Motorcycle Mods

Click on pictures for larger view, then "back" on your browser to return here.

Passenger Handlebars: They might look a little funny, but it's important to me for my passenger to hold on while riding. After holding on to my waist or shoulders for extended period, her back and shoulders started to hurt. So I modified my Mustang driver's backrest by fabricating some handlebars, which fold forward with the backrest for easy mounting/dismounting. My girlfriend says she wants a bicycle bell for her handlebars. I told her that they only make them for Hondas and Yamahas, but not Suzukis! :o)

Hot Grips® Heated Handlebar Grips: My round-trip commute to and from work is about 80 miles, my truck gets around 15 mpg, and diesel fuel is currently selling for around $3.25/gal (as of Nov 2007). That means I use approximately 5.33 gallons every weekday, which costs me about $17.32/day, or $86.60/ week, or $4,330/year . . . just driving back and forth to work! ON THE OTHER HAND, my bike gets between 50 - 60 mpg, at $2.90 (for regular unleaded). I use less then 1.5 gallons each day, at a cost of only $4.35/day, or $21.75/week, or $1,087.50/year! That's a savings of over $3,200/year! DO YOU REALIZE HOW MANY NEW ACCESSORIES I CAN GET FOR $3,200????? ;o) THEREFORE, I would really like to ride my bike all year round. But no matter what kind of gloves I wear, my fingers still freeze to the bone. After some research, I decided to install a pair of Hot Grips® (p/n 475-100; with open ends, which allows for use of the bar weights). I also purchased the "Handlebar Mounted Switch Housing with the Standard Off/Low/High Switch", but I didn't like the way it looked on the handlebars. So I mounted the switch in the front of the speedometer housing. It's easily accessible, but much less noticeable. As you can see in the picture, the temperature of the grip registered 106° F in the high setting (at an the ambient temperature of 60° in my garage). In the low setting, it was around 86°. This was with the engine idling. I found out while riding, the grips are even hotter!

Polar Hands®--Modified: Above left is what the Polar Hands looked like when I purchased them. I didn't get a picture of them installed on the bike, but they didn't fit very well. They pointed "down" and "in", such that it was really hard to get your gloved-hand in and out. I did a lot of cutting and sewing to come up with the modified version on the right. I installed a piece of 12-gauge electrical wire in the openings so I could "shape" them in the open position.

Here are the Polar Hands installed on the bike. They are only deep enough now to block the wind, but they do the job well. And, as you can see, the controls are very easy to access. The modifications allowed me to rotate the cuffs forward to the correct angle, and they also seal much better keeping air from leaking in from the front. This, combined with the Hot Grips® allow me to wear my thinner summer gloves all year round!

To Be Continued . . .

[ Home ]