Fuel tank protector….

So I'm doing bit of maintenance on my 800, new belt, deive shafts etc

And one thing that has been annoying me for a while is the constant build up of dirt/rocks between the fuel tank and it's protector.

Does anyone have a solution for this or has anyone removed it completely?

It seems like a stupid idea as in constantly pulling out broken sharp sticks but I'm also worried about rocks rubbing the tank.

Brycen Neal Earns Wiseco John Penton GNCC Overall ATV Win

Round six of the 2019 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, was greeted with hot and humid temperatures along with slick yet tacky track conditions in Southern Ohio. LanMills XC/CST Tires/Houser/Yamaha’s Brycen Neal came out on top, earning his second career overall ATV win, after an intense race.