ADVrider Project / G310 GS Build: Hand Guards and New Rear Signals

Sep 26, 2023

Photo: Kate Murphy

The longer I own this 310, the more small upgrades make themselves evident. Immediately after installing heated grips and riding around on a cold day to test them, I realized I needed something to keep the wind off my hands, too. Upon installing a Euro-designed SHAD luggage rack, I found the bike's US-spec turn signals were not going to work out long term.

I fixed both of these issues fairly inexpensively. Both upgrades cost me around $30 US, each. The hand-guards came from AliExpress, and the replacement rear turn signals, eBay. Gotta love online shopping.

The guards ship with instructions, but those instructions don't really help. Photo: Kate Murphy

The hand guards bolted onto the bike in a little less than an hour; that's with me taking my time and snapping pictures as I went. The packaging for the hand guards included instructions, but as instructions go, they were pretty terrible. As with anything that bolts to a motorcycle, the best bet is to assemble it loosely, and then secure it to the bike loosely, and tighten all the bolts up as a final step.

The two-piece guard bolts together, and to the mirror mount point, with one bolt and clip. Photo: Kate Murphy

Once I bolted the handguards together into one piece, I was able to use the supplied longer bolt to attach the guard to the bar-end, and hang the other mount point over the mirror stalk. One gotcha to keep in mind: the right side mirror mount is reverse-threaded.

Unscrew your mirror, mount the hand guard, screw your mirror back in. Photo: Kate Murphy

These handguards keep the wind off, and that's all. They could offer a slight amount of 0-mph lever protection, and might keep the errant sapling from whacking you right in the fingers. But they do not feature any kind of non-plastic backbone and are definitely not stout brush guards. These things will absolutely fall to pieces the moment they hit pavement with any kind of speed.

Fits right over the bar end Photo: Kate Murphy

All told, for an easy bolt-on process and decent wind protection at thirty bucks, I’ll take it. I know the limitations of the product, that they are not for protection from anything solid. They fit over the stock bar ends instead of replacing them, and show decent ease of fitment.

The stock turn signals argue with the SHAD luggage rack Photo: Kate Murphy

I also installed shorter-stalk rear turn signals to ease the "interference fit" of the original signals with the rear rack. I will say, I wish I had known before installing the luggage that this would be an issue. The signal replacement would have been a much easier "while you’re in there" while I had everything apart for that install. If you order questionable eBay turn signals like I did, pull your seat off first, find the signal plug, and test them both out before you begin the too-deep install.

Instead of "while I was in there" installing the luggage rack, I had to tear the bike down to the rear subframe. The turn signals connect to the bike with a nut and bolt. That nut hides, inaccessibly, inside a lower cover. That cover's mounting points hide beneath the rear side fairings. and those fairings, side luggage racks’ top bolts, and rear rack must all come off to remove the signals.

It's times like these, I really appreciate working on motorcycles in a heated garage. Photo: Kate Murphy

Other than the extraordinary amount of disassembly needed, the turn signal replacement was a very straightforward task. It really was exactly as easy as "unplug the originals, and plug the new ones in." Of course, there was some zip-tie removal and reinstallation as well. Once I had the signals in place, and all the wiring secured, it was just a matter of reassembly.

Installed: The shorter replacement right signal vs the longer OEM left signal Photo: Kate Murphy

I think owning and repairing a KLR for a decade, or maybe working on my SV650, has spoiled me for easy bikes to wrench on. I did not count on having to pull this bike down to the subframe just to swap out its turn signals.

Heck of a job, but worth it. Photo: Kate Murphy

The longer I own a bike, though, and the more I pull it apart and put it back together, I find, the better we know each other. If I had to do any side-of-the-road troubleshooting on this machine, I now know exactly what it takes to pull the tail apart, or yank the front plastics and tank shroud off. And these days I know to bring a handful of spare fairing bolts and clips with me when I travel, too.