I disagree about rim tape IF it's reflective. At night, a motorcycle is practically invisible from the side. Reflective rim tape really "lights" up the bike and is helpful in preventing a car from t-boning you.
it's pretty visible even without rim tape, as long as your lights aren't completely off, you will always be visible from the side. Don't get people's obsession with everyone wanting to kill you/visibility and it's always the americans saying that stuff.
That's why I put underglow kit on my bike (made sure its nearly impossible to see the lights themselves unless you're crawling on the ground, or potentially if I'm doing a wheelie for who knows what reason while at night (which I wouldn't do, mostly because I can't wheelie worth a darn, and second because that wouldn't be safe to do at night). The side was like, yeah... nobody is going to see that thing, I couldn't even blame a driver for not seeing that. But with a couple button presses you can go from much easier to see from the rear and sides to lighting up the ground like a calming UFO abduction (its not super bright but its enough of a "whoa what the heck is that thing" to get driver to pay a little attention)
@@libingmeme8474 of course its us, our roadways are likely bigger than your country, not an insult, just a realistic comparison. Lighting is poor in alot of areas and there are hundreds of millions driving. We have good reason to worry about visibility
@@ChadrikThunderCaulk no, you don't. We have tons of areas that don't even get moonlight and none of us are as paranoid as the Americans. At some point in history, someone just drilled victim mentalities and paranoia into your heads
I own a Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE and the heat coming from the side exhaust has been significantly reduced thanks to an exhaust heat wrap. So yes, it could be useful
It's really easy to go too far with this.. BUT, I say do whatever mods you like. If it pleases YOU, it will be a more enjoyable ride every time you hop on your bike. If someone calls you a squid, that their own micropenis issues.
Funny, I've done some very nice rattle can paint jobs. Modern paints, including Rustoleum, are quite nice compared to 20+ years ago. Fuel resistant too if cured long enough.
As always, proper prep is most of it. I painted my wheels and (originally polished, with bad clear coat) alternator cover with semi-gloss Rustoleum 30 years ago. Still looking good!
5:48 A Vulcan 750! That was my first cruiser. I kept it bone stock and rode it for years piling up tens of thousands of miles. It never stranded me on the side of the road and required very little maintenance. Thanks for posting that pic.
My man Yam!!! Thanks for backin me up on the sport touring tires!!! I try to tell friends that you're hitting the track when it rains. But the rain will hit you even when youre not at the track.
2023 Ninja 400, yep a beginner bike, but I'm not a beginner, also have a CBR600 and Honda Interceptor. First mod, blacked out windscreen. Second mod, new slip on exhaust, sounds great and being heard is a good thing. Third mod, passenger seat cowling, cleans it up a bit. Fourth mod, replaced stock tires with Michelin road 6, because the stock ones are okay, but not as good. Fifth mod, flashed ECU, gave 15 extra horsepower and reduced engine braking. So why this beginner bike and all these mods, well it's more than just a beginner bike, it's light, nimble and fun. Every mod had a purpose with the exception on the seat cowling and windscreen and have no regrets.
Ill never understand why people think being quieter is better than louder or that louder makes no difference. If I hear a harley, im definitely going to be more aware of its presence rather than a silent prius lmao
The first mod I did was new suspension front and rear. The second mod I did was add quick detachment to my tour pack. These two mods made the bike faster, lighter and handle better then expected
Ok well Yam gotta say other wise on a couple of your items. #1 Rock form is a huge waist of money the lock tabs broke off mine after 2 seasons. I now use Quadlock for less then half the price and so far works great. 2nd heat wrap.. I installed heat wrap on my header and now in traffic and long waits at lights it has helped by knocking off about 25 to 30 degrees from my Radiator temps when stuck idling. Also have had several people mention how nice it looks.... So umm ya....
One mod I would recommend is a solo seat. As a new rider you never want to take a passenger. You risk their life and yours. Also, don’t buy a bike that is the same color as the road. Kawasaki should have all 400s come in green instead of charging more for that color.
I'm just gonna say that modifying the stock exhaust on the FZ6 was the best mod that I could make. I found one that was cut opened, emptied out, and welded shut and a) it kept the tidy stock look, b) sounded like an R6, meaning quality of sound not volume, and c) it was the most discreet mod I could've made. That was a great choice in a country where exhaust modifications are persecuted like a cat chases a bird. Get complacent and you'll get a hefty fine. Just don't give them the excuse, or at least make them work for it
I laughed my ass off with the mention of the Vulcan that sat in a garage rotting for ten years. I just bought new Dunlop tires for my 99 Vulcan 1500 that is the same color as the one in the video. Coincidentally it had been sitting in a garage for ten years but I only paid $100 for…..Won’t talk about how much work it took to get it road ready. Love the channel and keep up the great work.
I can agree that you shouldn't cheep out on rim tape if your gonna do it like i did. No one wants to spend 2 hours laying tape out by hand and realize that its peeling after a week because the adhesive was shit. If anyone decides to do it i just gotta say take as much time as you possibly can and go with a brand with lots of good reviews. dont push hard when laying it out so you can slide it left or right and once you have the first inch on and matched up do be firm to prevent bubbles. My grom looks pretty sweet with them colors matching the paint.
The No. 1 useful mod: The semi automatic chain oiler. Most beginner bikes have chains and as beginners tend to drive a lot in their first season the constant cleaning and lubing is a really annoying. The automatic oilers cost a fortune and are not that easy to install, but the semi-automatic ones working with overpressure are reasonable priced and will amortize quickly due to the longer living chain and sprocket. I have installed so much useless stuff like an aftermarked exhaust and rim tape before I invested in actually useful stuff like LED headlight, a small Windscreen, adjustable levers and the automatic oiler. Should have done that way earlier. Feels good to be able to lube the chain after driving in the rain or to just re-lube the chain on really long trips without having to wait for the lube to dry. Lesson learned: utility comes first - looks comes second
My Fury had a full aftermarket exhaust on it when I got it with no heat shielding. The bike had already been blacked out, so I got some black heat wrap, and wrapped the whole exhaust. It made a massive difference on my right leg.
I am all for exhaust wraps, it brings down the ambient heat next to your legs, and helps pull more of the gasses out of the system overall. and if you have a bike like mine that i bought already with pipes blued. it brings down the tacky look your bike might have, but i am also not a beginner rider.
Regarding exhausts .... sometimes you don't have the choice of simply fitting a tasty end can .... MT07 is a prime example - if ya wanna change the can on that you gotta change the entire system as the stock exhaust is all one piece
So true. I'm so excited to hear the beautiful Suzuki vtwin song(engine originated in the sv650) but alas my exhaust is a horrible feat of over engineering that belongs to my vstrom.......on gian homogeneous piece of oddly twisted and bloated metal with no standard pipe size after the sensors amd before the muffler. And prices for a full system are simply too much.
i got a full leovince system, no engine light, and it was relatively easy to do. I have worked on bikes before so maybe that's why it was easy, but i don't regret getting a new system at all.
7:06 for most people, yes. The average person sucks at paint. For anyone like me who can follow the process, go for it. I took off and painted a fairing on each side, and I get told often the bike looks great. It’s all about being careful and keeping it tasteful.
Lol, I stand by the good road tires on the baby-ADV comment. Bought my CB500X because I wanted to ride offroad here on Oahu, but there are next to no actual trails to ride on this island, so the most off-roading I do is riding down Dillingham Blvd on my way home from work because I missed my exit or decided to blindly follow El Goog's instructions. So, when it was time to replace my tires after 6,000 miles (seriously... wtf.) I got Michelin Road 6's. When I said that to my mechanic he said something to the effect of, "That's surprisingly wise."
as a beginner rider, i bought a bike that already had most of these mods done to it. custom exhaust, custom pod air filter, larger carb jets, license plate relocation, most of the "body" panels have been removed as well as the factory airbox. however my plate relocation is actually legit, its firmly mounted vertically on the left side of the rear tire, with a proper rear light, plus i got the legal vertical plate from DOT so its actually kosher. i plan to squeeze every ounce of power out of this little 250. hell if you could turbo a single cylinder easily i would definitely do that. i definitely will be changing the sprockets as well for extra low down punch. Ill also likely paint my bike on my own. i mean, i only have a small gas tank and 2 fenders to paint anyway. Oh and ill probably sticker bomb the front fender at some point as well. I do have good Shinko rubber underneath however. Also they dont really make higher quality accessories for my bike, so i kinda have to go with cheap, universal-fit accessories. It might be my first bike but i intend on keeping it even after i upgrade. its an awesome little bike. its just been broken for over a year because i dont know how to fix electrical problems and cant afford to fix it 😂😂
I agree with all but the plasti dip, clear plasti dip is perfect for things like your subframe underside and tail light for the rocks your tyre kicks up, even on the front light it could protect against the flies
I put a Two Brothers Full Exhaust System on my Ninja 650, which was my 2nd bike, and really regretted it. I kept it on there probably out of Sunk Cost Fallacy, but honestly I should have just taken it off and tried to sell it, or better yet just not bought it. The loss of backpressure totally destroyed the powerband until I put in an orifice plate to reintroduce some backpressure, although I think most of the powerband was still lower than with the stock exhaust. Before the orifice plate it sounded like a broken bag of nails, afterwards it was still just too loud and harsh and unpleasant to ride. And the fumes! The removal of the cat and everything meant constantly breathing in untreated exhaust as soon as I so much as stopped at a stoplight. I know the obvious response is "well what did you expect? You took off the mufflers and cats and were surprised it was loud and polluting?", but I feel like the way people talk about exhaust mods is as if they're an obvious upgrade with no downside, and the stock ones are an albatross forced on us by regulation, so if you really want to enjoy your bike, you'll get one. I wouldn't dream of touching the exhaust on my DesertX now, I've learned my lesson!
There was one dent sticker I saw that I absolutely approve of. It was the shadow outline of Whiley Coyote in the middle of the dent like you would see in the canyon wall. Full marks to the person that designed that one.
Exhaust wrap has saved my bike from running too hot, many radiator fins bent and a bad fan motor is not a good combi on a 35 year old bike. Just by installing exhaust wrap the fan almost never turns on anymore. It's ugly as hell, but it's barely visible on the bike since it's covered by the farings.
Ninja400 FT tune flash made a pretty nice difference the fuel cut on decel alone is worth it. Don't recommend tuning maps unless you know what your doing on a dyno.. But as far as full systems being bad ? Maybe except the m4 full exhaust for sv650s.. those go hard bolt on ez
One mistake is buying off of your website and expecting customers service for a shipping error to be corrected but just get told theirs nothing you can do even tho I tried reaching you right after the purchase
I'd argue for a power Commander if you have an rc390 since the stock fueling is very lean and runs hot. Giving it a little extra fuel can help it run cooler and stay out of a shop for longer
I recently got a new bike and have been undoing all the ill-advised mods put on by the previous owner or owners, who shouldn't have been allowed near a bike with tools. Sketchy wiring, flat paint over the chrome, janky speakers, LED headlight installed wrong, an ugly batwing windshield (with completely unnecessary screws added to the mounting plates in weird spots), JB-Welded lenses on the turn signals. All stuff i failed to notice before i bought it. Almost all good now. Just gave to him up the kickstand switch again.
Question: Keeway V-cruise 125, muffler riveted on, do I undo the 3 rivets holding it on hand have factory ground-pounder exhausts on a 125? (coming from a 50cc with 4.5hp so 14hp sounds huge)
Honestly, I was an aspiring squid/delete fairy. I considered a tail tidy because I figured form exceeds functionality on the rear end of a Hunter. Instead, I'm adding utility on the rest of the bike, like an engine guard, bags and a windshield. The rear looks more in proportion that way. But I'm still replacing my halogenous bulbs with a LED headlight that has the proper quality markings.
Hell yeah. Your beginner bike isnt going to stick around long. Put that money into an account for your upgrade bike, dont spend it befarkling a beginner bike - any performance mods are going to cost way more that they are worth AND will lower the resale value of the bike. Its way cheaper to trade up to a faster bike than make any meaningful performance increaee on your beginner bike. Case in point: an MT09 costs $1500 more than an MT07. A full system exhaust and tune is going to run you around a grand, and that wont even get you *close*. A full turbo system gets an MT07 roughly to MT09 levels, but requires the exhaust system, tune, and turbonkit which all together end up in excess of 4k. And all that isnt even considering that the MT09 has better suspension and brakes as well. Seriously. Just enjoy your beginner bike, then trade up for a better bike. New bike day is WAY better than new farkle day.
Looking into buying a 2024 R1 this spring and no, I'm not a beginner. First thing I'll get is a tail tidy with proper signal light mounts and licence plate light and the passenger pegs got to go. Otherwise, I'll leave the rest of the bike as is.
Yo, i use a Schwinn bicycle phone holder on my dual sport (road use with occasional traffic filtering through ditches and train track terrain). I have never had an issue for like 12$, definitely trust it more than a cheap wish mount 😜
Your favourite little harley, actually sounds so much better, with a 1 inch hole drilled into the stock exhaust baffling. It takes 2 minutes and you still have the catalyst in the exhaust.
My 19.99 amazon phone mount works great. 100% satisfied, works with any case that prob protects way better and save $130 over Rockform. Just saying, it works great.....sorry Yam, know are sponsored but other mounts work better, can't knock the others
I replaced all the silver bits on my gen 1 Z1k last summer with actual carbon fiber trim. Then again I’ve had my bike for so long I was just getting bored with the old look.
I spray painted my first bike flat black, a ninja 600. But my excuse is 1 it was a wrecked bike i had to peice together out of 4 different other bikes of different colors😄 eventually i took it all apart and spent 2 months sanding and prepping..then painting it with a 200$ pint of custom paint and a 2k clear coat in my buddys garage. It actually came out nice (im a graffiti artist though) but with paint and supplys it cost me about 500 to 600$, this was after spending 2 grand or more on plastics and carbon mirrors, a full muzzie headers and exhaust, jetted and syced the carbs, new dunlops, jt sprokets with a DiD chain, painted wheels, rim tape, custom purple headlight bulb..2000zx6r tail light and tail swap..seat swap😁 i went CRAZY thinking back on it. Now i gotta mention this was a 1995 ninja 600 and it was my first bike in 2009.. so i put about 2500 to 3k into a 100$ bike😂. But all this said i loved that bike and wish i still had it (ended up selling it for 2300$ somehow in 2015..). Anyways to me there is no bike like my first bike and all the journey of fixing it and getting it running myself. That 95 ninja was pretty dang fast for its age and rode very nice. Ive had better bikes since then and now have a 636 but i still miss that old bike. For the $$ i put into it i coulda bought alot newer nicer bike.. Hindsights 20/20 though. KIDS DONT DO THIS!😂 for real!
I own a 2006 Yamaha VSX 1100 that was my dad's. I rode with him a lot as a kid, and I have thought about starting out on that bike so it isn't gathering dust, plan on getting permits, and taking MSF. The furthest I have driven it was about a mile and a half to my apartment doing 30 in a 35 but it went pretty smoothly. Is it a decent bike to start on?
I shortened my undertail muffler so it didn't block part of the integrated tail light. This made it a bit louder so I put a silencer in at the same time.
Other than aesthetics mods, you should be able to increase your performance, experience and safety by just doing proper, timely maintenance, wearing a quality helmet and practicing riding. You can mod a bike as much as you want, but if you are a beginner, you are not going to gain anything until you are a confident rider. If you practice and ride a lot, you ride better, faster, and have more fun. There are lots of great videos on riding which are super helpful for beginners. Riding slow, riding in heavy traffic, riding large bikes, riding in rain, riding in snow, etc. Modern bikes are miracles of mechanics and technology.
@@chlml i mean the motorcycle i learned riding on was a cb600f with 102HP so i knew i can handle anything around that range. Im from germany so to get a unrestricted license the bike has to have above 500ccm so most time its a 600/650 naked bike
The only pipe raps that I have seen that look good are on show bikes, the bikes that get like 100 miles a year on them cuz they don't get riden outside of putting them into the trailer or at a shop but boy do they look cool. Note on that they are like a 2nd or even 3rd bike, not a daily cuz the plaint job on them alone is like 10k
This video came out at the wrong time 😅 i just installed a cheap ebay akrapovic exhaust on my r3, then again i plan on keeping this bike for either mine or it’s entire life so there’s that at least.
Im curious as to whats considered a beginner bike? I grew up only riding dirt bikes. Never modifying them, but i have a 2018 kawasaki Z650 and for as fast and fun as it is to ride. It sounds like an electric lawnmower on Cr@ck. Ive been wanting to make it sound better with a new full exhaust aswell as try and tune it. Would this be considered a rookie mistake and give me issues later? Ive seen your video on the Kawasaki 650, and from what i can tell it does "improve" it. Maybe not by allowing you to go damn near mock one. But audibly sexier.
All hail the shadowy conglomerates.. I didn't expect but really liked the addition of mohenjo daro. This place doesn't get the attention it deserves just because it has a lack of any pyramid. It is definitely a great post flood civilization that i shall visit some day. I have been to Babylon while deployed but nowhere of important since.. All that aside this was a very insightful video. Thank you
The paint one isn't completely right 😅 granted, ive been painting cars & boats for years now, but I lowkey sprayed all my fairings & it came out pretty good
Yeah, well, I raised the suspension of my KLR. It's now at 37" seat height and I can still stand over it. It's physically a small bike. We can go taller.
I would recommend that anyone getting a new bike, or car for that matter, wait at least one month before you think about changing anything. When you first get that new bike you instantly want to "improve" it. Just wait one month and you will usually come to your senses and realize that you had a lot of bad ideas.
oh i defenetaly fell fpr #9. but ive had the bike ever since, and it looks coo, and its a 800cc ducati so ill probably not replace it in the next 10 years anyway.
I have my mod 1 sat mod 2 mon and my gsxr1000 Tuesday 😬 it's my first bike on the road am I best buying something smaller and save the beast for next summer
Wrong on tuning. You might not get HP but bikes run so lean from the factory now that adding a fuel-x type chip to even a 300 or 400cc bike will vastly improve low end surging and bogging.
A full system and a flash can be useful for a Z900, you probably don't need to make those changes just yet though. Take that money and put it towards something like champ school first.
Well I got my license around a month ago and I've met a guy with an mt-09 and he told me that I should just get a shorter license plat holder because the stock one is to long and to close to the tire but beside that told me to change my signal turn lights and that's mainly it. But I don't know if I should do it because it the future I will be upgrading to a bigger bike anyway
I disagree about rim tape IF it's reflective. At night, a motorcycle is practically invisible from the side. Reflective rim tape really "lights" up the bike and is helpful in preventing a car from t-boning you.
it's pretty visible even without rim tape, as long as your lights aren't completely off, you will always be visible from the side. Don't get people's obsession with everyone wanting to kill you/visibility and it's always the americans saying that stuff.
That's why I put underglow kit on my bike (made sure its nearly impossible to see the lights themselves unless you're crawling on the ground, or potentially if I'm doing a wheelie for who knows what reason while at night (which I wouldn't do, mostly because I can't wheelie worth a darn, and second because that wouldn't be safe to do at night).
The side was like, yeah... nobody is going to see that thing, I couldn't even blame a driver for not seeing that. But with a couple button presses you can go from much easier to see from the rear and sides to lighting up the ground like a calming UFO abduction (its not super bright but its enough of a "whoa what the heck is that thing" to get driver to pay a little attention)
@@libingmeme8474 of course its us, our roadways are likely bigger than your country, not an insult, just a realistic comparison. Lighting is poor in alot of areas and there are hundreds of millions driving. We have good reason to worry about visibility
@@ChadrikThunderCaulk no, you don't. We have tons of areas that don't even get moonlight and none of us are as paranoid as the Americans. At some point in history, someone just drilled victim mentalities and paranoia into your heads
Ahhhhh shit! Here we go again!!
I own a Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE and the heat coming from the side exhaust has been significantly reduced thanks to an exhaust heat wrap. So yes, it could be useful
Right? I wrapped the ones on my air cooled bike because it's 110* lmao
Yours is legit. 1200s probably like having the sun beneath your legs
I'm probably going to wrap my w800 cafe build as well. For that 1960s nostalgic look! 🔥
I have a street Scrambler, fully agree. Wrap looks really good too if you do it right. Ditch the cat.
It's really easy to go too far with this.. BUT, I say do whatever mods you like. If it pleases YOU, it will be a more enjoyable ride every time you hop on your bike. If someone calls you a squid, that their own micropenis issues.
I used to watch these videos dreaming of the day I’d have my own bike, today was that day.
8 months later.. Congratulations! What kind of bike did you get?!
@@josh_ari I got an XSR 700 and I am still alive.
@@34magnitude Ooh that's a good one. I want an Aprilia RS 457, but the thought of a used xsr700 for the same price sounds like a tempting proposition.
@@josh_ari Aprilias are sick. Definitely just depends what type of riding you want to do.
Congratulations and welcome to freedom!
Funny, I've done some very nice rattle can paint jobs. Modern paints, including Rustoleum, are quite nice compared to 20+ years ago. Fuel resistant too if cured long enough.
As always, proper prep is most of it. I painted my wheels and (originally polished, with bad clear coat) alternator cover with semi-gloss Rustoleum 30 years ago. Still looking good!
5:48 A Vulcan 750! That was my first cruiser. I kept it bone stock and rode it for years piling up tens of thousands of miles. It never stranded me on the side of the road and required very little maintenance. Thanks for posting that pic.
Hell, I thought that was my 750 LOL!
My man Yam!!! Thanks for backin me up on the sport touring tires!!!
I try to tell friends that you're hitting the track when it rains. But the rain will hit you even when youre not at the track.
2023 Ninja 400, yep a beginner bike, but I'm not a beginner, also have a CBR600 and Honda Interceptor.
First mod, blacked out windscreen.
Second mod, new slip on exhaust, sounds great and being heard is a good thing.
Third mod, passenger seat cowling, cleans it up a bit.
Fourth mod, replaced stock tires with Michelin road 6, because the stock ones are okay, but not as good.
Fifth mod, flashed ECU, gave 15 extra horsepower and reduced engine braking.
So why this beginner bike and all these mods, well it's more than just a beginner bike, it's light, nimble and fun.
Every mod had a purpose with the exception on the seat cowling and windscreen and have no regrets.
Ill never understand why people think being quieter is better than louder or that louder makes no difference. If I hear a harley, im definitely going to be more aware of its presence rather than a silent prius lmao
The first mod I did was new suspension front and rear. The second mod I did was add quick detachment to my tour pack. These two mods made the bike faster, lighter and handle better then expected
Ok well Yam gotta say other wise on a couple of your items. #1 Rock form is a huge waist of money the lock tabs broke off mine after 2 seasons. I now use Quadlock for less then half the price and so far works great. 2nd heat wrap.. I installed heat wrap on my header and now in traffic and long waits at lights it has helped by knocking off about 25 to 30 degrees from my Radiator temps when stuck idling. Also have had several people mention how nice it looks.... So umm ya....
One mod I would recommend is a solo seat. As a new rider you never want to take a passenger. You risk their life and yours. Also, don’t buy a bike that is the same color as the road. Kawasaki should have all 400s come in green instead of charging more for that color.
I'm just gonna say that modifying the stock exhaust on the FZ6 was the best mod that I could make. I found one that was cut opened, emptied out, and welded shut and a) it kept the tidy stock look, b) sounded like an R6, meaning quality of sound not volume, and c) it was the most discreet mod I could've made. That was a great choice in a country where exhaust modifications are persecuted like a cat chases a bird. Get complacent and you'll get a hefty fine. Just don't give them the excuse, or at least make them work for it
0:42 calling bosozoku dorky and juvenile makes me feel like you don't know what you're talking about
I laughed my ass off with the mention of the Vulcan that sat in a garage rotting for ten years. I just bought new Dunlop tires for my 99 Vulcan 1500 that is the same color as the one in the video. Coincidentally it had been sitting in a garage for ten years but I only paid $100 for…..Won’t talk about how much work it took to get it road ready. Love the channel and keep up the great work.
I can agree that you shouldn't cheep out on rim tape if your gonna do it like i did. No one wants to spend 2 hours laying tape out by hand and realize that its peeling after a week because the adhesive was shit. If anyone decides to do it i just gotta say take as much time as you possibly can and go with a brand with lots of good reviews. dont push hard when laying it out so you can slide it left or right and once you have the first inch on and matched up do be firm to prevent bubbles. My grom looks pretty sweet with them colors matching the paint.
The No. 1 useful mod: The semi automatic chain oiler.
Most beginner bikes have chains and as beginners tend to drive a lot in their first season the constant cleaning and lubing is a really annoying.
The automatic oilers cost a fortune and are not that easy to install, but the semi-automatic ones working with overpressure are reasonable priced and will amortize quickly due to the longer living chain and sprocket.
I have installed so much useless stuff like an aftermarked exhaust and rim tape before I invested in actually useful stuff like LED headlight, a small Windscreen, adjustable levers and the automatic oiler.
Should have done that way earlier. Feels good to be able to lube the chain after driving in the rain or to just re-lube the chain on really long trips without having to wait for the lube to dry.
Lesson learned: utility comes first - looks comes second
Love the strait pipe on mine. Who doesn't love to hear that perfect mix of rpm and power hit the perfect pitch while sailing down the countryside?
My Fury had a full aftermarket exhaust on it when I got it with no heat shielding. The bike had already been blacked out, so I got some black heat wrap, and wrapped the whole exhaust. It made a massive difference on my right leg.
I am all for exhaust wraps, it brings down the ambient heat next to your legs, and helps pull more of the gasses out of the system overall. and if you have a bike like mine that i bought already with pipes blued. it brings down the tacky look your bike might have, but i am also not a beginner rider.
Regarding exhausts .... sometimes you don't have the choice of simply fitting a tasty end can .... MT07 is a prime example - if ya wanna change the can on that you gotta change the entire system as the stock exhaust is all one piece
So true. I'm so excited to hear the beautiful Suzuki vtwin song(engine originated in the sv650) but alas my exhaust is a horrible feat of over engineering that belongs to my vstrom.......on gian homogeneous piece of oddly twisted and bloated metal with no standard pipe size after the sensors amd before the muffler.
And prices for a full system are simply too much.
i got a full leovince system, no engine light, and it was relatively easy to do. I have worked on bikes before so maybe that's why it was easy, but i don't regret getting a new system at all.
7:06 for most people, yes. The average person sucks at paint.
For anyone like me who can follow the process, go for it.
I took off and painted a fairing on each side, and I get told often the bike looks great.
It’s all about being careful and keeping it tasteful.
Lol, I stand by the good road tires on the baby-ADV comment. Bought my CB500X because I wanted to ride offroad here on Oahu, but there are next to no actual trails to ride on this island, so the most off-roading I do is riding down Dillingham Blvd on my way home from work because I missed my exit or decided to blindly follow El Goog's instructions. So, when it was time to replace my tires after 6,000 miles (seriously... wtf.) I got Michelin Road 6's. When I said that to my mechanic he said something to the effect of, "That's surprisingly wise."
as a beginner rider, i bought a bike that already had most of these mods done to it. custom exhaust, custom pod air filter, larger carb jets, license plate relocation, most of the "body" panels have been removed as well as the factory airbox. however my plate relocation is actually legit, its firmly mounted vertically on the left side of the rear tire, with a proper rear light, plus i got the legal vertical plate from DOT so its actually kosher. i plan to squeeze every ounce of power out of this little 250. hell if you could turbo a single cylinder easily i would definitely do that. i definitely will be changing the sprockets as well for extra low down punch. Ill also likely paint my bike on my own. i mean, i only have a small gas tank and 2 fenders to paint anyway. Oh and ill probably sticker bomb the front fender at some point as well. I do have good Shinko rubber underneath however. Also they dont really make higher quality accessories for my bike, so i kinda have to go with cheap, universal-fit accessories. It might be my first bike but i intend on keeping it even after i upgrade. its an awesome little bike. its just been broken for over a year because i dont know how to fix electrical problems and cant afford to fix it 😂😂
Thank you for this video sir.
I own a Yamaha MT-03 and will just do regular maintenance on it until I get a more permanent bike.
🙏🏾
My Ninja 650 came with rim tape from the factory. It's been holding up well, so I don't bother taking it off.
I agree with all but the plasti dip, clear plasti dip is perfect for things like your subframe underside and tail light for the rocks your tyre kicks up, even on the front light it could protect against the flies
I have a RokForm…. I like the system. Quad lock didn’t have a flat case for my “older” phone. Rokform works great.
I put a Two Brothers Full Exhaust System on my Ninja 650, which was my 2nd bike, and really regretted it. I kept it on there probably out of Sunk Cost Fallacy, but honestly I should have just taken it off and tried to sell it, or better yet just not bought it.
The loss of backpressure totally destroyed the powerband until I put in an orifice plate to reintroduce some backpressure, although I think most of the powerband was still lower than with the stock exhaust. Before the orifice plate it sounded like a broken bag of nails, afterwards it was still just too loud and harsh and unpleasant to ride.
And the fumes! The removal of the cat and everything meant constantly breathing in untreated exhaust as soon as I so much as stopped at a stoplight.
I know the obvious response is "well what did you expect? You took off the mufflers and cats and were surprised it was loud and polluting?", but I feel like the way people talk about exhaust mods is as if they're an obvious upgrade with no downside, and the stock ones are an albatross forced on us by regulation, so if you really want to enjoy your bike, you'll get one.
I wouldn't dream of touching the exhaust on my DesertX now, I've learned my lesson!
Or you coulda properly installed it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
There was one dent sticker I saw that I absolutely approve of. It was the shadow outline of Whiley Coyote in the middle of the dent like you would see in the canyon wall. Full marks to the person that designed that one.
bandaid stickers on dents/scratches always give me a smile
Yes Philippine Kamote gets featured😂 6:10
marilaque kamote boys😂😂
Exhaust wrap has saved my bike from running too hot, many radiator fins bent and a bad fan motor is not a good combi on a 35 year old bike. Just by installing exhaust wrap the fan almost never turns on anymore. It's ugly as hell, but it's barely visible on the bike since it's covered by the farings.
0:25 I love the five finger death song "living the dream" reference. weather you meant it or not lmao.
I just want to turbo my street triple😢
What you lose in reliability and comfort isn’t worth the power gains
Be better off just getting a faster bike
You can turbo a 2-stroke?
Ninja400 FT tune flash made a pretty nice difference the fuel cut on decel alone is worth it. Don't recommend tuning maps unless you know what your doing on a dyno..
But as far as full systems being bad ? Maybe except the m4 full exhaust for sv650s.. those go hard bolt on ez
One mistake is buying off of your website and expecting customers service for a shipping error to be corrected but just get told theirs nothing you can do even tho I tried reaching you right after the purchase
Finally found your channel again. I mean this one. Love your other channel as well!
I'd argue for a power Commander if you have an rc390 since the stock fueling is very lean and runs hot. Giving it a little extra fuel can help it run cooler and stay out of a shop for longer
My modded Royal Enfield is a good financial decision!!! 😢 I feel targeted Yam! 😂
I recently got a new bike and have been undoing all the ill-advised mods put on by the previous owner or owners, who shouldn't have been allowed near a bike with tools. Sketchy wiring, flat paint over the chrome, janky speakers, LED headlight installed wrong, an ugly batwing windshield (with completely unnecessary screws added to the mounting plates in weird spots), JB-Welded lenses on the turn signals. All stuff i failed to notice before i bought it. Almost all good now. Just gave to him up the kickstand switch again.
As an experienced rider and owner of modified motorcycles. This is a good video.
Question: Keeway V-cruise 125, muffler riveted on, do I undo the 3 rivets holding it on hand have factory ground-pounder exhausts on a 125? (coming from a 50cc with 4.5hp so 14hp sounds huge)
Here in my city there's a stretched & lowered Duke 390 running around with a stretched & lowered DRZ400SM.
It should be a felony.....
Dear God man 😂
@@mechveteran01 and I won't even go in to all of the stretched & lowered Groms & Z125s running around.....
Do you live in Atlanta, Houston, or Miami?
@@kenbowlus2995 you're going to laugh, Des Moines, IA
@@robertparker51 I believe it
Honestly, I was an aspiring squid/delete fairy. I considered a tail tidy because I figured form exceeds functionality on the rear end of a Hunter. Instead, I'm adding utility on the rest of the bike, like an engine guard, bags and a windshield. The rear looks more in proportion that way.
But I'm still replacing my halogenous bulbs with a LED headlight that has the proper quality markings.
Hell yeah. Your beginner bike isnt going to stick around long. Put that money into an account for your upgrade bike, dont spend it befarkling a beginner bike - any performance mods are going to cost way more that they are worth AND will lower the resale value of the bike. Its way cheaper to trade up to a faster bike than make any meaningful performance increaee on your beginner bike.
Case in point: an MT09 costs $1500 more than an MT07. A full system exhaust and tune is going to run you around a grand, and that wont even get you *close*. A full turbo system gets an MT07 roughly to MT09 levels, but requires the exhaust system, tune, and turbonkit which all together end up in excess of 4k. And all that isnt even considering that the MT09 has better suspension and brakes as well.
Seriously. Just enjoy your beginner bike, then trade up for a better bike. New bike day is WAY better than new farkle day.
I admit, I put a set of fangs under the front beak of my V Strom 😂
I'll allow it.
Looking into buying a 2024 R1 this spring and no, I'm not a beginner. First thing I'll get is a tail tidy with proper signal light mounts and licence plate light and the passenger pegs got to go. Otherwise, I'll leave the rest of the bike as is.
Yo, i use a Schwinn bicycle phone holder on my dual sport (road use with occasional traffic filtering through ditches and train track terrain). I have never had an issue for like 12$, definitely trust it more than a cheap wish mount 😜
Your favourite little harley, actually sounds so much better, with a 1 inch hole drilled into the stock exhaust baffling. It takes 2 minutes and you still have the catalyst in the exhaust.
Vinyl wrap can work quite well for a color change and it's not permanent.
Heat tape is actually pretty good to decrease the noise of your bike if its not totally legal and dont want to get pulled over by the police
My 19.99 amazon phone mount works great. 100% satisfied, works with any case that prob protects way better and save $130 over Rockform.
Just saying, it works great.....sorry Yam, know are sponsored but other mounts work better, can't knock the others
6:08 That was shot here in The Philippines. That's what we call "kamote rider" (sweet potato/gumby/squid). 😂
I replaced all the silver bits on my gen 1 Z1k last summer with actual carbon fiber trim. Then again I’ve had my bike for so long I was just getting bored with the old look.
I spray painted my first bike flat black, a ninja 600. But my excuse is 1 it was a wrecked bike i had to peice together out of 4 different other bikes of different colors😄 eventually i took it all apart and spent 2 months sanding and prepping..then painting it with a 200$ pint of custom paint and a 2k clear coat in my buddys garage. It actually came out nice (im a graffiti artist though) but with paint and supplys it cost me about 500 to 600$, this was after spending 2 grand or more on plastics and carbon mirrors, a full muzzie headers and exhaust, jetted and syced the carbs, new dunlops, jt sprokets with a DiD chain, painted wheels, rim tape, custom purple headlight bulb..2000zx6r tail light and tail swap..seat swap😁 i went CRAZY thinking back on it.
Now i gotta mention this was a 1995 ninja 600 and it was my first bike in 2009.. so i put about 2500 to 3k into a 100$ bike😂.
But all this said i loved that bike and wish i still had it (ended up selling it for 2300$ somehow in 2015..).
Anyways to me there is no bike like my first bike and all the journey of fixing it and getting it running myself. That 95 ninja was pretty dang fast for its age and rode very nice. Ive had better bikes since then and now have a 636 but i still miss that old bike.
For the $$ i put into it i coulda bought alot newer nicer bike..
Hindsights 20/20 though.
KIDS DONT DO THIS!😂 for real!
That kinda sounds like it'd be great as a track sleeper, just looking janky ass hell, spanking all the nice looking race bikes.
I saw a stretched Grom on FB marketplace. It made me gag, but then made me laugh.
I like the way tape looks and I don't need to justify it
Hell yeah Fun Facts at the end of the video 🤙🏽🤙🏽
Kawasaki w800 doesn't have very many options sadly... but the factory pea-shooters look good.
I own a 2006 Yamaha VSX 1100 that was my dad's. I rode with him a lot as a kid, and I have thought about starting out on that bike so it isn't gathering dust, plan on getting permits, and taking MSF. The furthest I have driven it was about a mile and a half to my apartment doing 30 in a 35 but it went pretty smoothly. Is it a decent bike to start on?
Very true lol, I'm aiming for tail tidy and exhaust 👍
I shortened my undertail muffler so it didn't block part of the integrated tail light. This made it a bit louder so I put a silencer in at the same time.
Other than aesthetics mods, you should be able to increase your performance, experience and safety by just doing proper, timely maintenance, wearing a quality helmet and practicing riding. You can mod a bike as much as you want, but if you are a beginner, you are not going to gain anything until you are a confident rider. If you practice and ride a lot, you ride better, faster, and have more fun. There are lots of great videos on riding which are super helpful for beginners. Riding slow, riding in heavy traffic, riding large bikes, riding in rain, riding in snow, etc. Modern bikes are miracles of mechanics and technology.
Flameboy and wet willy was a reference I was not expecting in the year 2023.
got a cbr650r as my first bike and got an akra full exhaust system, depends on the bike if a full exhaust system in worth it
that's not a beginner bike ?
@@chlml it is to an extent, but could also be considered more of an intermediate bike
@@chlml i mean the motorcycle i learned riding on was a cb600f with 102HP so i knew i can handle anything around that range. Im from germany so to get a unrestricted license the bike has to have above 500ccm so most time its a 600/650 naked bike
Nice vid yo! Keep it stock so it pops. Anyways if your bike is Fully stock, it raises the resell value. 👍
The only pipe raps that I have seen that look good are on show bikes, the bikes that get like 100 miles a year on them cuz they don't get riden outside of putting them into the trailer or at a shop but boy do they look cool. Note on that they are like a 2nd or even 3rd bike, not a daily cuz the plaint job on them alone is like 10k
This is a useful video, my addition would be: KEEP ALL ORIGINAL PARTS. It will help during resale.
This video came out at the wrong time 😅 i just installed a cheap ebay akrapovic exhaust on my r3, then again i plan on keeping this bike for either mine or it’s entire life so there’s that at least.
There are alot off cheap amazon exhaust that do sound good and you wont feels as bad when you wreck it
Im curious as to whats considered a beginner bike? I grew up only riding dirt bikes. Never modifying them, but i have a 2018 kawasaki Z650 and for as fast and fun as it is to ride. It sounds like an electric lawnmower on Cr@ck. Ive been wanting to make it sound better with a new full exhaust aswell as try and tune it. Would this be considered a rookie mistake and give me issues later? Ive seen your video on the Kawasaki 650, and from what i can tell it does "improve" it. Maybe not by allowing you to go damn near mock one. But audibly sexier.
I would love you guys to get your hands on the new Yamaha R9 coming out
Could you do a review about suzuki gixxer sf 250?
will there be a LeoVinci slip on for CFMOTO bikes??
As somone from Pakistan, the part about mohenjo daro caught me off guard. I didn't think anyone outside Pakistan knew about it.
I always stick around for the history nugget at the end
All hail the shadowy conglomerates..
I didn't expect but really liked the addition of mohenjo daro. This place doesn't get the attention it deserves just because it has a lack of any pyramid. It is definitely a great post flood civilization that i shall visit some day. I have been to Babylon while deployed but nowhere of important since.. All that aside this was a very insightful video. Thank you
I have seen a GROM with a stretched swing arm, lol!
what about neon lights put in by a pro so the wires are hidden?
I was one of those who did the exhaust mod on my first big bike.Was n very stupid move in deed.🤦🏻♂️😂
The paint one isn't completely right 😅 granted, ive been painting cars & boats for years now, but I lowkey sprayed all my fairings & it came out pretty good
I can't stop watching your videos man.
Yam, I am in Austin often. Do you guys have a store front?
Yeah, well, I raised the suspension of my KLR. It's now at 37" seat height and I can still stand over it. It's physically a small bike. We can go taller.
My spray painted sv650 looks great, thank you very much😊
I would recommend that anyone getting a new bike, or car for that matter, wait at least one month before you think about changing anything. When you first get that new bike you instantly want to "improve" it. Just wait one month and you will usually come to your senses and realize that you had a lot of bad ideas.
Does anyone remember robo-yam from a while back, i love how that was never mentioned
oh i defenetaly fell fpr #9. but ive had the bike ever since, and it looks coo, and its a 800cc ducati so ill probably not replace it in the next 10 years anyway.
The best mod is 3 beers before riding. It actually increases traction and responsiveness of my bike.
I have my mod 1 sat mod 2 mon and my gsxr1000 Tuesday 😬 it's my first bike on the road am I best buying something smaller and save the beast for next summer
If you have to ask the question, then the answer is, "YES."
@@kenbowlus2995 🤣🤣🤣 I've 14 years motocross experience had my cr500 8 years but the dirt hits different
This is my man right here. Giving us that delicious beginner content that we crave so much.
I prefer “Buy Nice or Buy Twice”. Has a better ring to it.
Wrong on tuning. You might not get HP but bikes run so lean from the factory now that adding a fuel-x type chip to even a 300 or 400cc bike will vastly improve low end surging and bogging.
But Yam! I put an eBay exhaust with a power commander and now my Suzuki 250 can do 160 mph !!
Is a z900 considered a beginner bike? Are those mods like power commander, exhaust system, ecu flashing...is that a waste of time for that bike?
A full system and a flash can be useful for a Z900, you probably don't need to make those changes just yet though. Take that money and put it towards something like champ school first.
I’ve never met my dad but I hear hit voice all the time telling me about the turbo busa he knows I want
I added hand and engine guards and sticker bombed my himalayan with clammie boob stickers.
Rok-Form is just knock off Quad-Lock, right?
YAMMIE UPLOAD BABYYYY
agree w you ...learn to ride before , full stop.
Well I got my license around a month ago and I've met a guy with an mt-09 and he told me that I should just get a shorter license plat holder because the stock one is to long and to close to the tire but beside that told me to change my signal turn lights and that's mainly it. But I don't know if I should do it because it the future I will be upgrading to a bigger bike anyway
Im not positive about your bike but turn signals are usually pretty cheap like $100-200 and less then an hour to install.
@bryanplantrpg well yeah I saw some led turn signals and they cost like 70 euros a pair so time that by 2 is 140 euros