Motorcycle modifications

[Dodsfall]

Motorcyclists generally love to tinker. Even lightly modifying a motorcycle can be rewarding. From the functional modification to the purely aesthetic, motorcycles have been modified by their owners since they were first available to the public. In this article, I will go over some of the simple mods I have done with my current motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson Roadster.

The functional: Adding a windshield

If a rider travels by highway often, or rides in cold weather, a windshield will reduce fatigue and raise the wind chill factor a bit. I chose a quick-release model to make the bike and windshield easier to clean. The clamps hold very tightly and the windshield is adjustable up and down a few inches for the perfect fit.

The aesthetic: Relocating the front turn signals

Harley Davidson offered a turn signal relocation kit to move the signals from the handlebars to the forks. The parts in the kit were quality-made, but incomplete. They didn't include enough wire, connectors, and shrink tubing to complete the job. I'm not sure if my kit was short the parts or if they don't include all of them. Luckily, I had the materials on hand to do the job right.

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww183/iamposthuman/Blog%20posts/front.jpg

The functional: Passenger backrest

With the back-sloping rear seat on the Sportster, a backrest is something important to have. I bought a quick-release model since I usually ride solo and don't want to lift my leg over a permanently-attached backrest all the time. Installation was fairly easy and all of the needed parts were included. Like the windshield, the quick-release hardware is outstanding and built ruggedly.

The aesthetic: Finding some stickers

Years ago, I found some “flaming skull” stickers for my pickup's passenger windows at an Autozone store. I thought it would be nice to have matching ones for my motorcycle's side plates. I searched high and low in every auto parts store I came across without luck for over a year. It seems these stickers had been discontinued. I finally found a pair on Amazon and snatched them up.

Motorcycle stories

What modifications have you done on your motorcycle? Join the discussion below to share your mods!

[SteveM]

I ride a 2006 HD Sportster Custom 1200. I have made a few mods to the bike that include moving the rear turn signals rearward to accommodate a set of saddlebag supports, relocating the front turn signals from the handlebars to the lower triple clamp, a laydown rear license plate holder, smoke turn signal lense covers (with amber bulbs), a smoked rear brake lense (with red bulb) to match the turn signals, a chrome rear brake kit and a clip-on HD smoked front screen.

The relocated front & rear turn signals were functional mods. The fronts were relocated as they reflected in the windscreen at night and that casued visibility issues. The reas to allow the use of throe-over saddlebags. The smoke lens covers were cosmetic as the stock bright orange ones looked aweful. Same for the stock red brake light lense. The license plate holder mod was also for looks.

[Deano]

I bought a "new" V Star 950 off the showroom floor this past August, and I love the bike. It didn't take me long to realize that my rump and the stock seat weren't going to get along. I didn't want to spend a handful of hundreds to purchase a custom seat, so I did some research on doing the job myself. The problem with the stock seat, besides the hard 90 weight poured foam, is the forward pitch and the lack of cradle.

I used a electric carving knife and a hand-held grinder to sculpt the seat into what I wanted. After slowly working it to where it was properly pitched and cradled, I glued down 2 inch memory foam and then topped it with a high density (2.45) 45lb foam. It was all covered in feather-light wrapping foam and recovered with the stock cover. The difference is absolutely amazing! I can stay in the saddle all day long! It is the most rewarding modification I have made on a bike.

[MikeK77]

Memphis Shield with Quick Disconnects
Front and rear back rests
Switched out OEM rear signals for some smaller brighter "cat eye" signals

(more to come this winter)

[zmago]

I had a set of heated handgrips and a pair of mirrors with longer stems installed on my XR1200. I miss the windshield on my old Moto Guzzi Nevada, so I'll get one installed on the Harley in the spring.

Both of the windshield options from Harley-Davidson look really small, so I'm a little bit concerned whether they are functional or just for looks.

The speed limit on the highway over here is 130 km/hr (81 m.p.h.), but if you want to keep up with traffic and not get run down from behind you have to be able to do 150 (93 m.p.h.), so a windshield is pretty much a necessity.