The internet has made modding boring

[tigertim20]

Ive been reading a few 'build threads' lately on various forums, now Im a bike guy, and I love to mod, and get my hands dirty,
but I feel like the bike modifying thing has become boring as hell.

I look at build thread everywhere, and frankly they have become pretty generic regardless of brand. It starts with a tail tidy/ integrated tail light, then throw in some crash bungs for good measure, and maybe a double bubble screen or something.

Those with a little more coin to spare change the air filter to something that breathes a little more, and maybe an exhaust, along with a tune/power commander.
After that, its about 'details' with some blingy levers here, some rearsets there, and an ohlins cartridge or shocks there, and so on and so forth.

Dont get me wrong, these mods have some use I guess, and they do add a little something to bikes, but my point is, I always felt that mods were about making your bike a little unique, but everyone has become so caught up in doing all these little things in an attempt to be unique, that the effort in doing all the generic mods has actually made them as boring as everyone else.

What happened to genuine modifying? Im not talking about off the shelf shit, I can go buy a full zorst system from Akra, two brothers, GYTR, Danmoto, or I can buy levers in the dozens, what ever happened to genuine, one off modding where you went down to the shed, and cut and hacked, and welded and bent and created something truly unique, something that nobody elses bike has got?

I blame the internet for dumbing down our modding creativity - we see a part on ebay that a million others have, and buy it, then brag, ohhh look at my new levers.
well congrats, theyre the same an ten thousand others out there.

What mods have YOU dont that is truly custom? anything from custom tail tidies, to paint jobs, or even installing elctrical items?
prove me wrong here people!

[mossy1200]

You need to search the bucket threads

Rsv1000 front end onto a cbr250 frame is the latest mod retaining the cbr250 wheel.

Or a home built trailer.

[sil3nt]

You must look in the wrong places http://www.bikechatforums.com/viewto...er=asc&start=0

[hayd3n]

custom decals (hornet on the tail)
custom fitted exhaust (two brothers exhaust and custom link pipem, no zorst straps!!
custom exhaust shroud
custom screen
custom cowel
soon custom front indicators
and installing a taillight with integrated indicators (not a oem fit)

[nzspokes]

Im hand making pannier mounts and making spot lights out of house lights?

Is that what your thinking?

Im also probably the only person with highway pegs on a Bandit.....

[hayd3n]

ohh and custom radiator guard

[SMOKEU]

Same thing is happening with car modding, apparently.

[Motu]

What's boring is these guys who have a CNC at home and don't have to work for a living - they turn out mind boggling work, and their bikes are pieces of art that never get ridden.

[Buyasta]

What about the cool stuff folks like ducatilover and Bogan are doing?.. I think it's probably a case of business as usual in terms of number of people doing interesting mods, it's just that with the internet providing such a ready medium for everyone and their dog to throw up a build thread or page, you hear a lot more about the boring cookie-cutter mods where in days gone by you'd only hear about it if it were new or interesting. In short, cool modding is probably still being done, you just have to wade through a bunch of boring crap to find the interesting ones.

[Brian d marge]

come and talk to me .......
Stephen

[nzspokes]

I used a scooter deck to mount my top box on my last bike.

[ducatilover]

I wish I had something unique in my garage I copied a few people when I installed my K&N and did a DIY ignition advancer.
My 600 is pretty run of the mill otherwise

[GrayWolf]

For a start you have a design brief these days that is highly limiting... sprot bike frames are quite restrictive to modify..... Looking back at the 'old school' double cradle frame, twin shocks, etc... we had so much more we could play with to alter, rip the fairing off most sprot's and the engines look like a plumber's leftovers. So air cooled engines have a better 'asthetic' when exposed... most monoshock's have a limit with what you can play with,,,, try replacing fuel tanks on a 'beam or perimiter' frame...... the pubic at large wanted the current styles..... Buy old style bikes like GSX1400, XJR's, MT's, Bandit, CB1300 etc etc,,,, these 'old style' bikes have a greater scope for modding IMO.

[zippy]

I think "proper modding" I.E. more than buying off the shelf custom parts that just bolt on is likely going out of fashion due to a number of things already mentioned.

My main concern is as a biker i would never buy a heavy modified bike that has been chopped and re-welded by someone else over concerns of the quality of work and if the welds dont collapse as i do 100+ down the road.

Modded bikes are also hard to sell on therefore modding your bike will lower its end sale value.

Sure if i had a spare 80s gixer or a v-max laying about i would take a hacksaw to it for a bit of fun to make a rat bike for myself...but would not dare do it on my current bike knowing eventually i would want to sell it to get the best value for another down the line which means keeping them as original as possible.

Bikes are also so quick these days, if i want to mod the engine on my current bike then i would be a case of throwing thousands of dollars into engine racing parts or a turbo. You cannot just take the pistons out and give them a good polish anymore and the gains do not really justify the headaches that could come from playing around the engine of todays very touchy modern bikes.

[98tls]

Hear what your saying Tim,am guilty of most of the off the shelf stuff myself inclusive of aftermarket rims,lets face it i couldnt have made them myself and of all the things ive done to my old S its the rims that made the most noticeable difference.As for not off the shelf stuff fitting GSXR forks/radials is a little different and very worthwhile.