Top Three Mods/Farkles

[deilenberger]

I have WAY too many to list.. but top 3?

- Suspension, lowered and improved (Hyperpro)
- Seat, redone by Sargent
- Auxiliary lighting, Hella FF50's - make night into day.

Then the usual ones.. (GPS, electronics, TPM system, etc. etc..)

[MTBeemer]

Parabellum Scout Fairing

Auxiliary Lights; Denali D2 LED

Corbin Seat

[AncientMariner]

20" Cee Baily windscreen mounted using a Fergusonblock to tilt it back.

Suburban Machinery peg lowring kit

Touratech Handle Bar Risers

GS Hand guards mounted with slight modification.


Bruce

[hjsbmw]

I am not big on farkling per se, but here is what has improved my ride:

- a good seat. I have a Rick Mayer.
- some kind of windshield. The BMW touring shield works for me.
- aftermarket suspension in combination with the Mudsling. I went for Hyperpro because I had a coupon.

[KMalo]

I hesitate to comment, since I've only had my R for a few months and a couple of thousand miles. Who knows if I will like the changes long term? I'm taking a pretty conservative approach, making small changes after getting a better feel for the bike as it interfaces with me and my riding style.

Here's what (little) I've done thus far:

The first thing I did was to change the from the BMW Sport Screen to an 18" Vtechnic. I liked the fact that it had mini-lowers that extended around the headlight lens. I also like the appearance of this shield on the bike. Top quality materials and a rock-solid mount.

Second thing was to add a Throttlemeister set. I have used TM on three past bikes and feel it helps with hand/wrist fatigue on longer rides, but also helps quiet down bar vibes. I don't use it as a throttle lock very often, but when needed it's nice to have it. Electronic cruise would be nice, but . . .

Third thing was to move the bars. More specifically, I loosened the clamp and rotated the bar down as far as possible without causing interference with the tank. I know this is pretty much opposite to most bar mods/adjustments, but it works for me and my (lack of) height. It feels more natural and gives me a better sense of control.

Along the way I also mounted my aging GPS via a RAM ball that replaces one of the handlebar clamp bolts. I have the OEM wire harness to power it from the under-tank source, but haven't wired it yet.

Whether I'm breaking in the seat or it's breaking in my butt, I find that it isn't all that uncomfortable. It's a 2011 stocker, which is a BMW standard comfort seat according to an underseat label. Truth be told, I haven't spent a long day in the saddle yet (I'm talking 500+ miles) so the jury is out on that. I suspect that eventually I'll find that I need an aftermarket seat but I won't make that decision until the end of riding season (that means snowfall in Chicago).

I had wanted to install a pair of the Moto Bozzo (I think that's the name) aux lights, but the mount point will cause the light pattern to hit the Vtechnic screen, and that wouldn't be a good thing. I'll keep my eyes open for a light set that I can mount lower and more forward on the bike. Probably something that attaches to the fork legs.

Finally, I was delighted to find that I could mount my H2W bags via straps very securely. The OEM passenger grab handles on the 2011s provides good purchase to the rear, combined with a point on the OEM pannier mounts to the front. Solid as a rock, and the weight stays as low as possible and positioned very slightly to the rear of the back axle. I have all the storage capacity I need for how and when I tour.

Down the road I'm sure I'll be going to the aftermarket for suspension upgrades, but that's probably a season or two away. I fully expect a serious upgrade to suspension performance with the aftermarket pieces, but the OEMs work well enough for me for now.

Chuck

[lynnboyd]

1. Sargent heated seat (ask for stainless staples)

2. Memphis Shades Alley Cat windshield

3. Hella FF50's on front and Knight Riderz flashing LED brakelight for visibility

[spoonyfork]

1. Throttle Rocker (they're out of business, so Crampbuster I guess)
2. BMW touring windscreen
3. BMW side cases

Honorable mentions:
4. BMW tank bag
5. BMW heated grips
6. Aprilia Tuono mirrors

[icecave]

1. Freedom Air cushion
2. Crampbuster
3. Hepco & Becker Crash bar

[psycle.vt]

hard to choose, but I guess:
1) Kaoko throttle control - requirement for arthritic hands
2) engine bash guard (live on dirt road and that exposed oil filter just seemed a bit too available - esp after Don E's experience)
3) mudsling (see #2)

Honorable mention:
1) AirHawk (has so far saved me from probably a Rick Mayer or heaven forbid, a Russell)
2) P3 brake lights
3) Givi E45 top case (had it left over from GS)
4) aftermarket screen (CalSci in my case - probably something different if doing it today)
...............

[parkec]

1. Full Remus Exhaust.
2. Wilber's Shocks. front/rear
3. Moto Lights.

do I have to stop at 3? :-)))))))

[gibbo111]

Hyperpros front and rear
Remus headers
Grip puppies

[beaujarle]

1) Crash protectors (cylinder, forks & telelever)
2) OEM Sport windshield
3) GPR exhaust

[shake1150]

my top three mods are:

1. Ohlins suspension front & rear, huge improvement over stock

2. Zach exhaust - way better sound

3. BoosterPlug - made engine smoother at low revs, throttle on/off response much smoother


coming up next in the not too distant future is a Sargent seat!