define a good modification...

Tricky....

A massive amount of effort is put into developing new vehicles, be they car or bike. As always there are constraints, and aside from things like the Honda NR750 and Ducati Desmosedici there will be instances where the budget meant the best component at a certain price was fitted, and instances where legislation meant a compromise had to be made (e.g. noise and emissions)

Some of these things only apply at the time of the bike being built, and some we 'tweak the rules' a little with no grief, such as louder cans. As we can get away with running an exhaust the manufacturer cannot on a stock bike that is a good mod, as is re mapping to suit. (a clear distinction should be made between remapping to correct and optimise a fuel map on a petrol engine, and re mapping a diesel to get an extra 50bhp - if the vehicle was rated for that the manufacturer would already have done it)

while a huge amount of R&D goes into every new vehicle its possible to dramatically improve with things like higher specced suspension and carbon fiber wheels - things that the manufacturer couldn't fit as it would take the original bike outside of its intended price bracket. Its not just a case of the mods though, but how competently they have been done. Any schmuck can go out and buy a high end shock, high end forks and carbon fiber wheels, but without careful and comprehensive setup they can actually make the bike worse as they wont have been designed to work as a package.

So in summery, it really depends on what you are planning on using the bike for. Most bikes made in the last 20 years vastly exceed what is safely usable on the public roads anyway, so if you have a wedge of money to spend it could be argued that the best option is to rebuild to stock knowing its going to work as the designers intended than blow it on a hotch potch of components which will not necessarily work.

A mate of mine is a powertrain designer for a premium motorcycle manufacturer. Working on the development team he sees first hand exactly how much development goes into a new vehicle, and is a firm advocate that for modern machinery its as good as it can be without an absolute mountain of money being spent. If you have that mountain of money to spend you are best off upgrading the whole vehicle rather than blowing it on bolt ons.

There is of course the facet of personalisation, but IMHO that comes under changing rather than improving. Personally I'm happy with a power commander, pipes and the occasional common sense mod like heavier starter motor cables on things like Ducati and Laverda, where its been proven the originals were marginal, but different forks, wheels and engine mods put me off.

A good quality rear shock is not a bad mod, as its relatively easy to set them up to function properly, but typically they are fitted to replace a worn original. Geometry changes are a huge no no in my book. I learned that from a 350LC which would slap suddenly and violently with no warning on anything other than a perfectly smooth road due to 'revised' geometry

 

A good modification is anything that makes the owner happy . Who cares what anyone else thinks :tongue:.

 

Everyone is different, I've never been a modder, my own preference is complete originality, I have in the past obsessively tracked down oem parts to change a car back to how it came off the production line, and I am already the same with bikes. however that doesn't mean I don't admire some of the work people do to create a bike that is very personalised and a reflection of them.

I do however love factory modified bikes and cars such as Ruf, Alpina and Bimota.

 

a modification that includes cornflake packet and double sided tape is a wanky one
billet alloy or carbon fibre done properly not

 

My 916 is extensively modified - the best mod I ever did was lightweight wheels, of course newer bikes probably have lighter wheels in the first place as the manufacturers are evolving the 'less (weight) is more' approach...

 

Weight is the unquestioned enemy, in vehicles heavier is never better.

 

me to.

 

Stick RS at the end. The best mod you can do.

 

pininferina (spelling)

 

It's the done properly part that is difficult. Carbon yoke protectors - wtf -its sticky back plastic and looks naff. Carbon clock surrounds - et al. The use of carbon is a very heated subject. Are you trying to reduce weight? Well carbon is a viable material. Cosmetic only changes - naff?

The use of billet alloy is very similar. 99% of its uses seems to be for cosmetic reasons only - purely form over function, aka billet M/C resevoirs, rearsets on road bikes (personal ergonomics accepted of course)

Paint schemes - for me looking decent at 50mph and at 25m distance is enough, the design needs to POP though (I do use yellow a a fair bit -partly because a fair amount of the ducati lot don't like it). My thoughts on factory/sponsor lookalike schemes are pretty much that they are naff. Do your own thing - dont follow the crowd. Someone did get a replica done of my yellow shed -idiot.

All in all, do what you want, but dont expect everyone to like it or understand it. Some people have no taste don't forget............:biggrin:

 

I prefer a stock bike also.

However, there are a few exceptions.

- Open clutch cover, with corresponding DP clutch plate, stainless steel springs, etc.
- Aftermarket exhausts, such as Akrapovic or Termis.
- The odd carbon part that looks better than the OEM black plastic.
- Replacing parts that rust with their non-rusting alternatives.
- Tail-tidy.


For me, any mod should have a clear benefit over the original part (not just bling for bling's sake) and, imo, should be reversible.

I don't like alternative parts that add colour where it shouldn't be, so those red/gold anodised levers and rear-sets aren't for me.

 

Good for me is anything that makes it lighter, handle better, go faster. Bad is cosmetic add on bling that does nothing.

OGR

 

If you want to go faster spend a couple of hundred quid with Ron Haslam, if you want it to be lighter, lose a few pounds :wink:

 

Slim fast is cheaper than carbon fibre, and can be transferred to your next bike.

 

Remove some letters to spell im fat

 

@ carlos fandango correct me if I'm wrong, I think the Ducati/Kawasaki wannabe in your photo is actually a Bajaj Pulsar 220. I have it's older reincarnation which lives in India.

 

My mindset exactly, for example on my Streetfighter -

- Open clutch cover, with corresponding DP clutch plate, stainless steel springs, etc. I always fit a slipper on my V Twin Ducati's, the stainless springs and open clutch cover set it off nicely.
- Aftermarket exhausts, such as Akrapovic or Termis. Again, The Termis look and sound very nice,
- The odd carbon part that looks better than the OEM black plastic. Carbon exhaust guard, radiator guards and key guard look better than stock parts. I wrestled with buying the larger carbon air intakes for a while as I couldn't really justify £350 on a small performance increase and a slightly better look, but I succumbed in the end :tongue:
- Replacing parts that rust with their non-rusting alternatives. Not an issue on the SF, but something I have done before on my MV Agusta. I spent over £150 relacing tarnished bolts and fasteners and it transformed the bike.
- Tail-tidy. The stock numberplate holder looks awful, so it was the 1st mod, along with a smaller (not ridiculously small) number plate.

- Also Gilles rear sets for adjustability, Gilles levers for the same plus a bit of bling. DP racing seat for a bit of extra grip. Ventureshield for paint protection. Now I personally think the bike looks and rides spot on.

Major no-no's would be - Anodised fasteners, levers, 95% of paint jobs, coloured screens and headlight protectors.

 

This is a Pulsar 220, the yellow one looks a bit different but same sort of dimensions