What are nerf bars?
They’re an upgrade to the standard foot peg that comes with most sport ATVs. It’s a simple frame with heavy nylon webbing that attaches to your ATV foot peg creating a safe platform for your feet.
The best ones will protect your feet on all sides – front, side and rear.
An aftermarket ATV mod required for racing.
Do I need nerf bars?
Yes, you do. They’re probably the single best upgrade you can make to your ATV.
Muddy, wet boots can be incredibly slippery, this can cause your feet to slide right off the foot pegs.
Also, when riding aggressively, it’s possible for your feet to fly off the foot pegs.
These are both potentially dangerous situations which can cause your feet to get jammed up in the rear tire resulting in rolls, broken bones and worse. The nerf bar helps eliminate both these scenarios.
In addition, they also protect your feet and legs from rocks and projectiles that can be thrown up by the front tires.
A nerf bar will help prevent other ATV rider’s tires from getting stuck between your tires.
Plus, it creates a safety barrier around your feet, protecting it from hazzards and snags.
Are there any downsides to ATV nerf bar?
The two main downsides are:
- During a roll, they can cause your leg to get pinned by the nerf bar.
- The webbing on the nerf bar can get caught on obstacles which is especially hazardous at a high rate of speed.
But, the positives far outweigh the negatives.
Do I need nerf bars for ATV racing?
Yes, nerf bars are necessary equipment for both the Pro and Amateur race classes.
For Racing Pros
AMA Pro Racing 2019 RULES FOR PROFESSIONAL ATV MOTOCROSS COMPETITION rule book section: Frames 3.7 d:
“Suitable OEM floorboards or side bars, known as Nerf Bars, are required either above or below the bottom frame rail. They must be of a closed loop design and not extend beyond a point of widest dimension of the vehicle when measured with a straight edge touching the front and rear tires. The bars should be covered with a material so as to prevent riders’ feet from going below the bars. Webbing or plastic mesh are accepted materials. No sharp protruding or open tubing ends are allowed. The bars should be securely mounted (welded or bolted) to the frame.”
For Amateur Racing
The AMA Equipment Standards List in the AMA Racing Rule book, which governs amateur ATV competition Section C Equipment 2:
“Tether cords and nerf bars or suitable floorboards are required.”
Are nerf bars difficult to install?
The average non-mechanically inclined person should be able to easily install nerf bars in under 30 minutes. The experts in the videos below do it in 10 minutes.
The one thing that could slow you down is if you have an older model ATV that would require drilling holes in the foot peg. This isn’t difficult, but you would need the tools to get it done.
With newer ATVs it’s super quick and easy as they come pre-drilled with holes for easy nerf bar installation.