Just got my order from Nick over at CyclePro775. Out of the box came a very nice and shiny B&B skid plate.
First things first, Nick's service over at CyclePro775 was impeccable. He answered many of my annoying questions in call after call
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The skid plate is actually probably,on first apearances, the highest quality skid plate I have ever used. The aluminum welds are first rate. The finish on them is very nice and everything is cleaned up very well.
The plate bolted up to my stock mounting holes with the 3 included flush-mount type allen head screws. No clamps or anything to dick with. The entire install took all of 3 minutes approximately. The plate has a nice rubber bumper inside of it at the front where it goes up against the frame. This looks like it will prevent rattles and provide a bit more damping for those hard log hits.
The protection seems to cover everything important (water pump totally covered from the bottom and mostly covered from the side).
There is also an oil drain hole which seems to line up well with the drain bolt, but I have yet to change the oil with the plate on obviously so I imagine I will soon find out!
I won't be able to reeeally test the skid plate for a couple of months and when I give it a few hard hits I'll let you know. Pics are also coming soon!