Got the modding bug?

tubthumped

Modding is what makes us better than normal people!

Just got my latest bike and the pedals were dumped during the build up, and without even using it I've started looking at mech upgrades....

Same with the motorbike. Between getting it home from
the dealer and going for my first ride Tyres, Rearsets, Gearing, Levers and Suspension were changed!

Let's not talk about cars...... That gets expensive!

diy

When I used to instruct for bikesafe, I once had a chap on a zx10r who'd spent around 2 grand in mods and was looking to spend another 1 fixing a "handling problem". He was paired with a guy on a 600, so I was very worried about the difference in ability. Anyway he was a big chap and basically swamped the bike.. Could not ride for toffee and substantially slower than the chap on the 6. After going back to the very basics of position posture, use of gears etc.. He said that this was the best 50 quid he'd spent and reckonned it saved him a grand.

I didn't tell him that he could have saved 5, buy buying a 600 and getting some advanced training.

I would strongly caution against buying an entry level hard tail at say 400-600 quid and then spending another 400 modding it. It will not be anywhere as good as spending 800-1000 on a new bike. Its better to do the basics, forx, brakes, and then leave it until it bits wear out.

Otherwise you end up like me where the only original parts are the bars, stem, seat and crank.

tubthumped

I know plenty of people on thous that spend thousands and can't keep with my 6. Love it!

What you have to remember about modding is that it isn't always trying to make a 500 bike better than a 900 bike - it about 'making it yours.' wether that be looks, how it rides or performance. Mass produced things can always be tweaked to suit the user.

Northwind

tubthumped wrote:

What you have to remember about modding is that it isn't always trying to make a 500 bike better than a 900 bike - it about 'making it yours.' wether that be looks, how it rides or performance. Mass produced things can always be tweaked to suit the user.

Absolutely. What I've spent on my SV650S would have bought a nice used Mille R, I reckon. But it's exactly the bike I wanted. Makes no sense on paper but it works for me- wee bit of power, big bit of weight reduction, and a huge bit of suspension upgrade comes together nicely (and it's given me some sweet moments... "Cor, that TL really bloody shifts" "Um..."

Dan Dare

tubthumped wrote:

I know plenty of people on thous that spend thousands and can't keep with my 6. Love it!

What you have to remember about modding is that it isn't always trying to make a 500 bike better than a 900 bike - it about 'making it yours.' wether that be looks, how it rides or performance. Mass produced things can always be tweaked to suit the user.

I agree, it's about making something different and putting your mark on it. I've seen that BMW's aren't too popular on here but here is a journal of the mods I have done to mine over the years!

tubthumped

Fair bit of work there Dan... shame its a beemer

I had a Mk2 Golf GTI a few years back. It went from a standard 1.8 16v to a very trick 2.0 16v track/race car.



** I notice we have gone from MTB's to Cars and Motorbikes - so I'm sorry to the thread starter! **

Dan Dare

tubthumped wrote:

Fair bit of work there Dan... shame its a beemer

I had a Mk2 Golf GTI a few years back. It went from a standard 1.8 16v to a very trick 2.0 16v track/race car.



** I notice we have gone from MTB's to Cars and Motorbikes - so I'm sorry to the thread starter! **

Very nice mate, wouldn't mind a trip to the 'ring myself! (oh, and the thread starter was me )