why do we all feel the urge to modify our bikes?

[Joeman]

Doesn't matter what we buy, we all seem to have a burning desire to change bits on our bikes.

You could spend thousands on the bike of your dreams but you would soon have the itch to 'upgrade' something... Why is this?? Where does this crazy idea come from?? Discuss....

[Bogof]

Doesn't matter what we buy, we all seem to have a burning desire to change bits on our bikes.

You could spend thousands on the bike of your dreams but you would soon have the itch to 'upgrade' something... Why is this?? Where does this crazy idea come from?? Discuss....

 

I don't do this.

I have spent money on both my bikes purely to return them to original spec (apart from exhausts on the Firestorm)

[Ricky]

For more powarrrrrrrrr!

I think that's why anyway, I wouldn't know on a 125

[Tango]

When bikes come out of the factory they are kinda "one size fits all"....so, many modify their bikes to tailor the riding position to their personal preference. We fit security devices and crash protection depending on our assessment of the risks to our bikes. All bikes these days are manufactured to meet emissions and noise targets, which can be quite restictive to the performance of the bike.....so many remove and alter these restrictions......often for power gains, but sometimes for better economy. And a lot of people also want to personalise their bikes.....put their own stamp on it.

So...I think the reasons that a lot of bikers modify their bikes are manyfold.....

[Stu]

I think its just personalisation

[Darkest-Star]

As Stu days its about personalisation, I've done nowt but an aux socket on mine, I'm going to do mirrors and indicators but only due to damage. With cars all I had done was stereos and a towbar, brighter bulbs nothing else. I do like to see other bikes with a bit different on them and I suppose those owners like the attention. I'm not after excess speed or power that's gonna make my hair white and my pants brown due to fear although, I did like the sound and looks of a Ninja 1000sx I saw the other day. Green paint of course, nice colour that.

[dispersion]

I think its just personalisation

 

That's the reason I do it. It also helps learn more about the bike and how it works I guess

[GaryJM]

I think its just personalisation

 

I would agree with that.

All I've upgraded on mine is the rear shock and full stainless exhaust.

The exhaust was because I got caught by the collector rot problem on the bandit.

OK it sounds and looks better than the OEM one but that wasn't the reason for it

[Stu]

we wont go in to the amount of mods I have

[Mr Fro]

Not my bag. Only got bungs and a USB on mine. It's good enough as it is.

[Adam]

I think it's because after that new bike feeling has gone we get bored so decide to change bits to keep us interested.

[Karimura]

Without it mine is a peice of shit, but with some mods, it is very nice and good for touring

stock brakes suck ect

[rennie]

I don't do mods just for the sake of it.

Fazer is still standard apart from braided lines.

Blade was standard apart from screen.

I couldn't afford it even if I wanted to!

[Guest]

In my case because the bike didn't quite 'fit' me.. - the stock seat was too low. so I had it rebuilt with an extra 4" of foam. Even with that - the foot pegs were slightly too high.. so I added lower ones. after all that the handlebars were in the wrong position - so I added 'Risers' and because of them - I needed to put on longer front brake lines - so replaced the lot with 'braided'.

The Original suspension was a little on the tired side.. so I replaced them with Wilbers. I don't use the pillion seat - so that came off and I added a steel plate that on the one hand secures the toolbox cover and also provides a great platform for carrying a Dry-Bag for touring.

The stupid little rear mudguard - was 'pointless' - so that came off and I added a hugger - which has the primary purpose of keeping the worst of the road muck off my expensive Wilbers shocks. 6 years later and they're still 'as new'.

I added spotlights - because I wanted extra visibility and also never to be 'stuck' if the main headlamp bulb decided to go 'pop'

similarly I replaced the rear brake light with an LED panel.. and also cute little 'outrigger' LED panels that fit into the rear Indicators and so the 'riding light' and rear brake light is spread right across the rear of the bike. I now have three rear red lights.

I also had the bike resprayed in a classic 1960s 'Rover' colour.. an off white. reason for that was - it was originally black and so got very warm in the sun - the bike lives outside my patio doors and in summer the smell of petrol fumes from the tank cap and very hot tank was intolerable - a white bike simply doesn't get 'hot' in the sun.

and after all that i had to have a little lie down in a darkened room with Enya playing in the background and ponder the expensive repercussions of 'modifying' motorcycles.

nothing I have done has really improved performance - aside from the Shocks. front and rear. everything Ive done has been to make the bike more practical for high miles... and reliable so I'm less likely to get caught out.

[fq-craigus]

I hve spent years tuning and modifying cars and it's a headache so I went and bought an upgraded model bike that someone had already done the exhaust so my bike is staying as is apart from some Allen key bolts for the fairing that I'm going to get to match my pegs

[Lucifah]

Doesn't matter what we buy, we all seem to have a burning desire to change bits on our bikes.

You could spend thousands on the bike of your dreams but you would soon have the itch to 'upgrade' something... Why is this?? Where does this crazy idea come from?? Discuss....

 

If simple things like mirror brackets, a tiny windscreen and soon a tail tidy count as mods, it's for practicality and safety. Probably they don't even count as mods compared to what other people do to their bikes