Only one decent crash on mine so far.

Handle bars seems to tweak easily. Radiators are something you might want to protect (mine got bent a bit). Fairing plastic is brittle and no aftermarket ones exist (OEM is 80+ USD each side).

 

Haven't bent the bars on either of my KLX's yet, but I do have radiator guards on the 2011. Left side rad is bent a little on my 2009 (was like that when I bought it), but no leaks etc.

 

that's strange why they put such fragile handlebar on dirt bike...

 

Are you trolling?

Not really strange at all. It's not a dirt bike. It's a dual sport bike where I'm guessing 90% of the owners rarely get to anything more challenging than gravel and dirt roads. Its economically priced which means you're not going to find top of the line dirt bike accessories like Renthal bars and killer suspension. Sure, it has a dirt bike lineage and can do well in the dirt, particularly so with some tweaking. But it also has turn signals and mirrors and a horn and head light and brake light and a catalytic converter and EPA street approval. If you want a motocross bike, look at the KX series...

They're just bars. If you bend the stock ones, get something else. No biggie.

 

I'm probably (one of) the only guy(s) running this bike hard. I'm running the ECEA enduro series this year, pushing it as hard as I can ride (which isn't fast). I crash a lot, but on the bright side I'm learning the different tree genuses and species! LOL

I've broken three radiator shroud plastics, cracked the plastic over the left rear tire, and folded the front fender (single track trail, going too fast, laid down doing about 25 and slid into the tree fender-first). I have Tusk bark busters and should have an engine plate and radiator guards but don't yet. Consider the blinkers disposable. I replaced the rear light assembly with an LED kit; kind of like the one below, with flush-mount LED blinkers. Found mine on CL, but it's also like the one at Rocky Mountain ATV.

http://doctorenduro.com/dual_sport_e...1-191-2_lg.jpg

 

The main areas for common failure in a crash on this bike...and frankly many/most other dual sports...are the stock handlebars, the rad shrouds, the fork guards, stock handguards, and turn signals.

The turn signals probably don't need any explanation...they're sacrificial lambs. The handlebar is cheap, mild steel...no surprise. The rad shrouds get shredded on many "real" dirt bikes too.

The stock fork guards must be made out of peanut brittle, as they have little ability to bend, flex, and take impact. dan888's application of the inexpensive UFO fork guards for an older KX are the fix here. They're made of "fender-style" plastic and can just about be bent in half without issue.

Hand guards...get some good aftermarket guards with good aluminum braces and good plastic brush protection. You will still have to occasionally reorient the guards in a decent crash, but that's normal. Warning...you want the handguards to rotate a bit in a serious tipover. Otherwise you can destroy the mounting hardward and braces in some instances.

For those of us running the 3.7 Acerbis tank, I've been amazed at how the lower front end of this tank takes big crashes. It hardly even gets scraped up, and the flat brace arms at the bottom haven't even had to be straightened on mine at this point.

 

I bought a little used 2007 at the end of 2014. The white plastic fork and rear brake caliper guards were so brittle that the crumbled when I cleaned them, well, that and a small dirt inspection I bent the stock bars right away, but that was good as I didn't like them anyway. Mirrors and turn signals came off before it saw dirt or they would be in the bin as well. I also have found that the acerbis tank seems to hold up well and protect the radiators.
Michaelb2, I need to see a picture of that bike, you say it has a left rear tire, mine only came with one

 

I haven't bent the bars on either my 2009 or 2011 yet, and the 2009 in particular has seen some pretty good abuse (flipped several times going up large steep rocks etc.) I have gone through lots of mirrors. I put some of the folding 'enduro' style mirrors on and have broken quite a few of those (they are designed to break before the perches break, so I guess that's a good thing). I took the stock ones off and stored them soon after buying the 2011. I think that a skid plate, handguards, rad guards and folding mirrors are a must if doing any off-road riding (other than easy grave/forest service roads.)