To bling or not to bling.....now that is the question....

[robcaton1234]

When i was trawling around the internet pre test drooling over all the different bikes on offer I would often come accross descriptions of add ons that i didn't really understand like wavey discs......braided hoses...rear hugger etc etc. Now that i have my lovely looking fazer fz1, which is all standard except for oxford heated grips, I'm already thinking about what I could do to personalise it. I've already decided that a couple of must have's are gel seat (can't go more than half an hour without looking for somewhere to stop and get some blood flowing back into me bum!!) and either an engine guard or crash bobbins (fell off after one week  trying to do a u turn!!), but I'm worried that I might go too far and ruin what is already a very good looking bike. So help me out here people.....what's hot and what's not.....and do wavey discs and braided hoses actually help with performance or are they just to show off......

[rustyrider]

Wavey discs don't, braided hoses most certainly do.  The standard hoses will soften with age so they bulge fractionally when you apply the brakes making them very slightly spongy  braided ones don't so all of your pressure on the lever goes into the brake caliper.  A rear hugger is effectively a close fitting mudguard that keeps all the crap thrown off your back tyre off the rear suspension, a definite too.

[VNA - BMW Wank]

 Best to leave the braided hoses till the OE ones are on their way out.
If you have to replace em, best to fit something that will last forever ie braided ones.
 
 But in the meantime for road riding you get slightly better feel with rubber hoses, so no don't rush to replace em.
 

Are your brakes lacking?  Best thing you can do is clean the callipers, protect the pistons with red rubber grease, and bleed the brakes once or twice a year. 

 
 Huggers come down to personal taste.  I considered getting one when I got the K-Tech rear shock upgrade.  I asked the technician at K-Tech if he recommended the fitment of a hugger to protect the shock.  He said they offer no real protection for the shock and just make getting the wheel out and in harder.  So as I think they look pretty crap anyway, I didn't bother.
Mines a gen1 by the way.  Gel seat good, got one, heated grips, got those too.  I replaced the end can with something more fruity so it doesn't sound like a 1000cc sewing machine any more.  I love my hard luggage, great for carting stuff about.
It all depends what you want to do with your bike.
 

[Phil TK]

I've already decided that a couple of must have's are gel seat (can't go more than half an hour without looking for somewhere to stop and get some blood flowing back into me bum!!)

I would caution rushing into getting a gel seat without considering a good multi-density foam one. I had my seat rebuilt by Diggers in Wales and I asked him specifically not to put gel in the new construction as I found gel uncomfortable (to my mind they don't have enough 'give') I thought he would call me a little weird but in fact he said that many riders specify multi-foam over gel for the same reason.
 Some people of course prefer it.

[Gingernutz]

Bling - my little six hundred has - front mudguard extender, braided hoses, HID lights, different bars, satnav holder, double bubble screen, carbon tank pad, full hard luggage, autocom, bellypan, hugger, softer seat
Most is cosmetic but I used to do a lot of miles for work and being comfy, able to see and stop seemed to help day to day.

[robcaton1234]

thanks phil I'll keep that in mind....

I've already decided that a couple of must have's are gel seat (can't go more than half an hour without looking for somewhere to stop and get some blood flowing back into me bum!!)

I would caution rushing into getting a gel seat without considering a good multi-density foam one. I had my seat rebuilt by Diggers in Wales and I asked him specifically not to put gel in the new construction as I found gel uncomfortable (to my mind they don't have enough 'give') I thought he would call me a little weird but in fact he said that many riders specify multi-foam over gel for the same reason.
 Some people of course prefer it.

[jimbo]

If you have an all standard bike in good condition then I would try to keep it that way.
 
I guess it is all opinion and personal preference, but I can't see how the addition of a 'fruity pipe' or other bling related items is gonna improve anything.
 
I would say nothing looks better than a spanking clean bike in top condition with all OEM original parts.
 

[JZS 600]

Me too, but after riding through the winter on my 600, the hugger did seem to keep the shite off the rear shock.

[redman]

I think pimped out bikes look shite and cheap, I prefer original and spotless but each to their own

[rustyrider]

Depends what you mean by pimped.  I wouldn't consider my bike pimped but it seems you would.  It's got practical mods, front fender extender (keeps some of the crap off the downpipes), belly pan (keeps even more crap off the downpipes), heated grips (keep my hands warm), Scottoiler (keeps my chain lubed) and alloy can (hardly looks any different to the original, just sounds nicer).  Of those I'd only consider the the can to be bling but only just, it's not as shiny as the original chromed one even.

[redman]

Ay up rusty yeh you've made practical mods wich are definately a must i was more thinking of the likes of small number plates extra xmas tree lights coloured bolts everywere moto gp exhausts and owners looking like power rangers with knee sliders whove still got chicken strips 

[DryRob]

I don't consider realistic performance/protective upgrades as bling so if it gives a justifiable return then do it but don't bother replacing parts that are still serviceable.
 
Stainless downpipes when the old ones rot
Braided hoses when the old ones start to stretch
End can when you're bored of the stock sound
Fender extender/hugger if you ride in shite weather/winter
Crash bungs if you think you'll drop it
Engine upgrades if you want more power
Suspension upgrades if you feel you would get the use out of it
Sidecar if you want to take the dog out on rides
 
I wouldn't recommend the cosmetic stuff I've done, to others it's probably tasteless but it's my first bike and I can get it back to original pretty easily when I grow up.

[dolau]

When you say pre test- I assume you mean bike test and dont have a licence yet

Best bling you can buy as a new rider once you have brought you shiny new steed is....... more training

This way the shiny side stays up and the rubber side stays down and the shiny bits dont get grazed.... once you have mastered all the things they dont teach you to pass a test- then is the time to start getting the spanners out- or as someone said above- leave it as MR Yamaha felt it should be ... or add safety things that are inexpensive like the twin dip headlight conversion and a fender extender and a rad guard- all things designed to make your beloved last longer

IMHO that is

[VNA - BMW Wank]

The thing I saw on the news this week was tree huggers trying to get the Empire taken out of the OBE, CBE etc. If you have done good things and Queenie would like to give you a gong are you really worried that this countries wealth was built on oppression and empire several hundreds of years before you or the tree huggers were born and at a different time and circumstances

It's those who turn em down I really respect.  I wouldn't want or have one, bloody empire or no empire.

[rustyrider]

The thing I saw on the news this week was tree huggers trying to get the Empire taken out of the OBE, CBE etc. If you have done good things and Queenie would like to give you a gong are you really worried that this countries wealth was built on oppression and empire several hundreds of years before you or the tree huggers were born and at a different time and circumstances

It's those who turn em down I really respect.  I wouldn't want or have one, bloody empire or no empire.

Huh?  What's that got to do with bike mods?

[DryRob]

you get a sticker for your bike with your knighthood