If you're taking your motorcycle to the track, the best thing you can do with your mirrors is remove them completely, but those mirrors are often integral to keeping the bodywork on your bike. That's where block off plates come in. They help keep your bodywork secure while giving your bike a finished, custom look. I tested products from two popular brands, Driven and LighTech, designed for the 2017+ Suzuki GSX-R1000 and here are my results.

Why Do I Need These?

If you are taking your bike to the track, you have a few options when it comes to mirrors. Not all track day providers are the same, but every single track day I have ever attended has a policy about mirrors. Whether you need to tape the glass, fold them in, or remove them altogether. When my SV was stock, I could simply remove the mirrors and the bodywork stayed securely in place. That is not the case with all bikes however. The 2017 GSX-R bodywork, along with many others, relies partially on the mirror mounts to stay attached. If that’s your situation or you simply have no need for mirrors because your bike is dedicated to the track, these plates can come in handy. You do have another option though. Cable ties do the job. They take seconds to install and remove and keep things secure. They are cheap and they certainly look it.

What Are My Options?

Most bikes now have model-specific mirror mounts, so it is definitely not a one-size-fits-all product. You’ll have to search for plates made for your exact bike. Fortunately there is no shortage of companies out there making these parts. I chose two of the bigger brands, LighTech and Driven Racing. Both brands make various aftermarket bike parts and each brand is represented elsewhere on my bike—LighTech with an oil fill cap and Driven with both front and rear sprockets. LighTech makes their plates in black, red, gold, and blue. Driven makes the same colors and adds silver.

Cable Tie Option

Block Off Plate Option

Initial Observations

Each brand goes about its task a little differently. One charts its own course while the other takes the path most traveled.

LighTech

This brand provides you with a razor thin plate with threaded bosses, a rubber gasket, and screws. The bosses simply fit snugly within the holes provided in the bodywork and fairing stay. The surface finish has subtle grooves reminiscent of machining traces and a bright anodized finish—in this case bright red. The thinness of their product results in very little weight and they beautifully continue the surface of the bodywork—quintessentially Italian.

Driven

Driven takes an approach similar to the manufacturer. Their plates are substantially thicker coming in at 0.28” in the center. Their product has studs mounted directly to the plate surrounded by bosses intended to fill the holes of the bodywork and fairing stay. I say “intended” for good reason. The surface finish has deeper machining grooves and the annodized finish is considerably darker, at least in the red color I purchased. All that thickness results in a noticeably heavier part which protrudes from the bodywork significantly in comparison. No further hardware is provided. You are expected to use your OEM gaskets and nuts.

Different Mounting Styles

American Strength vs. Italian Beauty

Fitment

I was surprised by each product, in different ways. One requires diligence to stay put while the other has challenges (to put it mildly) going on.

LighTech

Once the bodywork and fairing stay are perfectly aligned, the shallow bosses of the LighTech units fit snugly in place. Holding them there with one hand while threading in the screws isn’t the easiest task, but it’s not prohibitively difficult either. There isn’t much space, especially for the forward screw, but with patience and a small 3mm Allen key it goes on just fine. Having had these screws vibrate loose during use, I do recommend using thread locker. Otherwise you may very well lose one. I know this first hand. Alas, beauty and effort go hand-in-hand.

Driven

Having lost one of my LighTech block off plates recently, I went in search of something better. While I am not a big fan of the chunky looks on the Driven parts, I planned to use Nylon retaining nuts to ensure I didn’t lose one. Unfortunately I never got that far with these. I found myself struggling to get the bosses to fit into the holes in the fairing stay and soon figured out why. Taking a set of dial calipers to each, I found the bosses on the Driven product to measure 0.446” in diameter. The corresponding hole on the fairing stay is 0.400” in diameter. The product simply will not fit this application. I was particularly surprised by this because I have seen them installed by the store I purchased them from on this very same model of bike. With that, my test of the Driven block off plate came to a screeching halt. Even if it could install, I don’t think I’d like the sheer visual bulk of the part, not to mention the actual weight it adds.

Conclusion

Now my bike sits with one attractive and thread locked mirror block off plate on one side and one cable tie on the other until my order of a second set of LighTech plates arrives. In a sense they won by default, but I can’t say I’m too sad about that. The way they sit flush with the bodywork makes for a much more attractive and finished look than the competition. I have learned my lesson and every time I mount them, I’m using thread lock!