Frame sliders are one of the first protection parts riders look at for a sport or naked bike, and for good reason: they're small, inexpensive and designed to take the hit in a low-speed fall. This guide answers the question "what are frame sliders?" and explains how motorcycle frame sliders work, what they protect and how to choose a set for your motorcycle.
What Are Frame Sliders?
Frame sliders are protective pucks that stick out from the side of a motorcycle, usually bolted into the engine mounts or frame. Each slider has two parts:
- A mount: a bolt or a machined bracket, often aluminum, that holds the slider in position.
- A puck: the part that touches the ground, made of a hard engineering plastic such as POM (Delrin) or polyamide (nylon). The puck is sacrificial: it wears or breaks so the bike doesn't.
What Are Frame Sliders For on a Motorcycle?
When a bike falls on its side, the first parts to touch the ground are usually the bar ends, the levers, the engine side covers, the frame and the bodywork. A frame slider sticks out just far enough to touch first. In a low-side slide on pavement, the bike rides on the puck instead of grinding the engine cover, frame or fairing.
Frame sliders are designed mainly for:
- parking-lot and garage drops;
- low-speed tip-overs;
- low-side slides on smooth pavement.
They are less suited to tumbles or rough ground, where the load can go straight into the mounting bolt. For adventure bikes and cruisers, crash bars usually make more sense. We compare the two in detail in our crash bars vs frame sliders guide.
Types of Motorcycle Sliders
Frame or engine sliders
The classic slider, mounted on the side of the bike at engine or frame level.
Axle sliders
Mounted through the front and rear axles to protect the fork bottoms, brake calipers and swingarm. Our front and rear axle crash protectors for the MT-07 / FZ-07 are one example. See our axle sliders guide.
Exhaust sliders
Mounted at the end of the exhaust to protect the muffler in a fall.
How to Choose Frame Sliders
Model-specific fit
Sliders bolt into specific mounting points, so they must be designed for your exact model and year.
Mount quality
Sliders often replace or extend an engine mount bolt. The mount and hardware should be high quality, and everything must be tightened to the specified torque.
Puck material and replaceability
POM (Delrin) and polyamide (nylon) pucks are common. A design where the puck can be replaced on its own saves money after a slide.
Cutting or no cutting
On some faired bikes, frame sliders require cutting the bodywork. Check the installation notes before you buy.
Frame Sliders in Our Catalog
- Honda CB650R: our frame sliders and axle sliders for the CB650R (2019 to 2026) install at the existing frame and front axle mounting points. Each slider combines aluminum and durable plastic, and the set also protects the fork leg, wheel and brake caliper through the front axle sliders.
- Yamaha MT-09, Tracer 9 and XSR900 (current CP3 generation): our engine crash protectors are frame sliders made of CNC-machined aluminum mounts with high-density polyamide (nylon) pucks, installed as a bolt-on.
- Kawasaki (Z900, Z1000, ZX-10R and more): our exhaust crash sliders combine a CNC aluminum body with a POM tip and mount at the end of the exhaust.
Installation Tips
- Work on one side at a time, especially when a slider replaces an engine mount bolt.
- Use a torque wrench and the values in the instructions or your service manual.
- Apply thread locker only where the instructions call for it.
- After any fall, inspect the pucks and mounts. A worn or cracked puck should be replaced.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are frame sliders on a motorcycle?
Protective pucks mounted on the side of the bike, usually at engine mount level, that touch the ground first in a fall so the frame, engine covers and bodywork don't.
Do frame sliders work?
Yes, for the crashes they are designed for: low-speed drops and low-side slides on pavement. They are less effective in tumbles or on rough terrain.
Are frame sliders worth it?
On a sport or naked bike that lives on pavement, they are an inexpensive way to reduce the cost of a drop. On adventure bikes, crash bars are usually the better choice.
Browse our frame sliders and axle sliders.