What about one of these crash plates, light and minimal
http://77designz.com/
Sweet bike btw man! some good luck on your half!
Do those bash guards just screw straight into the lower to ISCG05 mounting holes? They look the go!
Otherwise, I popped the bikes cherry tonight and it's a seriously great machine!! First trail I hit was a loose rocky climb followed by a short (40s), rocky and loose descent down a ridge line called Heart Starter and Arrythmia. I did a personal best on the climb and descent, the descent I was a second off the pace from my PB and this was the first time riding the bike.
The XTR 11 speed is a real highlight, the shifting is crisp and light and so seamless that the first few gear changes I though I'd set the indexing incorrectly because I didn't feel anything through my feet after hitting the lever, it really is that smooth. The cockpit needed a handle bar rotation forward and some angle adjustments on the levers, but minor stuff. The Easton Havok is actually a very stiff bar to run, the SixC on my Yeti is a bit more comfortable to use. Also might grab a 50mm stem for the bike, it's comfortable and a roomy cockpit, but I think 10mm more would be on the money.
The Fox shock is the weak point at this point. It gets some serious heat into it without much work on it, and the rear feels a little bit harsh, even with a bit more pressure taken out of it and slowing the rebound down a little. It does pop nicely though, it was very easy to bounce around the trail and hop over rocks to keep speed, playful demeanour. I do think buying the Monarch was the right move though.
The Light Bicycle wheels are brilliant!
They're stiff and hold a line so differently, even compared to the sure footedness of the Yeti. I also had to drop my tyre pressures a bit (They're at 15PSI/17PSI). The Minion DHF and SS combo is really good out here, the bike holds a line through corners very nicely and it is really rewarding, especially on the fairly loose skatey trail surface out here, to just drop a little lower, press the bike into the corner and feel it hold. Guessing it'll be something to get my head around in the coming months.