5 Of The Coolest Ways To Customize Your Motorcycle Just For You
While a motorcycle is technically just as customizable as a car, there's something a little more personal about getting a bike just the way you like it. Maybe it's because it's a smaller vehicle, so you're a more distinctive component of its overall silhouette, or maybe it's an extension of that classic rebellious feeling that comes with riding one. Whatever the reason, the drive is the same: If you want to really make a motorcycle your own, pick up a wrench and indulge in the classic art of motorcycle customization.
The question is, though, what exactly should you change or adjust on your motorcycle to make it more indicative of your personality, preferred aesthetics, and needs? If you've got the right parts and know-how, there are a variety of tweaks you can make to your ride, ranging from simple visual touch-ups to full-on mechanical changes. Your exact wants and needs will vary, of course, but here are a few nifty ideas to start with.
Swap out the seat
Planting yourself on a motorcycle, back arched and hands gripping the handlebars, paints an unmistakably cool image. The thing about cool images, though, is that they have a tendency to be impractical. You may look cool with your back arched on a bike, but if it's not a comfortable way to sit, you'll swiftly stop caring. If you find the way you're sitting on your bike to be uncomfortable, especially for daily or long-ride usage, then the best way to remedy that is to swap out the seat.
There are various standalone seats available on the market in all kinds of materials and sizes to fit any rider's back and rear. For example, if your current seat is too small and low to the ground, you can get an elevated seat with a higher rear cushion for extra back support. Or, if you're driving around in the winter and feel your rear going numb, you can get a sheepskin seat for better heat retention.
Paint and engravings
Nothing helps to reinvigorate a rider's love for their ride like a fresh coat of paint. Even if your bike's paint job is still in good condition, periodically changing it up can help to stave off those doldrums, not to mention add a simple yet highly visible personal touch to your vehicle.
Whether you do it yourself or visit a professional customizer, you can apply all kinds of cool designs to your motorcycle, ranging from a simple coat of fresh pastel color to something more elaborate. You could even paint your bike to look like a giant ice cream cone — if you're into that.
If you're looking for something a little more permanent than paint, many customizing services also offer engraving for motorcycle bodies. You can have a physical image carved into your bike, like a metallic tattoo, such as a little picture of your favorite cartoon character or your favorite inspirational quote. As a side benefit, engravings make it easier to track down your bike if it's misplaced or stolen since a physical alteration is harder to cover up than a regular paint job.
Comfort features
A motorcycle may be one of the coolest ways to travel, but it is definitely not one of the most practical. You're obviously very exposed to the elements while you're riding, and you're not going to get things like heating or air conditioning either. While you can utilize personal accessories for some creature improvements, if you don't want to carry a bunch of stuff on you, adding upgrades directly to your bike is the next best choice.
One good example of these upgrades is heated handlebars. With the addition of a simple heating mechanism powered by the bike's battery, you can get soft warmth emanating from your handlebars, which is fantastic during the cold season. Another good example is a windshield — some stock bikes have small ones, but if you're having a problem with bugs in your teeth, you can add a large windshield to keep wind and debris out of your face on the open road.
Add passenger space
It's no secret that the single seat of a stock motorcycle isn't exactly conducive to carrying passengers. That's not a big deal for solo riders, but if you want to bring a friend or family member along for the ride, things can swiftly get uncomfortable, not to mention potentially dangerous. Carrying a passenger on a motorcycle without dedicated passenger seating is actually illegal in some of the United States. The simple solution is to add passenger seating.
Assuming your bike is beefy enough to accommodate it, you can add a dedicated passenger seat to the rear of your motorcycle, along with foot pegs to give your passenger somewhere to rest your feet. Alternatively, you can always bust out the classic sidecar to give your passenger somewhere a little more grounded to sit. Sidecars also give you a spot to store luggage and groceries, granting your ride some extra utility.
Swap out the tires
Depending on where and how you ride your motorcycle, you may find the stock tires to be insufficient. Perhaps they aren't rugged enough to handle rougher roads, or maybe they're too chunky to let you really get up to speed. Luckily, there are bike tires for just about any occasion, and they can be easily swapped onto your bike to meet your preferences.
To give a couple of examples, if you're looking to power through corners at higher speeds, you can opt for slightly wider front tires than the stock ones. Or, if you're mostly driving in a straight line, you can use fatter rear tires to increase how much rubber touches the road.
More rubber on the road means more power transfer from your engine, which means more speed. There are even more tires available outside of these examples for just about any of the major motorcycle types, from scramblers to adventurers to racers. If you keep a few tire sets handy, your bike can handle whatever you throw at it.