'Essential' bike mods and bling: do you really need it?︱Cross Training Adventure
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- crosstrainingen... tractionerag.com Do you really need that bling? Do you have to spend thousands on your bike mods? Are you the king of bling? Or the queen of sheen? You have just purchased a brand new motorbike. Many of us then go on to spend thousands of dollars on bling and bike mods. So you have to sell the rest of the kids off too. Don't try to substitute bling for a lack of talent. Is there really such a thing as essential adventure bike mods? This is why I think it's important to think critically and not just blindly run with the crowd and keep spending money on stuff we probably don't need. There are plenty of people getting into our sport for the first time, and often they are hit with a barrage of wellmeaning advice to buy 'essential motorbike mods'. Also, even experienced riders are often sucked into this consumerist vortex and start believing they'll only be happy if they have those anodized titanium hand levers. Do-it-yourself. I love seeing guys make their own windscreens. Designing and making their own custom seats. A final thought. Check out this guy we ran into in Borneo. Beaten up old scooter. It's probably 30 years old. Done a gazillion miles. Isn't this what motorbike riding is all about? A huge grin on your face? Making do with what you have? Not falling into that trap... I'll only be happy when I get a better bike. You probably sold your soul, and some of your kids for scientific experiments, to buy it. Or that anodized plug? Hear endeth the rant. This is all just an opinion of course, and I'm keen to hear yours. Are you a king of bling? Queen of sheen? Or a wiser miser? Let us know in the comments. If you are rich, fine. But many are already in debt and don't need to make it worse. Now before this all sounds too negative, yes it's fun putting bling on a bike! If you are are wealthy, why not have fun doing this? Yes it's nice to customise your bike a little and make it different to others. And projects are fun, we have done this with our massive DR650 series.
Do we really need to do this stuff? Here are some examples. The very first thing you must do is invest $1000 in setting up your suspension. It will transform your riding! Ditch those dangerous stock tyres immediately, you will ride much faster and safer on these Wang Chang tyres! These mods will turn you into pro rider, give you firmer longer lasting erections for your camping tent, and attract the opposite sex. And a good chunk of the same sex too. Sure, in some cases there are bike mods and bling that will make a substantial difference. But so often we are victims of clever marketing. Mmost of us find dirt riding expensive already (insert four stroke beggar) but we will spend a few thousand dollars on customising our bike. Will it really make a difference? Buying bling is easier and instant, so I choose to believe this will improve things instead. I have spent so much money on bling I don't want to admit it made no difference, so I choose to believe it has. Go with the crowd. If everyone else says this anodised billet alloy gas cap made their bike faster, it must be true, right? In a similar vein, there is anchoring bias. You are likely to stick with the information you learned as a beginner and not listen to other points of view later. So if everyone tells you bike mods and bling are critical when you first start riding, you are unlikely to change your mind later. We get heaps of questions about the bling we put on our bikes. And requests for a video about this. We usually keep pretty quiet about this for a few reasons. First, plenty of riders think performance bling or mods are going to make a big difference to their riding. And as experienced riders, know this is usually incorrect. It's 80% the rider, 20% the bike. Put your money into training and actually learn how to ride. There is only marginal to zero gain for lots of dollars. New riders to the sport often ask for advice on social media. And dozens of wellmeaning guys will tell them about the dramatic improvements from an anodized butt plug glued to their seat. Think about riding the bike stock for a few rides. Then work out if you really need to add things to the bike with a cost benefit analysis. For example, do you need a two stroke exhaust guard? How often will you probably damage it? Is it cheaper to just repair it compared to a few hundred dollars for a heavy guard? Research the product. There's plenty of dodgy stuff out there. And a lot of it is coming from a certain dodgy Asian communist country... check out the country of manufacture. Buy quality stuff when you can, then it only hurts once. And finally, when you sell your bike, you can usually recoup half your money if you sell the bling separately to the bike.
Music: Airglow by Stellardrone
#crosstrainingadventure #crosstrainingenduro #adventure riding
Installing dice valve stem caps and the number 69 on my number plates significantly decreased my lap times. I’ll never go back.
These are obviously serious mods that make a huge difference and you should fork out as much cash as possible to get the very best. I assume you got the gold plated caps?
They’re actually made from titanium infused moon rock which is silver plated prior to the gold plating, for performance reasons.
Hot damn! Have you got a link? I've dusted off my sixth credit card which hasn't been maxxed out yet!
Sorry, Xhibit just bought the last four to pimp someone’s ride and the moon rock supply has been depleted. Hopefully manufacturing resumes in 2024 after the next moon mission.
I guess we'll have to wait... that unobtanium from Saturn will take even longer. 😢
My money goes to protection, tires, comfort and addressing known failure items. Too much bling and expectations of my skills become unrealistic😃
Ditto, Paul! I'm waiting for at least a few viewers to get super defensive about this vid lol. Some guys just love customising their bike with bling which is great if you can afford it and don't use it as a substitute for learning to ride better. But my lack of cash forces me to think carefully about what I do get. And I'll often sell it separately when I sell the bike so I get at least half my cash back!
And to that end, buy used with all those goodies already bolted on.
Funny enough I listened to a podcast today saying almost the exact same thing. A guy that tested Honda’s. Manufacturers spend bundles of cash and a crap load of time making all the bike bits working together perfectly. Cheers Billy
Ride your new bike basically stock, break shit, upgrade broken shit so it doesn't break next time, end up with an awesome bike.
Warning - you will likely break some shit in the process of making your bike awesome.
Trial by fire!
Just put deposit down on new T7. Will put oem centre stand, crash bars, skid plate, rear rack on to cover ADV weekend / multi-day rides and commuting to work during the week. I feel these fit the 'essential' category. The 'bling' I was considering are heated grips but after seeing this video think I'll see how this winter goes without it first.
I'm keen to get a ride on a T7 and see what all the online chatting is about, Andrew. I've only ever had really cold hands once as I'm usually in the subtropics. But I lost all feeling in my hands during a mini blizzard in the high country of Victoria. I was dreaming of heated grips that day!
I truly appreciate your humor, absolutely spot on. I never appreciated "well to do" with the biggest, shiniest, most popular bling, from fishing gear, to vehicles. I will approach the old geezer, with a Santa beard and a beat up bike every time over Mr. or Mrs. Fancy pants. I want to know where he's been, what to pay attention too, what is absolutely necessary.
So true, Matthew! And when we a dirt riding, we always have massive respect for that older guy is torn mismatched riding gear on an old beaten up two stroke who can usually ride rings around the young guy who has just spent $20,000 on the latest and greatest for his bike, bling and riding gear.
Wiser miser. All our bikes are stock, but some have factory options fitted (heated grips on some, centre stand on others, that sort of thing), aftermarket protection (Bark Busters, sump guard) or on little mods we've made ourselves (rear rack). No bling for the sake of bling. No coin dropped on "upgrading" perfectly good factory components before they're shagged out. Money is spent on ways for the bike to carry our gear, or on our safety and comfort, or on reliability, maintenance and repairs.
The best “bling” money can buy is good training. Modding your skill set is not just useful, but hugely rewarding.
I'll agree with about 95% of that....except suspension. A WR250R [ my bike ] with some decent suspension, just transforms the bike. I do long days in the saddle, the stock units with a bit of load would give up after 1/2 an hr, especially the rear. It's hugely less exhausting riding the WR, better traction/steering/comfort, easier on engine/clutch/gearbox, tyres are better connected to the ground, it's a no brainer.....The video you did on the suspension upgrade on the DR project agrees with me too.
And I'd agree that in some cases you have to do the suspension on certain bikes for safety and enjoyment. E.g. the stock DR650 will be fine for a rider under 95kg who is just cruising around on smooth roads. But it badly needs work if you are a lot heavier, ride aggressively, ride over bumpy terrain, and/or load it up with luggage. But plenty of guys spend needlessly on suspension. E.g. our local suspension shop has actually turned customers away because the owner insists on spending $1000 on their brand new bike's suspension and the guys know in some cases they won't be able to improve on the stock setup enough to justify the expense. But the owner is so determined to splash the cash they just go to a suspension tuner who will take their cash.
Great vid as always best mods I did were rainbow tassels multiple stubbie holders and ductape dispenser ,essential equipment goodonya bro cheers
Rainbox tassels? Shut up and take my money! I ran some pink handlebar tassels at the last hard enduro (no joking) but never heard of rainbox coloured ones... 🤔
@@crosstrainingadventure hehe cool there only for the manliest of mans mate instant hp gains too 🍺👍
Yep, very noticeable gains in power and wheelies...
Buy the basic protection parts, address any ergo needs to fit the bike to you, spend the rest on tires, gas, and oil. Seat time is your most valuable investment in riding.
Amen
Im just glad that the previous owner of my bushpig did most of the expensive mods for me (forks, carb, handlebars, vapor, exhaust, seat, pannier racks, bash guards, HDB guards, couple other things I'm sure I forgot) and all i've had to do is give it gas, tires and oil. And a Cogent mojave shock but in the grand scheme of things, not that much. So for the guys who throw lots of money at their bikes then turn around and sell them... good for me!
Good buying!
All you sayed is so true. I brought 1,000 bike last year 300 in tires and protective piece on it and run circle around the guy with bling out dirt bike.
Yes! Always so good to hear of old bikes blasting past the latest and greatest models. 😎
@@crosstrainingadventure Picking up a 1,000 dollar Suzuki 82 125 tomorrow. Don't know if it's ts rm or rmx.
Sweet! As a teenager I was hitting our local tracks on a TS185, seemed incredibly fast after the minibikes....
I bought a 2014 dr 650 SE around 6k km from a deceased estate for $7500. Then over the next twelve months I added protection( bash plate, oil cooler guard, 2nd hand handle bar protectors, and warp 9 case savers, acerbis frame protectors), a tekNik stage one suspension upgrade, an ebay rack for $90, lowered and rearward peg mounts, wider pegs, changed the tyres to d606 front and rear, had to open the carby to fix the float bowl o ring so increased the size of the idle jet to a 45(not sure it's the one Vince Strang supplies), fitted a 25l acerbis tank. When I write it all down it sounds a lot but I haven't gone into debt to achieve this but I haven't ridden it for months. I do have a set of rox risers I'm thinking about fitting but feel my next step should be some rider training. I live in Sydney I would class myself as a dirt nube. Got any suggestions?
Rider training? We always think that's a great idea, Ian.
I always do my own research and critical thinking when building up a bike... but my desire to improve my riding skills brought me to this channel - and that is the biggest difference that separates me from others that I ride with.
What are your riding buds like, Matt? More into bling than riding skills?
I bought a DR650SE 2000 model last december. 30000 km on it. and still stock. Only bought an X-grip for my phone and spent some money on a basic offroad training. In The Netherlands you can`t really ride offroad, people don`t share the offroadtracks for fear of overcrowding them. so practice isn`t really easy to come by here. Planning on a bashplate next and thats about it for now. More training and practice seems best.
Groetjes van Australia, menheer Vliegende Hollander. It's a shame they haven't sold the DR650 in Europe for so long. Is the KLR650 available there? The 2021 has fuel injection so it might meet the emission laws...
I bought a windscreen for my street bike. It took the pressure off my chest (only), and created insufferable buffeting on my helmet.
Additionally, I bought frame sliders for that bike, but when I went to install them, the engine somehow sagged just a tiny bit on the left side, and it was about 40 minutes before I could install the slider and it wasn't really lined up. So, when I sold the bike later I felt bad that it probably had a cross threaded frame slider on it.
My current bike has slip on exhaust, which is the second set I've bought. The first set rattled, and discolored very quickly (it was cheaply made). This set required a gasket, which I cracked before fully installing.
So, in the future I'll probably just stick with the necessary repairs and preventive measure (fixing known problems before they happen), and I might just stick with soft luggage.
If it breaks it maybe an opportunity for some bling(ig handlebars levers pegs ect). Spend on the basics(oil,fork service) before adding a "fix".
In the late seventies I put my road bike most places (no single track). It was stock except for the sheepskin seat cover and rear rack. Today I still ride my DR650 with stock suspension (does pogo a bit) but still have fun in the dirt.
The mighty sheepskin cover! I love seeing these around on old bikes still. 😁 If you ever do anything with the suspension, I'd suggest the FFRC Plex valves... no mods, just drop them in. Transforms the bike. I've just kept the rear shock as it is. The good thing is the valves never wear out so you can recoup most of the cost by selling them later on.
Absolutely necessary:
- carbon composite enduro wheels
- 4 stroke pipe guard
- pre-mix transmission oil
- 12v to 110/220v inverter
- hard enduro windshield
- extra light Kevlar flywheel
- high tolerance piston rings
- 21in rear tire for additional balance
... and the list goes on...
Thanks for pointing these out, Jorge. Obviously this sort of bling DOES make a difference and it's worth hocking your house for it. When only the best will do!
For us we're mostly all about functionality and DYI but trying to stay on the cheaper side of things. We're just over $6k for 2 DR650s equipped the way we like them (including the bikes). Increased fuel range (expensive plastic) and crash/luggage protection. Great video as always, hope you're doing well *T4S* 😀👍🍻
That's a bargain for two bikes! Especially compared to the new AUD$32000 Harley Davidson adventure bike.
If you buy a DR, you don’t have to fix the suspension if you ride on billiard table smooth roads. However, if you venture into the bush, you will die. Bike requires $1000 via FFRC fix (I did it) and a decent front tyre. The rest could be considered bling, but that is first world spending.
I might do another vid about DR650 suspension soon. On my latest DR650 I rode it stock for a while but had to put FFRC's Plex valves in as we started hitting gnarlier stuff. As usual, it transformed the bike and it's much safer over bumpy terrain now. I am thinking of leaving the rear shock as is though. I don't ride as aggressively as I did a few years back, I'm not overweight, and I don't plan on carrying lots of luggage. I reckon the Plex valves are a no brainer though for most riders. And when you sell the bike you can always sell the valves separately for about two thirds of the new price. Relatively cheap 'investment' in a transformed front end imho....
The video speaks so much truth to (I’m guessing) 90% of riders. I think the other 10% to varying degrees spend the big bucks for things that are indeed necessary for how and where they use their bikes. 👍🏾
Yep, I know some viewers will probably get defensive and assume I'm saying all mods and bling are bad. But I've done stuff to my current DR650 to make it safer and more comfortable. This vid is more aimed at less experienced riders and just saying do your research, don't fall for the marketing hype, and spend wisely... unless you are wealthy and get a kick from shiny things, in which case go to town! 🤣
@@crosstrainingadventure Only an experienced rider could put out a video that points out the things that you have laid out. I have found that other than bike protection most of the go fast stuff are only marginally useful when you get to the point that you are starting to over ride the bike. At that point you are one helluva rider.
I picked only the things I'd need plus things that would make the bike a much better ride.
In/on my DR I went with fork springs and emulators because let's face it, the stock suspension is rubbish. I also fitted a stiffer rear spring to deal with my weight.
I fitted all the B&B parts minus the chain guard, light brackets and fender brace. I figure I'll drop it at some point and be glad I put the parts on. I also didn't want to rub the paint off the frame with my boots. I also need a good luggage rack for my tail bag. The tail tidy was just to make it look better.
I fitted a 25L Acerbis fuel tank to replace the puny 13L stocker.
Fitted a centre stand to make working on the bike easier, especially if I need to replace a tube.
I had to fit better hand guards so i opted for Barkbusters with Storm plastics and I fitted the Barkbuster indicators to save relocating the stock ones due to the larger fuel tank.
Windscreen is a must for my height and without one the wind comes up into my helmet.
Gel seat pad feels a lot better than the plank of wood Suzuki call a seat and it was the cheapest option.
Bar risers, my height requires them. Still have the stock bars though.
I fitted a Warp9 fork brace as it came highly recommended.
I fitted a braided brake line to the front which gives a much nicer feel and it's the most exposed line so preventing a loss of front brake while off-road is a must.
I fitted a Procycle TM40 carburettor so I could do away with the BST40 and it came highly recommended. I've also ridden a stock DR, a DR with a modified carb & pipe and a DR with the pumper carb and a pipe. The pumper carb bike was the most tractable off-road and doesn't have any noticeable hesitation due to the lack of a vacuum slide.
I fitted a 350mm oval Delkevic slip on to get the most out of the pumper carb plus it's a lot lighter, looks nicer and makes the bike sound better. I also ground down the weld inside the header pipe. I removed about 2mm around the entire inner leaving 1mm of weld to hold the ring on.
I changed out the tyres as I know the deathwings are utter piles for some nice Australian Motoz tyres. I also get these tyres at cost price through work and I liked how my mates performed.
I did fit a rim lock in the rear also as it's the tyre I'll be airing down in some locations.
So maybe it's not all things I'd need like the indicators for instance but it's certainly made my bike look a lot better.
Impressive list of mods, Sheridan. How are the MOtoz tyres? I'm thinking of trying them for the first time soon...
Guilty, shorty anodised levers (were a gift mind you)/barkbusters/fake akra/Gear Indicator disp./wider pegs all on a cb500x...but I'm reigning it back in, I am resisting the rally raid injection and more.
Latest redeeming mods - crushed softdrink can for sidestand foot support, bunnings $2 looped ends webbing strap (fluro green mind you) for locking the helmet to the rear grab handle. Low cost solution for a low cost helmet/problem.
I must admit that Rally Raid kit was tempting when I owned a CB500X, Ty... but the price, ouch! And I realised the bike would still be very heavy (for my purposes) and I just sold it and got a DR650 instead. Are you enjoying the CB500X so far?
@@crosstrainingadventure I love it as it covers light dirt and all the tarmac you could want with smoothness and fuel economy you could only wish for. However like you've mentioned it's not enough dirt for my liking either and after spending the amount RRaid want you to it still has only ~7" clearance. I reckon I'll succumb to the Trail bike (dual sport) like the old days again. For now I'm happy to be out on it.
Bought a Dr Tanami it had good fruit on it. Put the bonus Pirelli tyres on fitted a rack to make it practical changed the horrible stock handlebars and grips after they bent. Better rear half exhaust assembly and a windscreen for longer trips oh and that bloody stock seat. Clocking up miles on it not putting chrome and cap all over it. Do your research buy wisely and enjoy
Same here John, my brother and I bought the Tanami model which has some great stuff on it already. Strangely he is fine with the stock seat but he hasn't done anything longer than a two hour ride yet lol.
Not gonna lie riding a scooter with a steering wheel instead of bars sounds like something i want to try out.
I'm going to try the $900 genuine leopard skin steering wheel available for the DR650...
😂 It shall be mine!
I have to laugh sometimes after 40years of riding, i use to have a KTM 525 had lots of trick bits and chrome work all over bike with alloy highly polished, always used to wash and clean and maintain my bike like new ,each time i went riding with a group of unknown people and they all laughed at me at the start of the day getting bike off the trailer saying i cant be much of a rider with a bike that looks like that... but by the end of the day most of them only saw the rear of my bike and had a completely different outlook on how a good rider keeps his machine spotless and in tip top shape :)
You might be able to fake it with road bikes and cruisers and Harleys etc but it doesn't work in the dirt... you either know how to ride or you don't! Always good to hear when guys who've spent a fortune on the latest bike and riding gear realise it doesn't make much difference to their actual ability. 😂👍 Loved my old motarded 525EXC...
Definitely a wiser miser 😂 I don’t do anything I don’t feel it needs and fabricate everything I can before buying over priced items
I can still remember my old windscreen for my last DR650 made out of a garbage bin. 😂
@@crosstrainingadventure popular mod lol ive even used old uk car reg plates for wind deflectors on my adv touring bike touratec wanted crazy money 🙄
Love it. I think the industry is fully aware that adventure riding tends to be a lot of cashed up guys in their 50s keen to splurge on their hobby... and set the price of bling items accordingly. 😊
@@crosstrainingadventure for me it sets apart the fashion victims vs true blood bikers for me a true biker is a spanner monkey not cash cow amongst many other differences ;)
I've noticed that I hit the 'unsubscribe' option when cyclists are trying to sell me something rather than riding something.
That's mostly what's happening in the colonies--sad but true--
Good tyres , thats all you need !!
A great discussion about bling and the need for it, or not. 👍👍 I've finally achieved a lifelong desire, to appear on a dodgy Barry Morris video! ❤🙏😉 One thing to mention is that an investment in a good item for your bike can often last many years, and if you spread the cost out over the many hours of fun, it's easier to justify. I lashed out on a Clake Prolever when my 300RR was at about 50 hours . . . now at 300-ish and it's been a great investment. Not an investment in the traditional sense, but an investment in pleasure for the time I am riding my bike. Time is the real commodity of life, and our allocation is fated. Enjoy every second of it, and if you have to blow a bit of dosh to make your time spent more fun, then do it. As always though, live and spend within your means, lest you become enslaved and have to sacrifice that precious commodity (time) for the less precious (money).
I can only hope the dodginess doesn't rub off on your vids as a result, Tori. 😂 That's a good point about making the most of this short life and 'investing' in your hobby. Dallas over in Canada (Traction eRag's chief reprobate) says if you can afford it and it makes your riding more enjoyable then go for it... whether it's a Rekluse clutch or titanium trainer wheels or pink handlebar tassels (and I did try the tassels recently, believe it or not lol). He's influenced me quite a bit along those lines... But yes it's all about spending within your means! I aimed this vid more at less experienced riders who are probably already in debt from buying their bike, then keep hearing they must spend more on 'must have' mods. But of course if you are loaded then why not splurge if you enjoy your hobby even more?
Basic is best for me!! Shiny bikes attract dirt way more than the old faded ones anyway. Lmfao great video
Actually on my latest dirt bike I deliberately put old plastics on it and a pile of stickers just so it looked old and beaten up already. 🤣 I don't worry about scratching it then. And when I take it all off to eventually sell the bike it actually looks pretty good again.
Hey mate great video as always. I found air flow mods for the engine a made huge difference (airbox and exhaust). Suspension tuning is underrated in my opinion. I had my forks done by TEKNIK and the bike feels 50kg lighter. Otherwise, I installed some bar risers (as I am over 6ft tall) but after some training by Chris Birch ( via his series on Vimeo) I removed them and it transformed my riding. I had been fighting against my own modifications for years. Thanks for the video. Keep it up!
What bike is that? Bikes like the DR650 respond hugely to derestriction and suspension mods, other bikes less so... I had some interesting chats with Chris about bar risers and we agreed to disagree lol. I said you get to a certain age and the back pain from being too tall for a bike just gets too uncomfortable and bar risers become a great option. I discussed it in this vid: ruclips.net/video/frSCJQ5mp1Y/видео.html
@@crosstrainingadventure Yes I have watched your video where you mention bar risers and admittedly they do make standing up a bit easier but they wreck technique. I used to struggle to get the balance right when standing through sharp-ish corners and up steep hills but without the risers I am much more stable and able to nail the techniques Chris talks about in his videos. I ride a 2005 KTM 640 ADV. I was in search of the lightweight adventure bike and nothing comes close to the 640 for the kind of “hard enduro adventure” riding that we do (in my opinion anyway). A mate of mine has a Yamaha WR250R and loves it. Talk about mods though! He’s done everything he can; airbox, exhaust, suspension. It’s a different bike now! Those engines have so much potential when derestricted.
Hope your back is feeling better! Cheers.
Buy & use crash protection & improve riding skills, then go on trips to really enjoy it!
Hear hear!
Berry it’s not even about that. Bling or customization doesn’t equate to thinking it improves riding ability even an ounce or even necessarily improves the performance of the bike. Instead some people like to tinker, test, adjust or simply personalize our ride in a carbon copy market of colors that equates to a handful of options. I love to ride and work on bikes but where i live limits my riding so i find myself tinkering often and when i hear you talking generally about mods like they are complete rubbish, is rubbish.
Less experienced riders can fall into the trap of bling = performance though. This vid was prompted by a guy on a DR650 forum saying he'd just fitted a fork brace and it 'completely changed the bike' and 'you'll never ride without one after you try it'. Immediately less experienced riders are saying 'where can I buy it?!' And then experienced riders jumped in saying it makes little to no difference and is probably a waste of money. If you watch the vid again, you'll see I clearly say some mods can make a big difference. And even when they don't it can simply be fun if you can afford it.
All my blinkers are led trailer lights. The little 3/4 diameter push in ones for big rig trailers. 2 will fit in each klr blinker mount. Bright, and will never break off😎
Oh and can get packs of 10 for cheap, and if one happens to die, most truckstops in north amercia have them
I love mods like that, thinking outside the box and saving money in the process. A guy in Canada gave me a pair of Milwaukee work gloves and said these are very popular in the USA. Very cheap, tough as nails and they last forever. I've been using them for two years now and wonder why I ever bothered with motorbike gloves.
Another...klr are notorious for rack bolts coming loose or breaking. My bro had a set of frame sliders. The Swiss Roll style🤤I drilled the holes bigger to match the sliders. High grade bolts and sliders have never come loose and are handles for pushers or protect the rear sides from rocks.
The "roper" or " fencing" glove is also a great alternative too. A couple rides they break in nicely
Yes, but.... $30 eBay AirHog ripoff cushion is a must have butt saver!
I bought cheap handguards and folding-mirrors(ebay) then i welded my stock footpegs for more grip and better comfort when standing up. then i adjusted the shifter arm to work better with my As tech7 enduroboots..
I shamlessly buy toys for my new sweet heart. I'm not fooling myself, lol.
Depending on the bike. Modded up my Bonnevile by replacing Oem with quality parts when they failed.
If it's not putting you into debt then why not? 😁 Occasionally I ride with a friend who has blinged his bike out... anodised slave cylinder and oil filter covers, that sort of thing. We always joke around about the massive horsepower boost it's given him. But he's quite well off and admits he just likes making his bikes feel a bit different to all the others.
I've watched my buddy add all the goodies to his bike. Hasn't improved his riding at all. Still complains about a sore butt because he sits most of the time on the trails. Still wipes out because he refuses to try to improve his riding skills. The bike looks nice, but it's getting all scratched up from hitting the dirt all the time.
Seen that plenty of times, Jay. And it used to be me as well years back. In my case I made it worse because I thought bling, my suspension setup, and my choice of knobbies were the solutions I needed. Mind you I don't think there's anything wrong with guys enjoying bling and not wanting to develop their skills... as long as they aren't going further into debt.
I bought a 2 yr. old used Beta Race Edition with the miscellaneous anodized crap included for less than half the price of a new one. That's how you do it if you're a cheap bastard like me!
You can pick up some bargains that way Jon! In the past I've bought some fully blinged bikes and then just sold off the bling I didn't need. If it wasn't scratched I could usually get two thirds of the new price for it... half if it was scratched.
Mods yes, Bling no. I’m so slow having the 200rr revalved was worth it... harshness gone. Swap the SeatConcepts seat between 200 and 300 cause my ass is important! Clake products cause my fingers are weak. Run TubeLiss so I don’t need to carry tire tools. If I somehow totally shred a tire, I will walk home. Also virtually all tires have decent grip at 4psi. All the rest of my $$ goes into high end protective gear, professional training and my wife.
TUbliss at low air pressurs is very cool, Clinton... I've given up worrying what brand or type of knobby I fit. And I get so much more grip I wear them out way more than I used to.
We called them model builders at the shop I worked in. I will admit my current KTM is equipped with some nice farkle in the Ohlins TTX suspension but in my defense it was on the bike when I bought it. Actually I find it to be embarassing as my abilities do not do the TTX justice.
I suspect 90% of us can't do our bikes justice, Roger. 😂 A few times I've seen guys posting on social media about all the mods and bling they are adding to their dirt bikes for better performance, then you finally meet them and realise they are almost beginners!
I know my riding skills so the farkles on my bike are mostly protection either for me or for the bike :D That being said I will replace the suspension - but only once the stock shocks are worn out
Sometimes I think the stock suspension can be so bad then it must be upgraded for safety (and enjoyment!) such as a heavier/aggressive rider on a DR650. But otherwise it makes sense to leave suspension mods until your first service (if you get the shop to do it) or as you say when it wears out. Our local suspension shop has actually turned customers away because the owner insists on spending $1000 on their brand new bike's suspension and the guys know in some cases they won't be able to improve on the stock setup enough to justify the expense.
Love it. I’m so sick of seeing blokes with a brand new bike that they have loaded up with $1,000s worth of stuff before they have done any riding at all.
Then they go an sell it a few months later for the next new shiny thing.
I guess I’m one of those idiots that thinks that “getting out there and riding what you’ve got” is the point of being a bike rider.
If the guys are loaded to the gills with cash and can afford to throw it around then I figure that's fine, although it still makes me cringe. 😂 My issue is when they went into debt buying the new bike then just dig a deeper hole for themselves on stuff that probably won't make them ride any better or more comfortably! This video is for them....
Your dr650 series led me to order some cogent dynamic fork mods for my klr. Meanwhile every plastic is broken, cracked, and faded. And it only gets washed in while lying in mud puddles or water crossings. 🤣
I do actually think fixing the DR650 forks is a 'must-do' mod the moment you want to do more than cruise around on flat smooth roads. They can actually be dangerous if you want to start pushing the bike at all! Be careful not to spoil your bushpig too much, even washing them in mud puddle can get them used to that sort of pampering. 😎
If only the wife would think the same way around Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Christmas.
😂
I’m a king of bling. It’s my hobby and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Absolutely. If it's not putting you into debt or running a family short of food... and it brings enjoyment... why not?
@@crosstrainingadventure I am in debt. My family could starve to death. My bike comes first. Lol!
Good work, Oscar. Going into debt means you are keen to share what you have with others. A starving family? It makes sense to avoid the risk of obesity! 😉
Anodized buttplug?! I don't see a link for this in the description...
We are developing our own line which will be announced soon, Joel. Our initial prototypes using spikes caused a lot of internal bleeding. And they are being made in China and the coating has been causing cancer.
Thanks for the reminder. Every time I get a bike I always look up the price of the powder coated butt-plug.
Same here, Caleb. I always get the smoothest looking ones too, that new type with the serrated edges looks potentially uncomfortable. 🤔
What else is there to spend money on apart from motorcycles and parts?
Also am a plumber my wife is an accountant and we dont have kids.She pays all the bills like power,water,mortgage etc so might as well buy nice stuff! I enjoy working on bikes almost as much as riding them!
Cocaine and hookers.
I'm on a disability pension. My RM 144 owes me well over 30K "Where there's will. There's a way".
1 Motorbikes
2 Motorbike parts
3 Food
In cases of severe starvation food can be bumped up into number two spot... maybe.
2:40 jesus christ i thought you were into the rhubarb. 🤣Just a silly little drone
Keen to get one of these 'follow me' drones but damn they are expensive! This footage was courtesy of the Torimoto channel, she's getting some amazing footage with it.
boots and helmet are the only thing you really need to fork out for
Another great video. Can you make a video on Off-Road Motorcycle Gear? And what kind of Price Range is Okay to do off road riding on in Oz? What brans are okay? Which boots are okay? There's such a price differential between boots.
Done a pile of vids about all this over the years, Oscar. Especially our most recent vid on boots. ruclips.net/video/DBTSq8OdWIc/видео.html
hey guys ,,, you know get out a ride !! simple really , harder the bike is the ride the more effort you need to put in to ride it , so you become a better rider for free !!! so get out and ride !! steve/ Geraldton .
Amen! On our dirt bikes, we actually look forward to our knobbies wearing down as we have to work harder as the traction lessens... so we learn more about good riding technique! So we always have a quiet laugh when guys obsess over the best knobbies to buy, or how the edges have rounded off the knobs and they can't get up hills now so they'll need new ones immediately. 😂 Some mods and bling do make your riding safer of course... but there is a lot of obsession with spending big dollars on stuff that probably won't make you a much better rider.
I wonder what mods are truly necessary for a dual sport , skid plate? Is that ,it bar risers if tall maybe idk.
It depends on so many factors... the kind of terrain you are in, how hard you'll be riding, how often you crash, is it in a very remote area etc. Some mods and bling really make sense if it reduces the chances of being stranded in the middle of nowhere.
@@crosstrainingadventure middle of nowhere swampy wooded tight single track . Heavy duty zip ties in case of blow out , gas tank in back pack , and duck tape . Those are my go to it's hard to fork out money on bling
You can buy titanium fork guard bolts for the Hondas...$60cad for 6 little bolts that would normally cost $0.25.
I need 2 sets!!!!! NOW!
Buy buy! Can you imagine the wheelies?! Some dirt bike mag covered a project to make the lightest possible mx bike and they spent something like $6000 on titanium bolts to save three pounds. Ouch! motocrossactionmag.com/we-ride-the-worlds-lightest-crf250/
@@crosstrainingadventure I never even thought about the wheelies! It all makes perfect sense now, GENIUS. TITANIUM RIM LOCKS --- ? Do they exist?
If not they should!
Protection first, but 'strangely' I feel the need to buy crap for my KLR but not my old DR. There's so much aftermarket stuff for the KLR but not much for my 95 DR
Interesting, Dan... I've never checked out the bling available for a KLR but always thought there was a bucket load for the DR650. Mind you, it's always for the 1996 models and later so maybe that's the difference with the 1995 model.
@@crosstrainingadventure I forgot to mention that my DR is the 350. The SE version too so there's not a ton of performance stuff that I have found either but it's a great bike right out of the box. Soft though
Stellardrone...
I am the King of the Bling.
There is such a thing as functional bling
Lets face it. Buying what you "need" sux. It's much more fun spending cash on the shit you don't need, the stuff you just want.
Convince me I'm wrong ....
For sure, I've been very loose with the definition of bling here and included the functional stuff. My dirt bike and adv bike have heaps of this stuff already lol. I think for most guys real 'bling' going to be stuff like anodized oil plugs, master cyclinder and oil filter covers... that sort of thing. But as mentioned in the vid, if you've got the money and enjoy bling, why not? 😁 This vid is more for the inexperienced guys who just keep hearing about all these 'must have' mods and can get sucked into further debt.
King of Bling? No. King of Falling? Definitely.
Would that be a master of disaster, Pat? I often feel like that on my dirt bike lol. But oddly I never seem to crash on the adventure bike.
I buy it put protection on it and ride. No bling
Just a skid plate and tubliss for me.
I just clicked on this as my frame respray vid uploads.
I couldnt ride a rusty old 87 kmx with half the chrome missing out the barrel so ive spent half a zillion baht on making it brand new...
And then i wont want to scratch it like all the other clothes horses sat in the back of the mancave. :(
So it's an old KMX, I know you mentioned doing up an old dirt bike last week in another comment. Sweet! If only Kawasaki brought these or the KDX models back... 😢
@@crosstrainingadventure its 90% new now! I found a japan based parts source that have all those 'unobtanium' parts that ran out 20 years ago... just like my life savings.
I put a sticker on my tank. Then went riding. Now I got a custom bike too. 😬
Is it a Metal Mulisha sticker? Apparently they are good for an extra 10 horsepower.
@@crosstrainingadventure Nah. I went custom sticker and did my own logo. Did some made up math in my head and figured out that it adds 12.34 horsepower. Better than 10 and the math is proprietary so no one can prove me wrong.
Wait, does custom sticker make me a double custom? Gotta do some more math.
In the middle - king of cheap eBay bling
Any chance of some new content?
When I get around to it Sam, sure. It takes 60 hours a week minimum trying to keep two channels afloat. Supporters get much longer weekly vids emailed out.
Yes. I get the supporter vids.
I appreciate the support! Just started work on two more vids for this channel, one is riding tips for gravel roads, the other is about a recent ride in Vietnam.
Easy pull clutch, skid plate, hand guards, steg pegs....notice lots of bling on your bike....just saying
ps....I have lots of crap hanging on my bike too
I was wondering when someone would point that out, Steve. 😂 On my very limited budget I have to do a lot of hand wringing and crying before I buy stuff to put on the bike, but I usually do if I think it's really needed. In my defence though, this DR650 model actually came out with the big tank, hand guards and skidplate. 😊
@@crosstrainingadventure There's no shame in buying "functional bling"
I'm a cheap bastard so none of my bikes have bling, and with mods the usual, chinese heated grips, chinese barkbusters, chinese 12v outlet and some crash protection (made in my country)
I'm cured, looks like I'm going to find another bad woman and spend all my money on her :)
Are you sure you don't want to find a bad bike and do the same? 😂 Relationships can be expensive, I've had two mates taken to the cleaners lately by the separation.
Amazing with a anodised butt plug 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
Ride your bike, and when you ride more than 2000 miles per month, you might figure you don't need a butt plug 😆😆😆
Ride safe ❤️
😎
Best mod sell your slow ass DR and buy a KTM 👍👍
I bought a KTM 690 years ago, sold it three months later and went back to the DR.