Bike mods

[AestheticsInMotion]

They may be ugly, but they'll hopefully survive falls better. I went with the Adv-style mirrors for more visibility when commuting, and they're mounted on RAM arms for folding out of the way when off-road. Super easy to adjust with one hand and zero tools. I legitimately want to RAM mount all the mirrors on my delivery vans. I'm tired of replacing them weekly, or having to grab three wrenches to make a tiny adjustment.

Camping setup is coming along. Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camp chair, tarp, rain gear, and an extra day's worth of clothing fit in one bag with some room to spare, thanks to some incredible compression sacks. That means I can fill the other bag with ice and toss in two six packs (literally one of the advertised uses for the bags, I love it).

This is my Friday, and I think I'll begin with the Leavenworth special, which is the dryest cider you can find mixed with Fireball Whiskey 1:1. I can't stand Fireball and could still drink this all day. Stir it into a pint glass and enjoy. Toss in a cinnamon clove and garnish with a sliver of granny Smith apple to really go deep.

[jminer]

@aestheticsinmotion those mirrors look amazing! I hate the standard moto mirror adjust and lock mechanism.

[Roadkilled]

@aestheticsinmotion In my opinion, the shape and esthetic of the new mirrors matches the character and the bike better. They match the shape of your front fender and fit better with the lines fairings on the body and the covers in front of the handlebar grips.

[Longtime Lurker]

@aestheticsinmotion Are those double-takes? What bags did you go with?

[AestheticsInMotion]

@roadkilled the visibility is so much better too. The stock mirrors vibrated to the point of being unusable, these are crystal clear. Makes you wonder why they couldn't have done a better job from the factory...

[AestheticsInMotion]

@longtime-lurker they are. Found a great deal on a blemished set of Wolfman luggage

[Roadkilled]

@aestheticsinmotion said in Bike mods:

Makes you wonder why they couldn't have done a better job from the factory...

I have no idea. $omething $imple mu$t have led them to u$e the mirror$ they cho$e.

[azw123]

@aestheticsinmotion I used to run something like this Rizoma on my Husky, purely to keep it street legal. I rode off road so much that mirrors would just disappear from trees, crashes, etc. I just turned my head a lot. Your solution is probably safer.

You can kinda see it on the bar in this picture:

[AestheticsInMotion]

@azw123 I may end up just removing the mirrors every time I go off-road. You have any insights on hand guards? I figure I want something to keep from breaking up a lever right?

[AestheticsInMotion]

@roadkilled ha, you make a good point

[azw123]

@aestheticsinmotion Yup! I like the 'closed' style of hand guard as they provide a lot of protection for you and the bike. More expensive, but very worth it. Cycra like I have on my bike in the photo, or Acerbis are two good brands to check out.

I'd also consider doing some sort of plate holder delete / bob to keep that from getting shredded in a crash (again, that's why my bike didn't have one) but that might be more work than it's worth. Consider getting a good skid plate, too. Metal is good, plastic is surprisingly ok since those are designed to break off in a big impact instead of deforming like metal.

Finally, ask your dealer if there are any tunes available for that bike. Mine came super choked down to meet emission specs, but I never had to deal with emissions in AZ so I ran an MX tune on it and it was awesome. Results my vary depending on what state you live in, and maybe you like that motor just the way it is.

Also, my above advice assumes a somewhat aggressive riding style. If you're cruising fire roads get a set of good hand guards and call it a year.