Cheap Yet Effective Mods?
 

I'm in the mood for a cheap but effective mod, costing < $100. Any suggestions? Here's what I've come up with:

Manic Salamander or Throttlemeister Throttle Lock/Bar End Weights (can anyone suggest one of the two?)

PUIG DB Screen (I can't decide if I want smoke, color, clear...I'm thinking clear is the safest bet). Do these really help w/the wind? I guess I don't really have a big gripe about the wind when I ride. It doesn't really bother me.

My bike is pretty much stock, except a tank pad, Stomp Grip, and a homemade fender eliminator.

I'm not interested in cosmetic stuff, including anything that changes the sound of the bike. I want functional, useful stuff.

steal braided lines

New brake pads

bmc race air filter/K+N filter

new levers (little more than 100, but eh)

new chain

new grips

tank bag/tail bag

Sliders:dthumb:

oh, good call.

Under 100 makes it pretty tough. Gearing would be the biggest difference i think.

Throttlemeister is more than $100 for the set. I like it though. The heavier weights help dampen the vibrations and the adjustable lock helps with hand fatigue on long cruises.

I have sliders.

I'm up in the air about the throttle lock. Nice, but I don't really need it. It's rare that I break 200 miles in one day.

Do steel braided brake lines really make that much of a difference? I don't do a lot of heavy braking, either. This is the midwest.

What type of riding do you mainly do? Commuting, cruising around, etc?

Probably about 2/3 of the miles I put on are twisties. Well, about as twisty as it gets around here, which isn't much. We're talking big, sweeping turns that can be easily taken at close to 100mph without dragging a knee. The other 1/3 is commuting.

throttle lock would probably be a waste. The puig might be a good investment since you get up to that type of speed to need it, it sounds like. It's only really useful at triple digits.

Are you having a lot of problems with your hands going numb? If not, I wouldn't waste the money on bar ends.

Steel braided lines are best for places that require repeated heavy braking, like the track. Probably a waste for any type of street riding. The Puig is probably the best. It works and it makes the bike look cooler.

my vote is throttle lock, i love mine

disc lock, new brighter lights , louder horn ????????

good luck

ya, HID kit is a good idea, but you gotta spend a little more than 100 for a good kit.

20 gallons of gas?

I like the way you think. :dthumb:

what do you do with the other five dollars ?

I don't have much numbness issues. My riding position is good enough that there is rarely much weight on my hands.

when it gets too straight and too slow, i just put an elbow on the tank or a hand on the thigh until i can get up to speed or start moving again. the more distance you ride, the more you learn to cope with fatigue.

damn, i must ride more, guess i dont have enough experience yet

fuck you, you know damn well the first person i thought of when posting that was you.

I dunno, I guess I don't need anything except more miles, and tires (eventually). I'm happy with my bike the way it is.

yeah, just save your moneyz til there is something you definitely want that may be more than $100 instead of spending it on something you don't really need or really want for your bike.

jtemple =:pwhore2: :pwhore2: :pwhore2:

do they make baffles for your bike? i know the R1's do, but i know you dont wanna fuck with the sound of your bike, but deeper is never a bad thing, i can think of a few times my loud ass pipes have saved my ass, esp with deer

Quote:

Originally Posted by drewpy (Post 50470) do they make baffles for your bike? i know the R1's do, but i know you dont wanna fuck with the sound of your bike, but deeper is never a bad thing at least thats what OSP taught me on our honeymo, I mean trip, i can think of a few times my loud ass pipes have saved my ass, esp with dear

:whistle:

A&R makes a baffle kit for about $100. But, I hear stories of the cans rattling apart after you do the mod. If I was going to mess with the sound, I'd do it with a pair of slip-ons.

i dont like you, must not abuse mod/admin powers , must not abuse.. :lol:

bonus points in my book for that post.


you know you cant live without osp's manly caress.

and u sick fucks were the ones that thought we would actually ride two up, were are your heads at

is your suspension setup for you? that'd be a good idea

I set it up myself. It feels pretty good to me. I don't know of a shop around here that I'd trust to set it up for me.

Well i know you want to go cheap but I recommend a PCIII and do an airbox mod(Drill holes in the lid to let more air in). Integrated tail lights are under $100.

I'm not terribly interested in the Airbox/Exhaust/PCIII/TRE route. My signals were built into the bodywork from the factory.

Oh yeah I forgot that Kawi did that on the 10's.

time for a oil change?

Sense nobody else besides Dynce wants to be a voice of reason...

Buy a damn service manual! That way you don't get lost on one of your upcoming mods or break downs!

don't new bikes come with service manuals?

if not, gman is right

No, the SM from the dealer is $90 for my bike. I think it's available for download in PDF format for $65.

No they come with Owners Manuals.



It's hard not to mod the bike.. at least it was for me.. Spent a lot of cash on lots of parts I really didn't need. I'd get the windscreen just for now and enjoy the 1000cc's of massive power without as much of the wind. :dthumb:

owners manual is not a service manual.

Got one.

Yeah owners manuals are only good for telling you how to check your oil and what tire pressure to run. Service manuals tell you how to fix your bike.

Service manual? Good!

good info since I don't know shit i thought they were the same thats why i frequent this site. I always get good info and tips and shoot the shit with the guys at work like I know what i'm/they are talking about

If you do enough digging, they can be had for nothing.:dthumb:

never bought a new bike from the dealer, i just kinda assumed when you spend 8-11k on a new bike, it came with it:idk:

i got one for my bike, it covers every nut bolt and wire, but i think its labeled owners manual.

either way u got 1 already

is your brake fluid dirty? how bout some new plugs?

It's all good. The more we toss this around the less I think I need something.

Gas. The single best thing you could ever buy for your bike is gas.

well if everythings good, put a gallon of race gas in it, start it up in the garage and enjoy the smell:dthumb:

What about a super loud horn?

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/2137/

I have entirely too little money to buy cheap shit.

If you want to mod, wait... save... mod right. Until then, gas up and ride it.

Have a good stock of cleaning / maintenance items (chain clean, lube, fluids, etc..)

I'm always so confused by everyone's want for frame sliders. But then, I ride a bike that one would have to drill through the bodywork in order to put said frame sliders on. That, and I've seen them do more harm than good. The only ones I'd consider are the small mushroomed FRAME sliders that reside under the bodywork.

the reason is most damage comes from drops... not high speed slides... frame sliders help protect the body work and frame in low speed and parkinglot drops... they help in the higher speed but most I've seen they don't do much other than help keep the frame from being scratched.

I have to drill through the body on my bike to... and I'm going to... I've gotta replace the fairings on both sides already. the right side was broken when I had a flat and tried repairing it... and it fell over... had I had frame sliders there, I'd have saved $350 on a new set of rear sets, $150 on new levers, and $250 on the right side fairing. I also scratched up my exhaust (stock one). all that would have been elmininated if my $150 sliders had come in on time... or I had been smart enough to not chance that tire leaving

Ebbs, is correct. I have had more sportbikes than I can remember and the first accessory I put on are sliders. They more than pay for themselves in the long run

100 bucks could probably be better spent on something that doesnt go directly on the sportbike. suggestions; rear stand, some tools, cleaning supplies, scotts oiler, good grunge brush, some kerosene and quality lube, new brake pads. I hear good things about heli-bars which aren't too expensive used, great for adjusting quickly for twisties or urban riding.

$100 is probably 5 tanks of gas... can't spend money better than that.

Truth. 4 tanks of gas, a can of chain lube, a pack of rags, and a toothbrush.

Go with the Puig DB Screen (Smoke) It really helps keep the wind above your head, and it makes the bike look great. I love mine.

I was going to say stompgrip or something similar until I ready you already had it. How do you like it, btw?

new socks

I love it. From now on, it's going on all of my bikes.

Not sure where you live but here in New England one of the cheapest mods that can extend your riding season and riding times are the $30 dollar heated foils that go under your stock (or for that matter custom grips. The down side is the kit only comes with a High Low and Off switch. If you spend another $50 you get the dial that lets you control it more precisely

I just placed an order for the Manic Salamander Throttle Lock (gearing up for Sturgis). When they come and and get installed, I'll report!

+ 1 :whistle:

I installed the bar ends over lunch today. Bar vibration is all but gone and the throttle lock seems pretty slick. I'll get pictures up as soon as I can.

It turns out that the throttle lock doesn't have enough spring power in it to keep the throttle open. It needs a stronger spring. I emailed Manic Salamander to see what they suggest.

Manic Salamander suggested using grip glue on the throttle grip, if it looks like the bar end is mashing the grip back too far. I don't think that's the problem. I think the issue is spring strength. They also offered to make me some shims, I guess to put under the spring so it has a bit more strength. I'm working on getting clarification on that idea.

One thing I noticed is that it holds the throttle in place just fine while the bike is off. Once it's running it's a whole different story. Is the throttle return spring somehow stronger while the bike is running vs. when it's off?

might be vibration :idk:

Your taken a Ninja to sturgis?

I would... if it wasn't for my ex living in Lead (about 20 min from Sturgis)...

from what I've heard... Sturgis is quite calm anymore... doubt all the Dentists and lawyers are gonna risk legal problems by starting fights :lol:

Yep! Riding there and camping out in the company of a bunch of friends on cruisers (mostly Harleys).

:dthumb:

you will be the only guy that can wheelie!!! give them hell

that's why if i ever get a cruiser, I want a Rocket III

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CUlDjGFNc8

good god

I probably need to fix this throttle lock spring issue on my own before the trip. I don't think I'm going to get a solution from Manic in time for Sturgis. Does anyone know where I can find a large selection of springs?

Ace Hardware,especially one that services lawn mowers and such or *shudder* Lowes and the like.

I just tried an auto parts store and Ace, no such luck.

Shoot!:sorry:

The Manic Salamander guy has been helpful, but slow. I think it's a one man show, and he's out of town currently. He says he'll be back home and will try to make me something to fix it on Tuesday. That's cutting it pretty close to Sturgis time, considering shipping, and possibly having to return the bar ends.

He made me some shims, which are just thin plastic washers. I got 2 of them. I'm seriously doubting that they are thick enough to add any kind of real tension to the spring in the bar end. I'll find out tonight!

Ace Hardware sells brass shim stock.

The shims helped, but it still isn't working fully. For some reason, the throttle will only lock when I open it up wide (i.e. 65mph or so in 2nd gear). If I get up to 65 in 5th or 6th and lock it, the throttle just closes.

I don't think I'm going to have a working throttle lock in time for my road trip.:panic:

If I can find the time, I'll check Ace hardware and see what they have. I went there previously, looking for some kind of replacement spring.

Here are some pictures of the innards of this thing...

I just got off the phone with Throttlemeister. They have what seems to be a better design, using a threaded piston to lock the throttle instead of relying on spring tension. If you want it to lock harder, you just twist harder. They're overnighting me a set of bar-ends. If all goes well, I'll return the Salamanders.

buy the cheap 30 dollar one, it works

what cheap $30 one? I'm looking at getting something, but I need something with some weight too, to kill the bit of vibes i get in the bars.

He's probably talking about the Vista Cruise. It's just a throttle lock; not a bar end weight.

yes, i was talking about the vista cruise, put the stockers back on the end of the clip ons and throw a vc on and your money for a long trip

I have a Throttlemeister on the way. If all else fails I'll just man up and run without a lock.

Throttlemeister FTW!

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/DSCF0998.jpg

must be nice to afford the good toys....

thats what happens when you decide to quit being a professional student... and when your bike gets more than 20 mpg :lol:

Throttlemeister installed. It appears to work much better than the Manic Salamanders. I haven't had a chance to road test it, but it works fine from what I can tell.

The Manics are a solid piece of work and I wouldn't hesitate to use their bar ends. But, the throttle lock relies on spring tension to hold it in place, which is it's weak point. The Throttlemeister uses a threaded piston to hold the throttle. Once you get it shimmed to the right distance from your throttle tube, you simply twist it harder for more pressure.

I had throttlemeister on my bike before my heated grips went on. I thought it was difficult to engage while going, I prefer just the little $10 grip lever attachment.

Now to those heated grips, since you're in NE, a GREAT $20 mod. I installed mine with an SAE junction so I could hook up a battery tender when not in use. Love them, a must if you ride deep into the fall.

Do you twist the Throttlemeiser the same way as opening or closeing the throttle to engage it??
I would assume opening, so it would release if you tried to close it :idk:

It locks the throttle if you twist it in the opening direction. While it's locked, you can still twist the throttle in emergencies and such.

Gotcha, that's what I thought.

Probably gonna get me one in the somewhat near future.

To be honest,I mostly got them for the heavier bar end weights. They knocked my vibes out!

That they do!

I tried out the Throttlemeister. Mechanically, the throttle lock is quite a bit nicer than the Manic Salamander. You can really tell where that extra $50 goes. It's flawless, easier to lock/unlock, and stays that way with ease!

So do you tighten it while twisting the throttle, or how easy is it to do on the go?