At the recent VIR test Suzuki rider Aaron Yates used some unconventional equipment on his GSX-R600 Supersport bike.

Yates has seen some contact with other riders in the last two seasons, including his horrific Daytona 200 collision/crash last year, and most recently, a near-spill when he tangled with a slower rider at PPIR.

To add a measure of safety in case of some contact with another bike or rider, Yates had his crew bolt on a pair of bark-busters to the clip-ons of his Supersport bike at VIR.

For those of you who have not spent any time on a motorcycle off-road, a Bark-Buster is the thin metal piece bolted around the end of the machine's handle-bar end, protecting the rider's hand and brake/clutch lever from contact with trees, the ground, etc.

Yates does not want to collide with someone and have his brake lever pushed in forcing a crash, hence the protective measures. Sources close to him say he may use them at Brainerd this weekend.

This is not the first time a rider has tried them--multi-time F-1 champion Mike Baldwin--a very good woods rider himself--tested a Yamaha Superbike with custom-made Bark-Busters on it in the mid-1980s. Carl Fogarty tested some while at Ducati, and Steve Rapp used some on his HMC Ducati Superbike last season.