Hi guys,
Last time I went riding on my lovely KLX my left shoe lace got...humph...swalowed by the front sprocket and chain.
No big deal except that I had to buy a brand new set of shoe laces...to fit my already brand new shoes !
So...I checked the plastic cover over the front sprocket to find out it was half protected...and half exposed !
So here is a picture of the "extended shoe lace protector" I created.
Hope it can help you...

 

And watch out for bellbottom pants...LOL!

I went and test rode a friend's Honda CR500 MX'er 2-stroke quite a few years ago. I was a decent dirt bike racer back in those days...biggest thing I'd raced was a 390 Husky 2-stroke. I figured out in about 15 seconds that the CR500 MX'er was not for me. The handlebar tried to take my teeth out...right through the full coverage helmet...and then the countershaft sprocket somehow grabbed by blue jean cuff and nearly yanked my leg and me right off the bike. And thick denim doesn't disintegrate as easily as a shoe string.

 

Ya right ! I use to wear bellbottom jeans...so I'll keep my "protector" on...

 

Maybe you should send an email to Kawasaki regarding this obvious danger.

 

Been there done that, bought new shoelaces. I always had a pic in my mind of the sprocket tugging the lace into the sprocket. not so, it just silently chewed it way which I guess is better. Personally i prefer not to run with a guard on trail bikes, but the klx might get ridden with street shoes.

 

well if you had been wearing these it wouldnt have been a problem . i ride with street shoes most the time (just on the street not dirt), and have never had a problem. skate shoes, old shoe vans, work boots, only problem i have is the shifter ripping my vans after a while. nice diy though.

 

I have had my laces get sucked in thru the holes in the upper protector. Never chewed them up or tore them off though. I kept envisioning it sucking up the lace and basicly attaching my foot to the side of the bike, causing me to fall over when I came to a stop becuase I could not put my foot down. But every time I just pulled my foot away and lace came back thru the hole. I have changed how I tie my boots so this wont happen.

Cheers Jim

 

I have riding boots for the street. One zipper on the side and velcro at the top. These boots (Ku****ani) are very comfortable and very easy to walk in for riding boots. If I know I'm gonna do a lot of walking, working, sports, etc, I'll find a way to tie some tennis shoes on the rack or throw a pair in the top box.

Maybe it's my older age speaking, but it's not often that I ride without wearing riding boots. Feet and ankles are valuable assets. Don't let the pavement lull you into a false sense of security.

 

I dont even have that stock guard on my bike anymore..... lol

 

Years ago I had a Honda XL185. I had on shoes with shoelaces, while riding to work. I pulled up to a stoplight only to find that my shoelace had come untied and wrapped itself around the shifter so many times that when I went to put my foot down, it wouldn't move. After a forceful yank, I was able to break free, but I nearly went down because of it.

Now I rarely ride in anything but riding boots, but on the rare occasion I have on hiking boots or shoes with laces, I make sure to tuck the shoelaces into the boot or shoe.