Chaos Causes I use gp shift, only because the Rearsets I have you could only use gp shift. When I got used to it I found it so much easier. When riding other bikes I tell myself 3 times it’s road shift! I never go the wrong way!
Everything was right except 2, 3, and 4 because the tire lettering is good but you didn't clean off the surface w/ a good sticker cleaner making it dry before applying. GP Shift is a lot better for everything especially when you are in a wheelie because 1st gear pulled the front up so hard you can just press down instead of toeing up which is better. Gearing down feels more natural under braking. Tank protectors aren't tank protectors, they are to keep your leg from sliding around when you change vectors. You got the wrong tank grips. Oh and also if you high-side and your left foot is trapped because it's ready to gear up you can't fly off safely. I high-sided but because I was ready to gear up by pushing down due to GP Shift pattern I flew off w/o issue. The bike is fine too otherwise you are trapped like a seatbelt on the bike.
Without thinking about how they might affect handling, I fitted pannier bags to my bike. They made the bike even easier to ride. I think the wind over the top of the bags holds the bike in an upright position when traveling at speed, but it doesn't affect cornering, just helps the bike straighten up. One mod I WAS pleased with.
Well bar grips are easy to replace and aren't that expensive, the stock bar grips will last forever but it's because they're made from hard uncomfortable rubber to do so.
They're very easy to replace and not expensive until you have to replace them every few months and it starts to add up. But way more comfortable than the stock hard rubber!
Speaking of key ring mod... an accessory I regret is putting on one of those trending "remove before flight" tags. It does serve a good purpose, like ease of access from my pant pocket with gloves on, but there is a con. While riding, the tag flops around and constantly covers my dash control readouts. So now every day I have to add an extra step getting ready to ride by tucking this super long tag underneath the bars of my sv650 before heading off.
Mirrors are another in my opinion. Stock mirrors are usually ugly but have superb view(usually). Then ya put on the cool looking aftermarket ones and are unable to clearly see if you are going to be rearended at stops! Just another area I think people generally sacrifice functionality for aesthetics.
I don't even have mirrors on my bike, so....took them off one day to decide how I wanted new ones to look and never actually bought new ones or put the old ones back on. XD
Lol. Made these same mistakes when I started street riding many years ago. It’s funny how we all have to learn the hard way. My must do “mods” are ditch all key rings, install tank bra, and install a nice ( not obnoxious) exhaust.
Thanks for making this.I feel like no one considers the cons of after market at all. I don't know how many times I've heard that " x and y components are trash and you should get r6 throttle body and gsxr 750 shock." And they don't really make a huge difference or the component creates other issues like a tail tidy/fender eliminator looks so good and is such a nice aesthetic mod until you ride through a puddle and cover the whole rear seat in muddy water.
I tried GP Shift, and only need 2 days until i can shift properly (even when speeding), and sometimes i use my friend bike without GP shift, and i can shift properly too... It's one of the best mods that i ever done✌️
About gp shifter, I love it, I changed 2 years ago and never come back, I feel much more natural, I just shift wrong in the first 15 days. When I ride other motorcycles I just remember where is the first gear(down) and ride.
Only on sport bikes do I ride GP shift. Moving my foot forward to downshift while on the brakes where everything wants to move forward anyway just feels so much more natural to me.
I used to ride side-saddle, but now I agree with you. BUT!! You should try with gears on the right and rear brakes on the left. It makes for very interesting hard cornering. I have worn out skin scars to prove how interesting.
I found it was best to set ALL my bikes to same pattern. Back in the 'good old days' I didn't care as I was test riding so many bikes for work, left shift, right side shift one up, one down, didn't matter but when racing it was easier to ave a familiar pattern
I popped a Leo Vince high level exit exhaust on my 650 supermoto and it melted my indicators and registration plate every couple of weeks. Seems like it’s worth it for the sound but the hustle of requiring and re ordering parts became too much
I have a key on a tiny ring with a quick release connector so I can attach it to my other keys. None of it touches the bike. If you are unsure if you will like tire lettering you can use a piece of white chalk and see how you like it. Chalk washes off easy. I did this a week ago and its still there. There are bound to be more permanent ways of painting the letters.
I'm probably the outlier here, but I don't like riding really loud bikes. I put an aftermarket exhaust on one of my bikes. It was so loud that I ended up hating riding the bike. It sounded like a jet engine every time I slowly pulled away from a stop sign. The problem was solved with a db killer. I loved it after that, but it also meant spending more money when I had already spent a lot on the exhaust.
you can change a gear on a Harley in a turn NP and i got grips but mine are metal i have like 4 keys and no keyring except a small carabiner to clip them to myself
If your a fan of white tire lettering look into the brand Tire Stickers. Long lasting and cheap. Not as cheap as white markers but definitely worth the money if its something you like
As for tire lettering use a paint marker. Did mine like 2 years ago and its still there. Course i use dunlops. GP shifting. Been doing it since i was like 21. Im 34 now. Ill never go back to standard shift. Its just something you hae to get used too. Grips i always use stock grips. Even on my track bikes. I dont like the slimy gooey feeling when aftermarkets wear out.
Chinese xenon headlight mod!!! It was working well for the most part but when it died the smoke from the xenon bulb essentially destroyed my headlight. Cheap crash pads, the screw broke off and getting it out was more costly then proper set of crash bars Fender eliminator - it looks great but if you live in rainy country like me (Poland) you'll have water and mud all over your back Removing bar end weights - my hands got numb in long trips from vibration
Xenon output is at least twice of a H7 bulb. Installing it was very easy, the most difficult part was to find a good place to mount the "ballast" and It was a great mod for night trips, sadly an illegal too, but there's a way to not pay any tickets for it. In Poland if you are able to remove any illegal modification in 5 minutes Police will let you go :) So I had standard H7 bulb in the trunk at all times along with hex key needed to change the bulb. The xenon failed after 2 years, and with its last breath it made a bit of smoke. It was impossible to clean the reflector afterwards. Back then there was no Led bulbs that could compete with xenon, if they produce clean focused beam i would go with leds. Consider also changing headlight relay for one with a time delay, that way the headlight could be automatically turned on after the engine and not before.
I did lots of minor modifications and cosmetic repairs on the last bike I bought second hand. Only small stuff, but it added up to at least 10 hours of work and about 200 EUR. Only to find out, a couple of weeks later, that I've bought a lemon. Got a another used bike last week, and now I'm forcing myself not to mod anything for the next 3 months or until I'm sure I won't have to return the bike.
That must have been a heartbreaking experience! I'm doing a similar thing with a Yamaha R1 on the channel and hoping that it isn't a lemon lol. But your new strategy sounds much safer and I hope it works out well for you!
A useful tip when swapping the gear selector lever around is to only partly tighten the pinch bolt leading to the lever coming loose and taking the splines of the selector shaft leading to a full engine strip-down to replace the gear selector shaft.Remember big key ring fobs are always a good idea when combined with steering dampers,not only do they wear paint of the top yoke but also as an added bonus it'll probably get tangled with the steering damper leading to a motorcycle-drainage ditch interface.
Chaos Causes no,just common sense and a warped sense of humour + some of the "improvements" I've seen friends carry out over the years,many of these after market products are poorly manufactured/designed and very rarely "bolt straight on",beware in particular of "universal parts".
Live and learn . I'm a basic guy, no frill's , BUT refuse to be typical. Look at what I ride after over 50 years of street riding and dirt track racing !
I actually bought mirrors that were a little wider than the stock because stock sometimes are too narrow. They must be able to work or they are useless.
As far as they keyring goes if ( beside not putting anything hard plastic/metal on it to bank on your bike) you do need an attachment like a garage door remote or similar you can find car key rubber cases to put over. My door remote fits somewhat perfectly into a rubber key case made for a Toyota key with no branding and it did 5000km on the key without any damage to the bike.
the most important modification i have forgotten has to be a rear/front fender extender to stop mud flicking up at my rear or into my engine. These fairly cheap adaptations save time in the long run for cleaning the bike as well as maintaining the bikes quality, insuring it doesn’t corrode faster than usual.
2. Use oil based paint pens for tire lettering, not acrylic. Oil based holds up quite well at least on the street. Uni-ball oil based paint pen. 3. GP shift is the way to go if you have a foot quickshifter x10 if you are wearing boots and leather pants. You have to get used to it. 4. Get TechSpec for a tank protector. The magnetic protectors that cover the wholt tank are slippery and they crack eventually. Tank bras were cool 30 years ago but that looks pretty out of date. I use one on my busa and it serves it's purpose but TechSpec is a lot better even if adding a bit of weight with the snake skin texture. You can buy in sheets from Revzilla and custom cut to cover as much as you want. Cut in small pieces and stick together like a puzzle for total coverage. The TechSpec precut tank kits work great even though they don't cover every bit of the tank.
Most of these are on different bikes... Hardtailed, metal seat pan with no padding, riders backrest, extended swingarm.... Worst 'mod' was definitely piling into the front of a little red hatchback.
Couple you didn't mention...... LED indicators... total shit. towel things that go over the brake/clutch fluid reservoirs... really? wtf. Just enjoy the bike.
I have led indicators, mine are more visible than the OEM ones but just a tiny tat darker colored. Too bad its illegal to have integrated turn signals in your rear light here though
What I've heard about the reservoir covers is that it's supposed to protect the fluid from UV rays. I doubt that, because a lot of bikes (including mine) only use a small viewing window...
Bmw Oem LED indicators a much better in every way than the 10w orange bulb ones that come on the entry bikes. And are a strait swap use the same fixings flash the right speed and look 100x. Neater
Replace your standard Tungsten bulbs with direct-replacement LEDs. Same goes for tail lights (if yours are not already LED). They last longer, and are considerably brighter (with a near-instantaneous "on" time for brake lights). If you are worried about lack of side vision (indicators) fit after-market car LED side repeaters. They look good, use no power, and work very well, especially in twilight conditions
yeah aftermarket grips are gonna wear out, you gotta replace them. that's how grips work. i may be just used to it cuz i ride dirt not street, but like any not-stock grips are gonna wear out.
I did tire lettering on my zx10r and it’s lasted over a year. I’ve rode it 8000km since and have had it up to 299kmh several times and it’s still there.
Aftermarket heated grips are a real safety feature in colder countries. I've used decent heated grips in the UK (freezing cold Harrogate) and I'd never be without them!
Sometimes factory grips are the best, BMW make some excellent grip shapes with good materials. On many bikes it isn't just a change but an 'upgrade' I like some of the Honda and Suzukio grips as well but oters are just a PITH
Peter Jones I just changed the ones on my '03 SV1000S. The originals lasted 15 years, most aftermarket grips are only good for a year or 2. My '85 Kawasaki still has its originals!
I want to take off my mirror/blinker posts. And get the integrated blinkers. That would mean getting the little round mirrors on my grips. I think it looks cool but i don't think I could get used to it. Having 2nd thoughts.
I did the same think on my R6 recently. I’m already used to the mirrors being on my bar ends but the visibility of the mirrors isn’t very good. It looks awesome though! I would definitely do it again so give it a try!
The reason handlebar grip degraded over time is because of the comfort vs durability choice. If you choose more comfort than you will have less durability. The material of the grips make the difference. The durable one is much similar to the stock one most of the time. They are hard compound black natural rubber or neoprene. They will last as long as your bike.
What you should do for the tyre lettering is use the marker let it dry after it dry get nail varnish and put it over it it wont come off for a long time then
İ tried gp shift and did it on all my bikes after, ill never ride with the stock shifting again sucks ass shifting up getting ur foot under instead of just pressing down, waay more fun
In some countries (EU in particular) the Boys in Blue can (and do) use sound level meters to see if your machine's too noisy. Fail, and the fines are heavy. Fail again and "they" can modify your bike at your expense.
Thnx. Full throttle is hella expensive tho. The smaller bike shops have better prices but not always the variety that FT has. Judging by your videos it seems like you live near PTA/Centurion-ish? If you do there's a nice bike shop in Hatfield (Biking accecories) with tons of great bike shit for mega cheap.
So a lot of this is buy better kit arguements not bad mods? Try a posca paint pen or one of the high end art markers vs a cheap one the alcohol markers are ace for some stuff.
I got a larger windshield for my naked bike. It works well to cover the meter but push the air towards my neck. I should have go for the largest windshield available at that time instead of the medium size because it looks cooler than the longer n wider ones. Sometimes, just have to choose functionality over beauty. On long run, I regret not getting the larger one.
Have you looked into maddstad adjustable mounts? I had them on a previous bike and you can find the perfect spot for you. Not sure how they will work/ look on a naked though.
I use silver and red perminent sharpie marker to white out the letters on the tires. In a span of 6 months and 1 crash i only had to color them in 1 more time because they were dirty and started to fade. yours chipped away my just faded try sharpies next time😊
Hahah your neighbors might not like it but once you're out of your neighborhood it's definitely worth it! Plus Toce systems can be one of the best looking depending on the bike!
Call me a dork, but like my bike in stock form. People say changing the exhaust makes my bike unique, no it makes your bike just like every other guy. Lol being stock I’m the one whose unique.
the grip thing, you picked soft grips mostly used for off road motorcycles like mx and endure not for a road bike thats why our replacing them already, maybe look for a grip designed for your bike
Due to some minor hand injuries causing pain on the palm of my hand when gripping a steering wheel or handlebars, I too bought some soft foam grips. They were fine until a mechanic sliced through one leaving it flapping.
It wasn’t my mod, but the guy before me bought aftermarket clutch and brake levers and they’re loose as shit all the time now and idk how to change or tighten them.
I Dont share your opinion on “gp” shift. It makes the shift for me easier. And it took 5 minutes to get used to. Ive heard from Many others that They have it like me. Besides that. A super race Ohlins (Or similar) rear suspension and Stock front. For road use Its just silly and stupid money!
You really think its a waste of money? I ride on very bumpy roads in Europe (cobblestones, tram lines, pot holes) and my stock suspension is pretty stiff. It is a lot of money, but most people who are serious about their bikes go down the suspension upgrade route sooner or later. I never ride on track, just street.
Done the tank pad and key rings. I was never happy after I changed my colour scheme when I painted it after an off so it then changed annually, black red, black blue then finally black and lumo yellow
Chaos Causes I looked at it as the 2016 model 2017 model ECT, and because it's always different you almost get a new bike feeling so you don't buy another one lol, but I went and bought one anyways
I regret to have changed the full exhaust and installing bazzaz on my track bike before getting ohlins suspensions. Exhaust and bazzaz will just give a very little more power. Suspensions will make your round times decrease by seconds.
That's very interesting and is a very beneficial upgrade for a track bike! As awesome as exhausts are suspension is more useful on track and money spent better!
Lol, I still have a GP shifted bike :) but it's my preference. Also, my other bike is still regularly shifted and besides a conscious "Hey, this bike isn't GP shifted" when I start the bike, I don't have any missed gears. Stay safe man!
Previous owner of my bike did the keyring thing real bad. Triple clamp looks like he had every single key to a castle dungeon on there flailing around, goddamnit.
Also don't buy aftermarket mirrors, mine fell off (the mirror part) at 9000 rpm when I pulled off in full throttle. Luckily I caught it before they fell and there weren't any cars behind me.
I always paint my lettering on my tyres, never comes off, just goes to show if you buy the right stuff it lasts. Grips are dirt cheap and take minutes to change.
I must disagree on tyre lettering. The key is to do it with preferably new and de-greased side walls and use a good tyre marker. Mine lasts the whole summer, even after (careful) washing. I don't do track days, but I do ride hard though, and they have never looked like the ones you showed. Probably a very bad tyre marker? And over time, all you have to do then is to paint it all over again to bring back the white.
I think I need to find real tyre markers and not do track days with the tyres lol! But good to hear that people have had success doing it, makes me want to try again.
Benny Milburn but how much does a side wall flex though? I've mounted my own tyres on rims and found the sidewalls to be quite stiff. Had a hard time to mount them carefully not to scratch newly powdercoated rims, because of the stiff sidewalls. Not even going to mention dismounting... Oh God!
omfgwtfbbq90 At least enough to make the paint flake off. When you're fitting tyres they are cold. On the track mine are around 80 degC when I point a temp gun at them after a session. They get pretty soft.
top 5 1.making the back tire go so mutch behind that you cant do wheelies easily 2.buying a exhaust that has so big performance peak that you wheelie it by accident in normal driving(2stroke) 3.you buy a cool graphics and then after couple of months you dont like it anymore 4. you buy too big sylinder for your bottomend and also even have too mutch space in the detonation area 5. you buy little mirrors that dont do shit
The fix for tire lettering, is to use an actual paint and a paint brush and wait for it to dry for atleast 1 and a half day. Trust me, I did this and the lettering lasted for more than a year.
I could of of used one of those. I once couldn't find my key for my bike (GSXR1000K2) and i needed to go to work, I got the spare and went to work. When i finished work and walked back to the parking lot i could see my key tag hanging out of the seat release lock, lucky bike and key were still there I would say.
Haha I have that same keyring! A joint mod I regret, plastidiping my wheels and putting wheel stickers on. I now cannot get the plastidip off without removing the wheels, and those tyres stickers are a mish to remove.
That's actually good to hear I've often considered plasti dipping my wheels but was scared that it wouldn't last! But tell me about it, I tried to get tyres off an R1 a few weeks back and had no luck lol!
Where are you based? Saw you're on the left. We're in NZ. Yeah I got lazy and plastidipped over the first lot of wheel stickers because of the yellow not popping on the silver wheels. Then, rather than peeling the first layer of stickers and putting more plastidip then new stickers, i just stuck new stickers over the top. This really just added to the drama lol
Key rings? i hate keys as it is..i leave mine in it all the time...i have a hard to find/easy to switch, toggle..only kills ignition....some pos tried to blaze my bike a few months ago..he was still cranking the starter when i hit him on the back of him helmet hard enough ti knock him off the bike...that landed on top of him..me thinks he will never try to steal a bike again.
OK, good video, but like others have said, these are not mods. My only regret is that I spent so much on a very fancy adaptive LED headlight, when I should have put that money into suspension upgrades first. Most of the mods I have made I am extremely happy with: Oxford Grips, CRG lane-splitting mirrors, IXIS exhaust, LED indicators front and rear, fender elimination kit. I guess the only real waste of money mod has been the Probolt Fairing Bolt kit - I needed a few bolts, but spent far too much on this nonsense. XSR 900 rider in Prague.
I quite like the lettering on my FZ's tires. like you said, it kinda fits with certain bikes, and the streetfighter look is definitely one of them in my opinion. As for my key tag, well its a lego Boba Fett on a short chain. The CBR has R2 hah
Speaking of scratching the paint I spent over $200 getting my tank and rear fairings painted and clear coated just for someone to scratch the hell out of it /:
1. Just change back to the original grips 2. Buy a better quality marker or reapply 3. idk... 4. Just buy another tankpad, they're super cheap 5. Why would you have a metal tag on your key???
I switched my gear lever to gp style because i often get false neutral wen shifting to 6th. It will b a hel lot easier to just step on the lever fully than having to yank it up wit ur feet. Thats Ducati for u, they never ending annoying false neutral.
Of course softer and more comfortable grips will wear faster, that is simply logical. If you are so keen on not replacing them just get your self grips made out of pure plastic, those will never wear XD
I fitted grey renthal grips to reduce vibration, tyre paint is a thing of the 90's. Nothing wrong with a race shift pattern. Just seems like a moany video.
I agree with everything but the gp shifting (at least on a sport bike though it depends how you ride). Easier upshifts and when your hard on brakes your foot is already being pushed into the shifter for easier downshifts. And as for forgetting how to shift while riding other motorcycles., Not everyone is an incompetent squid.
It isn't forgetting how to change gears, it's called muscle memory. When you ride for a long time one way, your body wants to keep doing that. Or perhaps you are so super skilled you could adjust without ever having a problem. I wish I was as good as you, although without the attitude.
After getting strong arguments to ride in GP Shift I decided to give it another try: goo.gl/W2w9DX
Chaos Causes I use gp shift, only because the Rearsets I have you could only use gp shift. When I got used to it I found it so much easier. When riding other bikes I tell myself 3 times it’s road shift! I never go the wrong way!
Chaos Causes but 100% agree with all the others
That’s definitely a valid reason to use it!
Everything was right except 2, 3, and 4 because the tire lettering is good but you didn't clean off the surface w/ a good sticker cleaner making it dry before applying. GP Shift is a lot better for everything especially when you are in a wheelie because 1st gear pulled the front up so hard you can just press down instead of toeing up which is better. Gearing down feels more natural under braking. Tank protectors aren't tank protectors, they are to keep your leg from sliding around when you change vectors. You got the wrong tank grips.
Oh and also if you high-side and your left foot is trapped because it's ready to gear up you can't fly off safely. I high-sided but because I was ready to gear up by pushing down due to GP Shift pattern I flew off w/o issue. The bike is fine too otherwise you are trapped like a seatbelt on the bike.
Hahah good spot!
The best keyring is none at all. Just make sure the key lives in only 2 places:
- The ignition
- Your jacket pocket.
fuck that, my key ring is attached to my belt loop with a carabiner. i can literally do anything and know that the keys will always be attached to me.
Key attached to a rubber embelm (Hornet or like your rubber Honda wing) with 2 small zip ties 90° apart. Never attach key to yourself when in use.
Jacket? Lol
Without thinking about how they might affect handling, I fitted pannier bags to my bike. They made the bike even easier to ride. I think the wind over the top of the bags holds the bike in an upright position when traveling at speed, but it doesn't affect cornering, just helps the bike straighten up. One mod I WAS pleased with.
Well bar grips are easy to replace and aren't that expensive, the stock bar grips will last forever but it's because they're made from hard uncomfortable rubber to do so.
They're very easy to replace and not expensive until you have to replace them every few months and it starts to add up. But way more comfortable than the stock hard rubber!
Chaos Causes use an air hose to blow air in between the grip n bars and it slides on no problem. Same to take em off.
Speaking of key ring mod... an accessory I regret is putting on one of those trending "remove before flight" tags. It does serve a good purpose, like ease of access from my pant pocket with gloves on, but there is a con. While riding, the tag flops around and constantly covers my dash control readouts. So now every day I have to add an extra step getting ready to ride by tucking this super long tag underneath the bars of my sv650 before heading off.
yeah, i tired gp shfit sucks! i kept shifting wrong and when i changed it back, i STILL KEPT SHIFTING WRONG!
+Rockabilly Rambler Hahah I think we’ve all tried it and messed it up. It’s definitely not for everyone!
Its somwthing thT really requires work to learn, I knos people who wore odd boots for a while learning.
There’s one common denominator 🧐
That’s a bit of emotional damage 😂 I hope after now 5 years you figured it out again 😅
Mirrors are another in my opinion. Stock mirrors are usually ugly but have superb view(usually). Then ya put on the cool looking aftermarket ones and are unable to clearly see if you are going to be rearended at stops! Just another area I think people generally sacrifice functionality for aesthetics.
Hahah I literally just did this on my R6! I put bar end mirrors on and it looks insane but can’t see a damn thing!
Lmao! Me too on my drz400!
I don't even have mirrors on my bike, so....took them off one day to decide how I wanted new ones to look and never actually bought new ones or put the old ones back on. XD
Lol I ride daily to work and would prefer to not get rearended at a stop light xD
shit anything has to be better than the stock mirrors on a RSV1000r...all you can see are you forearms or elbows
Lol. Made these same mistakes when I started street riding many years ago. It’s funny how we all have to learn the hard way. My must do “mods” are ditch all key rings, install tank bra, and install a nice ( not obnoxious) exhaust.
Thanks for making this.I feel like no one considers the cons of after market at all.
I don't know how many times I've heard that " x and y components are trash and you should get r6 throttle body and gsxr 750 shock." And they don't really make a huge difference or the component creates other issues like a tail tidy/fender eliminator looks so good and is such a nice aesthetic mod until you ride through a puddle and cover the whole rear seat in muddy water.
Solution: move to California or Nevada. We don’t get sky water here
I tried GP Shift, and only need 2 days until i can shift properly (even when speeding), and sometimes i use my friend bike without GP shift, and i can shift properly too... It's one of the best mods that i ever done✌️
About gp shifter, I love it, I changed 2 years ago and never come back, I feel much more natural, I just shift wrong in the first 15 days. When I ride other motorcycles I just remember where is the first gear(down) and ride.
Only on sport bikes do I ride GP shift. Moving my foot forward to downshift while on the brakes where everything wants to move forward anyway just feels so much more natural to me.
That makes perfect sense. Between the hard braking and riding position maybe the memory would be natural from bike to bike.
I used to ride side-saddle, but now I agree with you. BUT!! You should try with gears on the right and rear brakes on the left. It makes for very interesting hard cornering. I have worn out skin scars to prove how interesting.
Haha I think I’ll give that one a miss if you don’t mind I’m not too keen on scars lol!
I found it was best to set ALL my bikes to same pattern. Back in the 'good old days' I didn't care as I was test riding so many bikes for work, left shift, right side shift one up, one down, didn't matter but when racing it was easier to ave a familiar pattern
I put grippy and wider tyres on my 200cc, and increased the power with a few other stuff, which destroyed my gears. Leaving me with only first😅
That’s awful man got to consider everything when upgrading!
What bike? How much power boost?
I popped a Leo Vince high level exit exhaust on my 650 supermoto and it melted my indicators and registration plate every couple of weeks. Seems like it’s worth it for the sound but the hustle of requiring and re ordering parts became too much
Hahah that’s how you know you have a high performance pipe lol!
Great video - actually informative and personal experience. This is why I watch TH-cam videos.
I have a key on a tiny ring with a quick release connector so I can attach it to my other keys. None of it touches the bike. If you are unsure if you will like tire lettering you can use a piece of white chalk and see how you like it. Chalk washes off easy. I did this a week ago and its still there. There are bound to be more permanent ways of painting the letters.
Good idea I'm trying real pens from a bike shop next
GP shift is awesome, tried it in a session at the race track and haven’t looked back
I'm probably the outlier here, but I don't like riding really loud bikes. I put an aftermarket exhaust on one of my bikes. It was so loud that I ended up hating riding the bike. It sounded like a jet engine every time I slowly pulled away from a stop sign. The problem was solved with a db killer. I loved it after that, but it also meant spending more money when I had already spent a lot on the exhaust.
you can change a gear on a Harley in a turn NP and i got grips but mine are metal i have like 4 keys and no keyring except a small carabiner to clip them to myself
If your a fan of white tire lettering look into the brand Tire Stickers. Long lasting and cheap. Not as cheap as white markers but definitely worth the money if its something you like
Thanks bro I'll look into that!
You from the East? Saw you on Great North passing burger box.
As for tire lettering use a paint marker. Did mine like 2 years ago and its still there. Course i use dunlops. GP shifting. Been doing it since i was like 21. Im 34 now. Ill never go back to standard shift. Its just something you hae to get used too. Grips i always use stock grips. Even on my track bikes. I dont like the slimy gooey feeling when aftermarkets wear out.
Chinese xenon headlight mod!!! It was working well for the most part but when it died the smoke from the xenon bulb essentially destroyed my headlight.
Cheap crash pads, the screw broke off and getting it out was more costly then proper set of crash bars
Fender eliminator - it looks great but if you live in rainy country like me (Poland) you'll have water and mud all over your back
Removing bar end weights - my hands got numb in long trips from vibration
Sounds like you have had some bad experiences! Very interesting to hear about the headlights I often consider them!
Xenon output is at least twice of a H7 bulb. Installing it was very easy, the most difficult part was to find a good place to mount the "ballast" and It was a great mod for night trips, sadly an illegal too, but there's a way to not pay any tickets for it. In Poland if you are able to remove any illegal modification in 5 minutes Police will let you go :) So I had standard H7 bulb in the trunk at all times along with hex key needed to change the bulb.
The xenon failed after 2 years, and with its last breath it made a bit of smoke. It was impossible to clean the reflector afterwards.
Back then there was no Led bulbs that could compete with xenon, if they produce clean focused beam i would go with leds.
Consider also changing headlight relay for one with a time delay, that way the headlight could be automatically turned on after the engine and not before.
I did lots of minor modifications and cosmetic repairs on the last bike I bought second hand. Only small stuff, but it added up to at least 10 hours of work and about 200 EUR. Only to find out, a couple of weeks later, that I've bought a lemon.
Got a another used bike last week, and now I'm forcing myself not to mod anything for the next 3 months or until I'm sure I won't have to return the bike.
That must have been a heartbreaking experience! I'm doing a similar thing with a Yamaha R1 on the channel and hoping that it isn't a lemon lol. But your new strategy sounds much safer and I hope it works out well for you!
A useful tip when swapping the gear selector lever around is to only partly tighten the pinch bolt leading to the lever coming loose and taking the splines of the selector shaft leading to a full engine strip-down to replace the gear selector shaft.Remember big key ring fobs are always a good idea when combined with steering dampers,not only do they wear paint of the top yoke but also as an added bonus it'll probably get tangled with the steering damper leading to a motorcycle-drainage ditch interface.
Knowledge from personal experience? 😂
Chaos Causes no,just common sense and a warped sense of humour + some of the "improvements" I've seen friends carry out over the years,many of these after market products are poorly manufactured/designed and very rarely "bolt straight on",beware in particular of "universal parts".
Live and learn . I'm a basic guy, no frill's , BUT refuse to be typical. Look at what I ride after over 50 years of street riding and dirt track racing !
I actually bought mirrors that were a little wider than the stock because stock sometimes are too narrow. They must be able to work or they are useless.
As far as they keyring goes if ( beside not putting anything hard plastic/metal on it to bank on your bike) you do need an attachment like a garage door remote or similar you can find car key rubber cases to put over.
My door remote fits somewhat perfectly into a rubber key case made for a Toyota key with no branding and it did 5000km on the key without any damage to the bike.
I changed my grips on my bolt to the Kuryakyn ISO grips and no regrets. Have had them for a few years now.
the most important modification i have forgotten has to be a rear/front fender extender to stop mud flicking up at my rear or into my engine. These fairly cheap adaptations save time in the long run for cleaning the bike as well as maintaining the bikes quality, insuring it doesn’t corrode faster than usual.
2. Use oil based paint pens for tire lettering, not acrylic. Oil based holds up quite well at least on the street. Uni-ball oil based paint pen. 3. GP shift is the way to go if you have a foot quickshifter x10 if you are wearing boots and leather pants. You have to get used to it. 4. Get TechSpec for a tank protector. The magnetic protectors that cover the wholt tank are slippery and they crack eventually. Tank bras were cool 30 years ago but that looks pretty out of date. I use one on my busa and it serves it's purpose but TechSpec is a lot better even if adding a bit of weight with the snake skin texture. You can buy in sheets from Revzilla and custom cut to cover as much as you want. Cut in small pieces and stick together like a puzzle for total coverage. The TechSpec precut tank kits work great even though they don't cover every bit of the tank.
Most of these are on different bikes...
Hardtailed, metal seat pan with no padding, riders backrest, extended swingarm....
Worst 'mod' was definitely piling into the front of a little red hatchback.
Lol the last one sounds the worst but completely agree with the rest you mentioned! Extended swingarms on the road make me feel sorry for the bike.
I absolutely hate extended swing arms...
Dont know What lettering marker you used Dude But mine’s Still on there white and showing those brandddssss
i need to pick up a better pen!
Couple you didn't mention...... LED indicators... total shit. towel things that go over the brake/clutch fluid reservoirs... really? wtf. Just enjoy the bike.
Haha LED indicators can be difficult to see in the day time and I've never used a reservoir cover but they aren't too useful in my opinion!
I have led indicators, mine are more visible than the OEM ones but just a tiny tat darker colored. Too bad its illegal to have integrated turn signals in your rear light here though
What I've heard about the reservoir covers is that it's supposed to protect the fluid from UV rays. I doubt that, because a lot of bikes (including mine) only use a small viewing window...
Bmw Oem LED indicators a much better in every way than the 10w orange bulb ones that come on the entry bikes. And are a strait swap use the same fixings flash the right speed and look 100x. Neater
Replace your standard Tungsten bulbs with direct-replacement LEDs. Same goes for tail lights (if yours are not already LED). They last longer, and are considerably brighter (with a near-instantaneous "on" time for brake lights). If you are worried about lack of side vision (indicators) fit after-market car LED side repeaters. They look good, use no power, and work very well, especially in twilight conditions
yeah aftermarket grips are gonna wear out, you gotta replace them. that's how grips work. i may be just used to it cuz i ride dirt not street, but like any not-stock grips are gonna wear out.
It may seem stupid to you but I really didn't know this lol. But since then I got Domino grips and they've lasted a lot better than the Progrips
I did tire lettering on my zx10r and it’s lasted over a year. I’ve rode it 8000km since and have had it up to 299kmh several times and it’s still there.
These aren't mods but mere decorations. I only buy factory grips.
Lol I’ll change the title to decorations
Aftermarket heated grips are a real safety feature in colder countries. I've used decent heated grips in the UK (freezing cold Harrogate) and I'd never be without them!
Sometimes factory grips are the best, BMW make some excellent grip shapes with good materials. On many bikes it isn't just a change but an 'upgrade' I like some of the Honda and Suzukio grips as well but oters are just a PITH
Peter Jones
I just changed the ones on my '03 SV1000S. The originals lasted 15 years, most aftermarket grips are only good for a year or 2. My '85 Kawasaki still has its originals!
@@ChaosCauses you should
I want to take off my mirror/blinker posts. And get the integrated blinkers. That would mean getting the little round mirrors on my grips. I think it looks cool but i don't think I could get used to it. Having 2nd thoughts.
I did the same think on my R6 recently. I’m already used to the mirrors being on my bar ends but the visibility of the mirrors isn’t very good. It looks awesome though! I would definitely do it again so give it a try!
Warren552011 awesome! Love those
The reason handlebar grip degraded over time is because of the comfort vs durability choice. If you choose more comfort than you will have less durability. The material of the grips make the difference. The durable one is much similar to the stock one most of the time. They are hard compound black natural rubber or neoprene. They will last as long as your bike.
As you get older you realise ,most up grade,s are only cosmetic , thanks for the Video "YOUNGE MAN ""
Lol I hope that's not true but I'll see with time!
Most people over the age of 8 can spell young OLD MAN
What you should do for the tyre lettering is use the marker let it dry after it dry get nail varnish and put it over it it wont come off for a long time then
Tyre lettering is dope man
Definitely looks awesome!
İ tried gp shift and did it on all my bikes after, ill never ride with the stock shifting again sucks ass shifting up getting ur foot under instead of just pressing down, waay more fun
Excessively loud exhaust.
Definitely a mod some people don't enjoy but I personally love my loud exhaust!
In some countries (EU in particular) the Boys in Blue can (and do) use sound level meters to see if your machine's too noisy. Fail, and the fines are heavy. Fail again and "they" can modify your bike at your expense.
Love u...u just saved me frm spoiling by tyre lettering my g310r
Good video! Bit short tho, don't be scared to do longer vids. P.s where did you buy your key chains from?
+ConstipatedKoala Thanks man, I’ll try make them longer in the future. I get them from Full Throttle.
Thnx. Full throttle is hella expensive tho. The smaller bike shops have better prices but not always the variety that FT has.
Judging by your videos it seems like you live near PTA/Centurion-ish? If you do there's a nice bike shop in Hatfield (Biking accecories) with tons of great bike shit for mega cheap.
+ConstipatedKoala Thanks a lot I’ll check it out!
On my old Harley I had natural rubber grips.{ sort of brown color. My batting gloves had sticky stuff that ate the gum rubber grips. A real mess.
That's an interesting one mate and sounds awful!
So a lot of this is buy better kit arguements not bad mods? Try a posca paint pen or one of the high end art markers vs a cheap one the alcohol markers are ace for some stuff.
I got a larger windshield for my naked bike. It works well to cover the meter but push the air towards my neck.
I should have go for the largest windshield available at that time instead of the medium size because it looks cooler than the longer n wider ones.
Sometimes, just have to choose functionality over beauty. On long run, I regret not getting the larger one.
Windscreens are very useful on naked bikes but too often they don’t look right, luckily companies like Puig do great work!
Have you looked into maddstad adjustable mounts? I had them on a previous bike and you can find the perfect spot for you. Not sure how they will work/ look on a naked though.
I use silver and red perminent sharpie marker to white out the letters on the tires.
In a span of 6 months and 1 crash i only had to color them in 1 more time because they were dirty and started to fade.
yours chipped away my just faded
try sharpies next time😊
Thanks dude I’ll give it a try sometime
Look into the brand Tire Stickers. Not as cheap as markers. But longer lasting and a more professional look
Deleting the Cat and installing TOCE slipon. Yes sounds good sometimes but not in the garage early in the morning. Really loud.
Hahah your neighbors might not like it but once you're out of your neighborhood it's definitely worth it! Plus Toce systems can be one of the best looking depending on the bike!
Call me a dork, but like my bike in stock form. People say changing the exhaust makes my bike unique, no it makes your bike just like every other guy. Lol being stock I’m the one whose unique.
I am guilty of 1,2 and 5. I have corrected 2 and 5 but 1 will take sometime. Nice video by the way.
Thanks dude I'm glad you're learning that's the best part!
the grip thing, you picked soft grips mostly used for off road motorcycles like mx and endure not for a road bike thats why our replacing them already, maybe look for a grip designed for your bike
They are superbike grips but yes they were soft, I have Domino grips on my new bike and they're a lot better!
Due to some minor hand injuries causing pain on the palm of my hand when gripping a steering wheel or handlebars, I too bought some soft foam grips. They were fine until a mechanic sliced through one leaving it flapping.
Cheap and crappy phone holders. I went through so many before I bought a Quadlock setup. Main because of this channel’s recommendation. 😊
It wasn’t my mod, but the guy before me bought aftermarket clutch and brake levers and they’re loose as shit all the time now and idk how to change or tighten them.
I feel your pain, my R6 came with Chinese shorty levers and they're rubbish!
Just buy quality levers and install them, they come with instructions. Make sure before you start.... read the instructions
I Dont share your opinion on “gp” shift. It makes the shift for me easier. And it took 5 minutes to get used to. Ive heard from Many others that They have it like me.
Besides that. A super race Ohlins (Or similar) rear suspension and Stock front. For road use Its just silly and stupid money!
That's very interesting, a few people have said something similar so I might have to give it another try!
I got used to GP shift when a track bike I bought was set up that way. I rather prefer it now.
You really think its a waste of money? I ride on very bumpy roads in Europe (cobblestones, tram lines, pot holes) and my stock suspension is pretty stiff. It is a lot of money, but most people who are serious about their bikes go down the suspension upgrade route sooner or later. I never ride on track, just street.
I regreet driving for a year with bad high for the handlebars... Adjust them save my back!
Done the tank pad and key rings. I was never happy after I changed my colour scheme when I painted it after an off so it then changed annually, black red, black blue then finally black and lumo yellow
Unfortunately we have to learn the hard way. Must be fun to change the colors every year though!
Chaos Causes I looked at it as the 2016 model 2017 model ECT, and because it's always different you almost get a new bike feeling so you don't buy another one lol, but I went and bought one anyways
I would try to keep my mods to Oem parts like a radiator cover, maybe the comfort seat , and perhaps skid protectors.
That's always a solid strategy! I'm always eager to try everything unfortunately lol
Tyre pen lasts a set of tyres on my bike so a good 3 months just brake clean and rag the sidewalls first
how do you like the side tank grips?
Personally I’m not a fan of them, I don’t feel any improvement but it’s personal preference.
I got rizoma grips 4 years ago and there still mint bit faded on the metal bits but it looks good
I once put a garden knome on my cycle and he escaped when I was getting a slurpee. I miss my garden knome!!!
hmmm, I was wondering why he jumped on my bike. he said u took too long. i told him to go home.
Red spoke wraps that turned pink after a few months.
That would suck!
I know I bought them from a moto X shop in whales UK, I should have bought them from the US at least they would have been uv protected.
Yep! anodized red anything fades pink after enough sun exposure. Now I own a black and pink bmx bike. :/
You did try gp shifting and now you don't regret that
I regret to have changed the full exhaust and installing bazzaz on my track bike before getting ohlins suspensions. Exhaust and bazzaz will just give a very little more power. Suspensions will make your round times decrease by seconds.
That's very interesting and is a very beneficial upgrade for a track bike! As awesome as exhausts are suspension is more useful on track and money spent better!
Lol, I still have a GP shifted bike :) but it's my preference. Also, my other bike is still regularly shifted and besides a conscious "Hey, this bike isn't GP shifted" when I start the bike, I don't have any missed gears. Stay safe man!
Mines currently in GP shift now too after a video I made about it and turns out I was completely wrong lol!
Previous owner of my bike did the keyring thing real bad. Triple clamp looks like he had every single key to a castle dungeon on there flailing around, goddamnit.
Also don't buy aftermarket mirrors, mine fell off (the mirror part) at 9000 rpm when I pulled off in full throttle. Luckily I caught it before they fell and there weren't any cars behind me.
Haha I did this on my R6!
I always paint my lettering on my tyres, never comes off, just goes to show if you buy the right stuff it lasts.
Grips are dirt cheap and take minutes to change.
So what do you use to paint tyre lettering then?
Chaos Causes tyre paint pen from local bike shop, designed to write on tyres.
great video man!
Oh bro. you just about lost me as you started saying tank pads. then you caught me back last sec. nice video. sub
Lol I'll try to avoid tank pads in the future but thanks!
I'm sorry, but my VFR 800 is GP shift and my 1200 is standard shift. I love going back in forth..
goo.gl/W2w9DX
On par with bad tyre lettering is badly applied rim tape. The sort that isn't even a circle but instead a bunch of jagged lines.
Lol yeah that's true and it's a bugger to put on nicely but luckily from far it's hard to tell
I draw my letters always when i bought a new tire. It takes its time but its worth it
I must disagree on tyre lettering.
The key is to do it with preferably new and de-greased side walls and use a good tyre marker. Mine lasts the whole summer, even after (careful) washing. I don't do track days, but I do ride hard though, and they have never looked like the ones you showed. Probably a very bad tyre marker?
And over time, all you have to do then is to paint it all over again to bring back the white.
I think I need to find real tyre markers and not do track days with the tyres lol! But good to hear that people have had success doing it, makes me want to try again.
The reason they come off on track days is because of the sidewall flexing. No matter how hard you go on the street it's not as fast as on the track.
Benny Milburn but how much does a side wall flex though? I've mounted my own tyres on rims and found the sidewalls to be quite stiff. Had a hard time to mount them carefully not to scratch newly powdercoated rims, because of the stiff sidewalls. Not even going to mention dismounting... Oh God!
omfgwtfbbq90 At least enough to make the paint flake off. When you're fitting tyres they are cold. On the track mine are around 80 degC when I point a temp gun at them after a session. They get pretty soft.
Benny Milburn I guess that makes sense. On the track you're going too fast anyways to notice the letters lol! It's meant more for a street bike tbh.
I have the same tank pad. I got mine with the bike though.
I have done all of these and learnt the hard way lol😂
Hahah I feel you!
top 5 1.making the back tire go so mutch behind that you cant do wheelies easily 2.buying a exhaust that has so big performance peak that you wheelie it by accident in normal driving(2stroke) 3.you buy a cool graphics and then after couple of months you dont like it anymore 4. you buy too big sylinder for your bottomend and also even have too mutch space in the detonation area 5. you buy little mirrors that dont do shit
Haha spoken by experience?
The fix for tire lettering, is to use an actual paint and a paint brush and wait for it to dry for atleast 1 and a half day. Trust me, I did this and the lettering lasted for more than a year.
i Hated myself for taking the all the stickers off my dirtbike, now im stuck with a sticky gross number plate and all the other plastics
That sucks man but sometimes you have to learn the hard way we've all done something similar lol!
Got an *Alpha Industries* Key Ring *"Remove Before Flight"* it got stolen without the key well I don't know why these are so popular
That’s a weird thing to be stolen lol
I could of of used one of those. I once couldn't find my key for my bike (GSXR1000K2) and i needed to go to work, I got the spare and went to work. When i finished work and walked back to the parking lot i could see my key tag hanging out of the seat release lock, lucky bike and key were still there I would say.
For No 2, Do the same with a black marker !! Haha !!
Lol that will cover up the ruined white!
Haha I have that same keyring! A joint mod I regret, plastidiping my wheels and putting wheel stickers on. I now cannot get the plastidip off without removing the wheels, and those tyres stickers are a mish to remove.
That's actually good to hear I've often considered plasti dipping my wheels but was scared that it wouldn't last! But tell me about it, I tried to get tyres off an R1 a few weeks back and had no luck lol!
Where are you based? Saw you're on the left. We're in NZ. Yeah I got lazy and plastidipped over the first lot of wheel stickers because of the yellow not popping on the silver wheels. Then, rather than peeling the first layer of stickers and putting more plastidip then new stickers, i just stuck new stickers over the top. This really just added to the drama lol
I’m in South Africa. And that sounds like more drama than it’s worth!
Key rings? i hate keys as it is..i leave mine in it all the time...i have a hard to find/easy to switch, toggle..only kills ignition....some pos tried to blaze my bike a few months ago..he was still cranking the starter when i hit him on the back of him helmet hard enough ti knock him off the bike...that landed on top of him..me thinks he will never try to steal a bike again.
OK, good video, but like others have said, these are not mods.
My only regret is that I spent so much on a very fancy adaptive LED headlight, when I should have put that money into suspension upgrades first.
Most of the mods I have made I am extremely happy with: Oxford Grips, CRG lane-splitting mirrors, IXIS exhaust, LED indicators front and rear, fender elimination kit.
I guess the only real waste of money mod has been the Probolt Fairing Bolt kit - I needed a few bolts, but spent far too much on this nonsense.
XSR 900 rider in Prague.
Lol all good points!
I quite like the lettering on my FZ's tires. like you said, it kinda fits with certain bikes, and the streetfighter look is definitely one of them in my opinion. As for my key tag, well its a lego Boba Fett on a short chain. The CBR has R2 hah
It must look epic on a FZ! They have the mean looks to pull it off, and I love your key tags!
Chaos Causes instagram.com/p/BaDBAWpgslt/
It definitely does!
LOL, I had a Lego Darth Vader. Class!
1.Buying it
3 things I always get...
LED KIT
ALARM SYSTEM
REFLECTIVE WHEEL TAPE.
Speaking of scratching the paint I spent over $200 getting my tank and rear fairings painted and clear coated just for someone to scratch the hell out of it /:
1. Just change back to the original grips
2. Buy a better quality marker or reapply
3. idk...
4. Just buy another tankpad, they're super cheap
5. Why would you have a metal tag on your key???
I knew I was cooked when I looked up what I wanted to do and this showed up
👍 thanks for sharing. Great help
I switched my gear lever to gp style because i often get false neutral wen shifting to 6th. It will b a hel lot easier to just step on the lever fully than having to yank it up wit ur feet. Thats Ducati for u, they never ending annoying false neutral.
That's a good reason to switch! I will be giving it another try very soon!
TUT TUT!!! Do things right or you do things twice!!!
+Adam Stratford Hahah live and learn!
Nice video bro
Of course softer and more comfortable grips will wear faster, that is simply logical. If you are so keen on not replacing them just get your self grips made out of pure plastic, those will never wear XD
Tank protector is one thing I never understood the point of it??? Protect from what!?? Agreed 200%
@@passive101 right now I get it, in my case never see it happening though.
I fitted grey renthal grips to reduce vibration, tyre paint is a thing of the 90's. Nothing wrong with a race shift pattern. Just seems like a moany video.
I agree with everything but the gp shifting (at least on a sport bike though it depends how you ride). Easier upshifts and when your hard on brakes your foot is already being pushed into the shifter for easier downshifts. And as for forgetting how to shift while riding other motorcycles., Not everyone is an incompetent squid.
It isn't forgetting how to change gears, it's called muscle memory. When you ride for a long time one way, your body wants to keep doing that. Or perhaps you are so super skilled you could adjust without ever having a problem. I wish I was as good as you, although without the attitude.
David Edwards...... as you reply with an attitude.