X-Factor Motorsport's Nerf Bars

X-Factor Motorsport's Nerf Bars

Nerf bars have been around just as long as ATVs have been, and are definitely one of the most popular bolt-on items riders purchase for their machines first. The main purpose of nerf bars has always been to keep other ATV's tires from getting stuck between your front and rear tires. They usually are a requirement in most types of racing, but more and more recreational riders are using them since they do offer a level of protection for your feet and legs. X-Factor Motorsports, the makers of a wide assortment of ATV products, told us about their popular "standard" nerf bar set, which is basically the same as their "Pro Peg" nerf bars without the built-in foot pegs. They sounded great, so we placed our order for the standard nerf bars, and began the watchout for the big brown truck.

In about a week the truck was spotted, and best of all, it left us a package! After ripping the box apart, we found what we were looking for...our nerf bars! Initial inspection proved pleasing, as the nerf bars seemed well-made, and came with all mounting hardware needed, along with pretty good instructions. The red netting would go along great on our red and yellow '96 Banshee, and although the 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum nerf bars don't come polished, they still look terrific. We will polish them ourselves in the future, though. After taking the rest of the parts out of the box, we found the chromed center mounting tube which bolts to the bottom frame rails of your ATV, and ties the two nerf bars together. We were surprised to see the chrome finish on it, and it will match the nerf bars wonderfully once we polish them. All welding looked top-notch, and the nerf bars are very light, even though they appear very "beefy".

When ready for installation, make sure you have a 1/4" drill bit, the proper wrenches, and a C-clamp or vise-grip pliers to hold everything in place while drilling. We ended up only having to drill one hole in each foot peg since one hole was already present in both from the factory. The only slightly difficult part was mounting the center connecting tube to the bottom frame rails. The U-bolt nuts come very close to the exhaust pipes, which made it an almost impossible task without remove both exhaust pipes. Luckily we found some ratcheting wrenches which made it pretty easy, and saved us from having to remove the exhaust. Overall installation totaled around 35 minutes, and 15 of those minutes was from installing the netting on the nerf bars.

They look great installed, but now it's time for a test ride. Starting the motor caused no unwanted noises or vibrations, which we were glad to see. As soon as we started moving and went to shift into 2nd gear, we noticed that it wasn't going to happen. The netting would not allow our foot to fit between it and the shifter, so we stopped. We loosened up the netting right under the shifter to make more room, and the problem was solved. You can also move the shifter itself up a hair, but adjusting the netting proved good enough for us. After a couple hours of riding, everything held up great, and the "feeling" of added protection was welcomed.

After all was said and done, we liked the X-Factor Motorsports nerf bars a lot. We don't have anything bad to say about the quality of them, but at a price tag of $189.99, we feel they are a bit on the high side compared to similar brands, but not by much. Maybe if they came polished, the price would suit them better. What's also nice is that if you need any of the parts for repairs, each piece can be purchased separately. As always, X-Factor Motorsports has great customer service which is much appreciated, and non-existent with other manufacturers all too often these days. You can order "standard" or "Pro Peg" nerf bars for your ATV right from their website, or by giving them a ring at (909)471-1032.

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