What bash plate and hand guards do you like. I need both for a 2007 225.
Bark busters?
Gonna need a new screw too cause threads were stripped. Hoping a new one will go back in.

I have the OEM bash plate and MSR hand guards. While kinda spendy, these are nice with the integrated folding mirrors... https://www.highwaydirtbikes.com/index.php?app=ecom&ns=catshow&ref=HDB-100

If you need a heavy duty bash plate, I found these two:

https://ricochetoffroad.com/products/yamaha-tt-r225-xt225-aluminum-skid-plate?variant=11825685379

https://www.happy-trail.com/skid-plate-yamaha-xt225-tr225.html

I don't use hand guards. Tried them but they got in the way. I grew up riding dirt bikes without handguards.

For my first post on the forum I bring you a report on a Flatland Racing bash plate that I purchased for my 2020 XT250. Quality is excellent, fit the same. However, upon taking a 23 mile ride I was surprised by the amount of additional noise generated by the engine sounds reflecting off the plate. I would describe it as nuts and bolts in a rock tumbler. Even at idle it makes a lot more noise. If I closed the helmet shield it was livable. After a lot of research on the subject I am adding some camper top insulation tape to the plate and will report back. On another note, I just sold a 73 DT3 250 enduro that had a steel bash plate. The DT3 lacked the cam, valves and cam chain that surely cause a lot of the racket that is reflected, so I didn't notice engine noise. Depending on the results I may just leave it off unless I am planning an offroad trip. Great forum BTW. Tim

The problem with aluminum bash plates amplifying engine noise is commonly reported, even on two stroke bikes. The most common solution is to use a high density foam sound absorbent over and around the plate. You'll need to do some research to get details.

There are non-metallic bash plates offered, but unfortunately none for our XTs that I have been able to find. I have a Kawasaki KDX 220 and Hyde offers a non-metallic plate that is on my wish list.

Not too long ago there was a post on Thumper Talk about doing a DIY plate from thick HDPE. First make up a cardboard template cut and bent to shape, then replicate with the HDPE. A heat gun is useful for making the bends.

Maybe if enough of us XT owners contacted makers of non-metallic skid plates for other bikes and asked for one to fit our XTs, they might offer one for us too. Can't hurt to try.

I've found the stock bash plate on my 2007 perfectly adequate so perhaps you might check at some motorcycle graveyards. And the Maier hand guards I installed have saved my knuckles many times.

I too would say the OEM bash plate is adequate. Can it be improved on, perhaps but one needs to consider diminishing returns. There's a 1/4" slab of rubber that sits in the bottom space between the engine and plate. This helps avoid resonance and distributes the force of a puncture over a larger area of the engine case. As I recall there are 6 rubber grommets associated with the bash plate. Keep those maintained. The aluminum alloy Yamaha used is deliberately ductile. You can pound out dents easily with a ball pein hammer if you put the bash plate in sand. Or a thick stack of towels.

The weakest part of the bash plate design isn't the plate itself but how it attaches to the bike with a single screw (6mm x 1 pitch). This screw became damaged quickly and on one ride fell out. The front of the plate then dropped down like a jousting pole. Could have caught on a rock and caused an accident. Luckily this was spotted before that happened. I welded in a 1/4-20 SS nut for the female threads and upgraded the bolt accordingly. For those trail riding and taking hits on the bash plate, I would offer caution and suggest an upgrade to the mount point. The bash plate itself will be fine. Ride safely.

Update: After some research I purchased some 2.5mm sound deadening material from Boom Mat. I added the material to approx. 3/4 of the skid plate and reinstalled the plate. (their videos suggest that you must only cover 50% of the area to notice a major difference) Noise is gone. Bike is quiet now so this stuff really works. A guy on another forum had used the spray on Boom Mat material and had good results with it as well. It is surprising stuff. Going in I knew the aluminum plates reflected noise but I was stunned at the increased noise volume. If I hadn't run across this product I probably would have left the skid plate off. Night and day difference. A friend of mine down the street has a Honda 230 with a plastic skid plate and that thing is quiet, so a plastic skid plate for the XT250 would probably be fine.

@Super9, Many thanks for your post. This is the specific information that is so useful when it comes to solving a problem.

Well done!

Cool. Hopefully the adhesive holds up to the heat, water, oil.