Bike Improvements for touring and performance??

[jptfinn]

As someone who has a bog standard 'S I am looking for any suggestions on improvements to make - Nothing TOO technical (Being of limited intelligence) or if it is technical use laymans language please.
My main use of the bike is the "weekend ride with the lads" plus I am starting to tour on the bike further afield, the plan is to go to the middle east and back - I also hope to take it for some track days to improve my technique.
I have hard side panniers, and a ventura soft backpack/bracket set up for luggage which is fine.
Anything you can suggest is appreciated. whether performance wise or practical tips for touring.
Many thanks
John

[Ade B]

For touring, as you are no doubt aware, a tank bag is really useful (for a bloody great heavy lock if nothing else) - various types are out there and opinions differ..

A power socket(s) is pretty useful for running heated gear, autocom, GPS. BMW ones cost 3 times as much as none BMW..

As far as I'm aware, there are various taller screens out there, none of which are much good by all accounts..

Plusher seats (Corbin) are favoured by some.

Bar risers and footpeg lowering kits (for the elderly and infirm )

A decent puncture repair kit...

I've done thousands of miles of 2 up touring with the same kit as you plus a BMW tank bag. Found the Ventura rack (with the sports rack attachment) would take ever increasing amounts of stuff bungeed to it including tent, mini deck chairs, water bottles, baguettes etc....

The tank bag is used for a huge Oxford Monster lock and chain (which is our heaviest single item of kit) maps, Autocom unit, minidisc player (pre MP3) and valuables and bits of tat (wallet, phone, etc.). I unclip the tank bag at fuel/ coffee stops and cart it around leaving the rest of the stuff attached to the bike..

Other mods are mainly performance related - suspension, cat eliminator/ Y piece, exhaust, induct and filter, PC, and dyno time.

From posts on here I believe performance pads tend to warp OE discs more rapidly than OE pads.

There are countless threads on tyres here.

If you go further afield or partake in a track day, take some oil, you'll need to top up at some point.

There is a simple fuel tank mod which involves drilling a hole in the filler neck which provides a small increase in capacity (not done this myself). A bigger mod is to procure a custom larger tank for a none ABS bike.

HID lights.

Stainless fixings (BMW fixings are shite).

Can't think of anything else.

HTH

Ade.

[Harry]

Ventura perspex headlight guard.

- requires no mechanical skills at all. It's a bit 'pipe and slippers' image wise, but the last thing you want is a broken headlight when you're touring a long way from home.

[Topcat]

Get a gps unit, try this from gps warehoues:-
http://www.gpsw.co.uk/about/page8.html

I brought one in the summer, £150 for the lot! Good piece of kit.

You'll need a power socket to run the thing (it uses loads of batteries) but there bloody handy for charging the battery and your phone, for which you'll need an adaptor to fit the phone charger, try here:-
http://www.blue-job.co.uk/
unfortunate web site name but great service (excuse the pun)


And, as Abe B says take some oil, most important.

Have fun

TC

[Topcat]

Opps, just checked the gps web site, seems to have gone up a tad but you do get the 256mb card and the latest software.

[minivin]

Those gel pads you can get for the seats maybe worth a try to see what you think of them, when I went to Monte Carlo and back this year the seat had to have been the worst bit for me on the bike

[moon]

I mounted 2 power sockets up front, near or under the front inside edge of the fairing (1 cig & 1 BMW-type) to power GPS and other items.

SAENG mount for GPS and *&^$%

Tank Bag

Givi Monolock topcase (for the better half's souvenoirs)

Sargant saddle

Throttlemeister

Headlight cover

Hella driving light

Conti Road Attacks

[gismo]

The only performance mod I've made is fitting a K&N filter.
It's smoothed things out a bit.
May be it's me picking the wrong riding companions, but on the road, performance wise I've not found I've needed much else. Okay on straight line performance some of the plastic rockets, R1's, Fireblades etc have a higher top speed but through the twisties there's not been many times I've not been able to keep up and on some occasions managed to show one or two capable riders a disapearing set of exhaust pipes.
On a previous 1100s I did drop the cat and replace it with a Y pipe. Very noisy and with little gain.

[throttlemeister]

The only performance mod I've made is fitting a K&N filter.
It's smoothed things out a bit.
May be it's me picking the wrong riding companions, but on the road, performance wise I've not found I've needed much else. Okay on straight line performance some of the plastic rockets, R1's, Fireblades etc have a higher top speed but through the twisties there's not been many times I've not been able to keep up and on some occasions managed to show one or two capable riders a disapearing set of exhaust pipes.
On a previous 1100s I did drop the cat and replace it with a Y pipe. Very noisy and with little gain.

The tighter the turns get and the steeper the climb, the more the excellent handling and low down torque of the S shines and gives the plastic rockets the finger.