Tire Hugger available again

[sam2019]

24. September 2021, 14:44

For the longest time we could not get the parts from KTM which we adapt to fit on to the Hima.
Now we found an external source that could provide us a VERY LIMITED stock of those.
Get them while you can!
https://himalayan-tools.com/tire-hugger/

It may seem trivial to construct or adapt a tyre hugger but unfortunately that is not the case. We went thru quite a developement curve until we reached to this model which not only looks good but has proven its stability and ruggedness in multiple trips to Ladakh and the high mountains.
Previously we experimented with huggers that where only fixed on one side as this seemed easier to make and also looks cool. However all of them broke under load - the arms coming up from the fixture an the axle or swingarm would simply break off, some even after only a few hundret km. Some plastic 2-sided design would also not hold up under stress, deformation lead to contact with the tyre itself.

We keep looking - although the design we have now is very good it is also very time consuming to make which reflects in the price.

 

[sam2019]

The new hugger has lasted 800km now. We only attched it to one point (axle) to see if it would break with this little support - and it did not. The ones we are selling will have a second support point making it even more sturdy. In this picture it is a screw next to the ABS ring. But here its only sitting on top of the swingarm - no side stability so this is a very flimsy design. In the production items there will be a clamp that is fixed around the swingarm that adds to the axle connection point. It will mainly reduce vibration that may lead to material fatique but also add some lateral and vertical stability.

Additionally: all the bolts, even the black ones, that came with the package are now rusty. We are looking for stainless steel replacements.

 

[sam2019]

We actually found it is better for stability to weld a small nook on to the piece that connects to the axle - which then gets fixed to the rear end of the swingarm. This simple enhancement stabilizes the entire construct and takes more than 50% of the vibration off it.
This will be the design we sell.

Quote from Dool on 22. February 2022, 8:30
I would be concerned about the weight being that it is all at the very end of the swingarm and Un Spring.
What have we got,? About 900grams.

Good guess, it is exactly 1.01KG

 

[sam2019]

The new hugger is now available

https://himalayan-tools.com/tire-hugger/