Unnecessary Mods ??

[leevtr]

Just a thought, but there seems to be a hell of a lot of people who are forever changing their bikes, to a very large degree, and at quite some expense.
My bike is basically as it came out of the crate ( although I suspect the front springs/oil were done, as its firmer than I remember ) and yet it feels like its on rails to me.
I do have my suspicions that most of these modifications are a waste of time, and the money would be better spent on learning to ride the bloody things..
I really do believe people should stop blaming their bike for their own shortcomings as riders.

[Kev L]

And who voted for you then??? I have ridden for long enough to be confident, I have worked all of my life and never been out of work. I pay all the taxes this god foresaken country throws at me and I will spend my hard earned cash in any way I please, whether some self opiniated tw@ likes it or not.
Have a nice day.

[leevtr]

I must have hit a nerve with this one.

Didn't say everyones guilty, but you have to admit, a lot of people mod their bikes when they should ' mod ' their riding.

[YETI]

how do you assess someones riding ability by the way there bike is modified ?

[leevtr]

Well it looks like i'm the only person whos seen someone with all the gear and no idea.

FFS I was only making an observation, from what i've seen with my own eyes, and indeed with people I've known, but it seems its been taken personally.

[agentpineapple]

the way your thread reads, is why your getting these responses buddy.
its all down to personal choice, you might smoke and drink loads, but i wouldn't have a go at you, thats your choice, i'm happy that a standard bike is more than enough for you to get your jolly's.
me personally get a kick out of modding bikes or cars. i also believe every bike is built to a budget and the firestorm is no different, so i personally think upgrading the suspension and brakes are worthwhile....
just my opinion mind
having said that, with your thought process have you ever thought of working for the eu....

[Kev L]

You are as entitled to your opinion as anyone else fella. There are varying degrees of modification which people indulge in whether for aesthetics or performance or both.
You are quite right, you could go out and spend the cash in one lump on a different bike but, in my case, I have found a bike I really enjoy and like the looks of, but want to personalise.
Given the nature of the forum and the number of peeps personalising their bikes you were bound to promote reactions.
Seriously, have a nice day.

[Wicky]

Nowt wrong with modding....



Though I still remember Ron Haslam on a bog standard VFR (including lights, horn and indicators still on) as if yesterday

[youtube][/youtube]

[seb421]

If you have the money and the passion for it then why not do it?

I'm sure a braced swing arm wont make my bike any better or my handling of it any greater, might even be worse who know's, but I do know I want one bad, and its on the cards soon to be the next 'mod'

Don't want to be harsh but who are you to say people should ' mod ' their riding and not there bike? unless your a qualified instructor or a champion roads racer then your view / instruction and ideas with regards to riding styles / riding and set-up in general will differ greatly from the next man's,

have a watch of that twist of the wrist 2 dvd that was posted up

[youtube][/youtube]

[benny hedges]

regarding mods.... here's my opinion.

reliability - change camchain tensioners and reg rec

lighting - improve the crap standard lamp with hids or relays & better bulbs

indis - get rid of the unsightly oversize efforts.

mirrors - fit r1 mirrors or extenders so you can see behind you instead of your elbows.

seat - add gel pad to improve the standard plank

screen - fit double bubble to improve wind protection, top speed and looks

handling - respring / revalve / heavier oil up front so the adjusters work and the forks dont bottom out & wallow in bends.
rear end, change spring or replace shock for an adjustable one

raise rear end - fitting a shock spacer can improve turn in, looks more modern and suits taller riders

drop forks - improves turn in and is more comfortable for shorter riders

bars - some dont like the inward position as it puts strain on the wrists - fit vfr bars / renthals

footpegs - some dont like the pegs which are imo too far forward and ground too easy = fit rearsets

tank - small tank range compared to some bikes - fit 19L tank

cans - replace the quiet & heavy standard cans with lighter, fruitier cans

belly / lowers - fairing looks half finished. improves looks and protects oil filter and front cyl / header

battery - poor cold starting with 12ah battery, fit uprated battery

swing arm - some fit a braced swing arm for looks and rigidity

single side swing arm - purely aesthetic imo but does look good

wheels - replace heavy 3 spoke wheels for lighter 6 spoke blade wheels

USD forks - better handling & more modern look, with better adjustments

brakes - replace calipers, discs, master cylinders, fit braided hoses - improves standard brakes which are nowhere near as good as most modern sports bikes.

gearing - fit 15T front sprocket / larger rear as the bike is overgeared standard and is a pain to ride in town & slow traffic.

intake stacks - 2 long stacks improve midrange on a std engine.

k&n / dynojet - can improve peak power with a bit of dyno work, standard bike is imo a little underpowered.

lightened flywheel - makes the engine much more responsive to throttle

+2 / 4* advancer - improves acceleration, makes the bike 'want to go'

rear hugger - remove unsightly oem chain guard, better protection for rear shock and looks better

undertray / tail tidy - bin the ugly standard rear mudguard, gives a cleaner more modern look.

paintwork - no race reps as standard, refresh & replace the bland standard paint schemes for a new look




any more anyone?

thing is with these bikes is they do grow on you as they will do anything, and with a bit of work can embarass even the latest bikes in the twisties, they are great 2 up, just as good round town as on a long trip and sound great!
apart from the obvious shortcomings that would've been ironed out if production continued, making your bike your own is entirely a personal thing.... whether someone wants to make the bike look good, go faster, or just make it more practical for their style of riding... it's up to them!
i see loads of storms getting on for 15 year old and they still look great, and i see sheds that obvioulsy get used daily with balls all maintenance apart from consumables.

riding my sp1, i still miss my storm & cant wait til it's back on the road.... and i'd probably feel the same if i had a £15,000 new bike in the garage - i'd still take the storm out & come back grinning like a loon!

each to their own

[Kev L]

Nowt wrong with modding....



When did you pose for this promotional shot Wicky?

Though I still remember Ron Haslam on a bog standard VFR (including lights, horn and indicators still on) as if yesterday

[youtube][/youtube]

[StormingHonda]

I dont care what people do with their bikes, but I do find some mods tacky and a bit well pointless

Like small numberplates

and those small fake carbon white look indicators.

But whatever floats your boat really.

[StormingHonda]

I must have hit a nerve with this one.

Didn't say everyones guilty, but you have to admit, a lot of people mod their bikes when they should ' mod ' their riding.

Are you talking more about the kind of person who just passes their DAS course, after 20 years break, then buys a matching one piece romper suite, the lastest plastic rocket ( cos they had a fast one back when they were a lad ) then mods the crap out of it with all the money left over from sending the kids to uni.

Then goes out Sunday to the local bike meet which has a tea hut, armed with their dino sheet which proves they got the fastest one, wobbling round every bend, practicing knee downs round the roundabout and then finally becoming a stastic because they just cant ride the bike they bought when they should have done a few more years on something they could handle and gaining a bit of experience, instead of pushing peoples premiums up.

[benny hedges]

Like small numberplates
.

got no option but to wear a smaller plate on the sp as it has high level cans - if i were to fit a standard 9x7 plate it would melt within a hour lol
thats my excuse anyway!

understand what you mean about riding smaller bikes though.... almost every new rider who just passed their test will buy nothing smaller than a 600cc bike.
& 600cc bikes these days are race bikes on the road... like the r6 / zx6r with 130 horse & top end over 170...
ridiculous. no wonder they keep putting more legislation our way.

personally i kept my 125 for years after passing my test (couldve rode a 250 on L's at the time) then bought a 400, then went back to 250cc for about 5 years lol....
it was probably 10 years after passing my test before i got my first 750, and even they it was only capable of 120 lol.

[VTRDark]

leevtr didn't you pop this or similar question/remark on another thread somwhere. I seem to re-call saying to you that it's a very personnel thing. And we are not all here for sake of modding our bikes.

the way your thread reads, is why your getting these responses buddy.

Here

I do have my suspicions that most of these modifications are a waste of time, and the money would be better spent on learning to ride the bloody things..
I really do believe people should stop blaming their bike for their own shortcomings as riders.

You should not assume things about people you don't know.

i also believe every bike is built to a budget and the firestorm is no different, so i personally think upgrading the suspension and brakes are worthwhile....

BSM is spot on there. Every production bike has it's pro and cons, some more than others.

Benny has listed the majority of thing's and given you very valid reasons why. Respect what he has to say because he knows!

With regards to riding ability how dare you assume that people on here can or cannot ride a bike to the best abilies whatever that means. Is that sport ability or track ability, road ability, safety ability. How do you know if anyone on here has just past their test or are members of the IAM or have not got a Police Advanced Riding Certificate, member of ROSPA or whatever.

Watch the video that seb421 posted as that is very relevent. And riding a bike is a passion. Just as modding can be.
Great pic

But on a lighter note it's not just about modding bikes. It's about a community. People here to help each other with thier knowlage. whether that is with regard to modifications, How to fix somthing, Advice on the right parts, or how to not get ripped off or just a simple bit of banter etc.

Ride Safe

(:-})