ALT-2 Best Accessories for your Motorcycle
When it comes to picking accessories for you motorcycle, they fall into two major classes. One, things you need. Two, things that you want. On rare occasions you may get lucky and the two may be one and the same. One can always hope. The term need and want should never be interchangeable. If you need a part for your bike, that will take precedence over something that you want. That is just one of the things in life we have to deal with.
There really isn’t a “best” accessory for your motorcycle. What is an absolute must for one rider (like a wind screen), would be an unthinkable addition to another. The accessories you pick need to match the type of bike you have, the style of rider you are, and most importantly what you are using your motorcycle for. Somewhere inside of you is an image of yourself that you want to project (this would most definitely fall into the want category, not the need).The best accessories would be ones that make your riding experience safer. If you have an older bike, upgrade the parts. Get LED blinkers and brake lights. They are much brighter and will allow other vehicles to notice you quicker. The same goes for the head light. Unless you are specifically restoring an antique bike with all the original parts, headlights on older bikes just don’t do the job. If you are riding at highway speeds, you are traveling faster than what you can see. There may be dangers that you come across that you won’t have time to avoid. If you upgrade to bright halogen style (or even LED) head lights, you will have the same kind of headlights that come on high end luxury cars.
If you plan on riding long distances, a windshield is a good idea. It will take care of that wind in your hair that so many riders love but gets to be a real pain a few hundred miles into a trip. Wind shields will also offer you some protection from the elements. They will deflect a lot of the rain water off of you.
If you have an expensive bike with a lot of chrome, engine bars are a good idea. If you happen to lay your bike down, these bars will take the brunt of the impact (and protect your legs to some degree) and save you thousands of dollars in replacing scratched chrome.
Another accessory that is important if you plan on taking long rides is some sort of storage. This can be hard cases that are basically a smaller version of a cars trunk or leather saddle bags. Either one will carry extra things that can come in handy like tools and rain gear.
If long distance riding isn’t your thing, and you ride a custom bike, something like a chopper, bobber, or cafe racer, the accessories would be totally different. You may want to add things to it to make the performance just a little bit better than your friends. After market exhausts, air intakes, colored lights that light up the undercarriage are all up for grabs. It is really the rider’s choice.
Since most of these bikes are built out of older models, it may be a good idea to upgrade with more modern components. You may want to switch out a drum rear break with a disc brake. On cafe racers and crotch rockets, many people will put dual disc brakes on the front wheel. Being able to stop quickly is just as important as being able to go fast.
The best accessories f or your motorcycle are the ones that make it truly yours. Not another cookie cutter bike off of a showroom floor. If it is possible to make your motorcycle completely personalized by adding accessories and making it safer at the same time, you have killed two birds with one stone.
It is said in almost every article about motorcycles. They are dangerous. You can add small things that will make them safer and give them a sense of style that fits you. Safety should always be the first concern, looking cool is the second. What you can add to a bike is limitless so have fun making the motorcycle of your dreams. Getting your hands dirty will make you love it all the more (especially when you pull up next to a weekend rider that bought their “custom” from a dealership that sold the same custom to 500 other people in the area.
