Pro Armor Protection Products Review

When you’re racing ATVs there are always a few things that you don’t want to go without.  You’re going to need a front bumper no matter where you race. Because they are normally very small and provide minimal protection, most stock front bumpers just don’t cut it. If you race motocross or woods you’ll also need a set of nerf bars. Nerf bars not only add protection from elements along the trail, but also help you stay on the ATV. If you have ever come over a jump and missed the peg for some reason and your foot hits the ground, you know what I’m talking about. It’s like the ground is hungry for an ATV rider and you’re the main course! Finally, you’re going to need a kill switch, which is required by the AMA and most every ATV race series.

Before entering the Ironman GNCC aboard a nearly stock Suzuki LT-R450 I knew I was going to need to beef up the front bumper, add a set of nerf bars and get a hold of a kill switch. We decided to call up our friends over at Pro Armor, who were kind enough to help us out. We were sent a set of Pro Armor Revolution nerf bars with heal guard nets, a Pro-Am front bumper, and a Pro Armor kill switch.

Pro Armor Revolution Nerf Bars

Pro-Am Front Bumper

As the name implies, we can think of several things about the Pro Armor Revolution nerf bars that make them revolutionary. First, the nerf bars are large and provide a tremendous amount of protection. This not only keeps obstacles out of your way, but provides a large and forgiving platform. If you do miss the peg once in a while, you’re not going to be pulled underneath the ATV.  Secondly, the Revolution nerf bars come with extended footpegs that feature four rows of gnarly teeth that help you grip the ATV. Finally, the Revolution nerf bars come with interchangeable heal guard inserts. You can choose from aluminum heal guards or nets. I prefer the nets if I am racing in any kind of mud.  Although the aluminum heal guards do look trick, they can hold a lot of mud during a wet race. Pro Armor tops off its Revolution nerf bars with screen-printed nets that feature the infamous “knight” logo.

I felt the nerf bars helped significantly with the ergonomics and cleanliness of the LTR. While the stock pegs were a little high for my taste, the Pro Armor nerf bars and pegs lowered the riding stance on the LTR, giving me more confidence and a comfortable feeling while cornering aggressively.

We greatly improved our protection from the front by swapping out the stock front bumper for the Pro-Am Series front bumper. With its wide tubular design, it is easy to grab a hold of if you get hung up on a log, get stuck in the mud, or get hung up during the first turn with another racer. The Ironman GNCC race provided perfect conditions to test out the front bumper. The race consisted of rutted out trails that could cause trouble for any racer, not to mention mud up to your ears! I appreciated how easy it was to grab the Pro-Am front bumper the few times I got stuck in the mud during the race. Some front bumpers are just made for looks and do not have any place to grab a hold of when you’re stuck. Not only does the Pro-Am front bumper look pretty, but it actually does its job! I was able to pull up on the bumper without loosing my grip and get the LTR unstuck.

If you’re going to enter any type of ATV race you’re going to need a kill switch. Many companies are manufacturing kill switches today, but Pro Armor’s might just be the easiest to use. It features a T-shaped handle that is easy to pull out when you need to place the tether back in. It also comes with an insert that can be used when installing on “standard” handlebars or you can remove the insert to install on oversized handlebars.

Overall the Pro Armor Revolution nerf bars, Pro-Am front bumper, and Pro Armor kill switch did a great job during the Ironman race. The front bumper and nerfs both provided an awesome amount of protection and I was able to push the LT-R450 even harder trusting the Pro Armors products we installed.

After many tests and countless hours, the nerfs and front bumper still look just as good as they did when we first installed them. With an MSRP of $349.95, the Revolution nerf bars aren’t cheap, but they’re well made and do exactly what you’d expect them to.  If you are serious about racing, replacing the front bumper and installing a kill switch is a given. The Pro Armor Pro-Am series front bumper (MSRP $89.95) not only looks good but also provides a place to grab a hold of when you’re stuck. Top it off with the Pro Armor kill switch (MSRP $30.95) and you might just have your ticket to the finish line.

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