs or the genuine Machineart Moto version? I have a genuine one which is expensive but very high quality and found it really easy to fit and very effective.
 
I have the genuine Mudsling, which fits well on my std GS and protects the shock. But suspect it may have side effects (more crap around my legs)
 
Without any doubt, the Mudslings I have had fitted to my previous 2008 GS, 2010 GSA, and my current 2014 GSA have all reduced the amount of crap thrown onto the backs of my legs.
My new 2018 GSA Rallye will be having a Mudsling fitted.
However, the gap between the lower part of the mudsling and the tyre is very narrow, so if you are going to be riding offroad, in mud, it's probably not a good idea to fit one.

Bob
 
Ive got both and everything still gets covered in crap.


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Yup always used both.
Although I think a MudSling is better for keeping some of the shite from getting all over the back of your legs & bike..
 
Like a chump, I just started a thread asking the exact same question. Somehow I missed this one - brain fart!

If it helps anyone, I’ll tell you about my experience...

I bought my very first GS/GSA in 2014 (LC). I had absolutely no knowledge of the getting wet situation until it happened. I was genuinely astounded by just how wet, and covered with road grime I was - I hadn’t even been off road! I don’t mind getting wet by the water falling from the sky, but I don’t want to get wet by the same water twice!

I was traversing across Brittany on a wet day (first time in the rain on this bike) thinking everything was hunkydory until, after about 100 miles, we stopped for a coffee break. Anyway, I now know I’m not telling you guys anything you don’t already know but will tell you what I did, which made a huge improvement...

Front Fender Extender, Puig hugger, rear Crud Catcher. These three things made a massive difference (I’d say about 70%) and reduced the wet, cruddy road spray to a much more acceptable level. Previously to owning the GSA I’d ridden nothing but out and out sports bikes and never had this problem before. I’ve generally fitted my bikes with huggers so this probably helped, but where I think the GSA is susceptible is due the height of them - there’s a lot of space between the tread of the rear tyre and the underside of the bike for water to be fired off all over the place.

The reason I asked the question in my other (unnecessary) thread was to find out if the Mudsling was as good as the hugger. There’s one thing I don’t like about the hugger... it's the fittment! I don’t like the fact that the rear swingarm has to be unbolted and then the OEM Torx bolt has to be replaced with a plain old Allen bolt - I suppose I could source a good quality stainless steel Torx bolt?! For what it’s worth, there is also a little bit more unsprung mass.

So, if the Mudsling was as good I’d probably give it a try. The other bonus would be that it’s lighter and easier to fit. It sounds like a case of swings and roundabouts though, as some have mentioned that they believe it sets up some sort of backdraught.

After the recent story of failing rear shock, I now want to keep the unit as protected as possible, as well as staying as dry as possible (from road spray).
 
Would not be to keen on a Hugger if the bike was going to be used Offroad, I just imagine some mud gravel and stones getting stuck under the Hugger, just my opinion, as I have not tried a Hugger offroad, The cheap chinese knock offs are exactly what they are cheap, the real Machine art mudslinger is far better quality, then you have Splash guards, from either Wunderlich or RC racing that do a decent job, at stopping a little of the shite, but hey if you do not want to get wet or a little dirty now and again, you can always just buy a cheapo 2 piece fishermans suit, it will catch the crap, and when you stop a quick hosedown, and drip dry the suit, and all is clean, that is what I do :augie
 
Would not be to keen on a Hugger if the bike was going to be used Offroad, I just imagine some mud gravel and stones getting stuck under the Hugger, just my opinion, as I have not tried a Hugger offroad, The cheap chinese knock offs are exactly what they are cheap, the real Machine art mudslinger is far better quality, then you have Splash guards, from either Wunderlich or RC racing that do a decent job, at stopping a little of the shite, but hey if you do not want to get wet or a little dirty now and again, you can always just buy a cheapo 2 piece fishermans suit, it will catch the crap, and when you stop a quick hosedown, and drip dry the suit, and all is clean, that is what I do :augie

Totally agree with you about using a hugger off road, especially with knobblies fitted - it’d probably get destroyed.
 
Can anyone tell me why the GS is so spectacularly bad at protecting the rear of the bike and the rider from all the road crap?

My last GS was a 2003 R1150GS and the rear of the bike used to get totally covered. Since then, I have had a Bull Ulysses, (totally fine with a standard hugger), a Tiger 1050, again fine with a standard hugger, a couple of Pan Europeans and for the past 5 years, I have owned a Kawasaki Versys 1000 with a standard rear hugger that keeps me and the rear of the bike clean.

On the other hand, my mate is on his 3rd R1200GS including 2 LCs fitted with after-market huggers, and both him and his bike get filthy, so what is it about the GS that causes all the crap around the rear of the bike?

The reason I ask is that I am considering returning to the GS fold with an LC.
 
Can anyone tell me why the GS is so spectacularly bad at protecting the rear of the bike and the rider from all the road crap?

My last GS was a 2003 R1150GS and the rear of the bike used to get totally covered. Since then, I have had a Bull Ulysses, (totally fine with a standard hugger), a Tiger 1050, again fine with a standard hugger, a couple of Pan Europeans and for the past 5 years, I have owned a Kawasaki Versys 1000 with a standard rear hugger that keeps me and the rear of the bike clean.

On the other hand, my mate is on his 3rd R1200GS including 2 LCs fitted with after-market huggers, and both him and his bike get filthy, so what is it about the GS that causes all the crap around the rear of the bike?

The reason I ask is that I am considering returning to the GS fold with an LC.

Its probably BMW want to give us something to do after riding, instead of getting cabin fever :beer:
 


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