Bike Improvements - Low Cost

[AllanB]

I would like to start a new topic inviting people to post improvements they have made to their bikes, any make or model,. I will begin with two I have made to my Phantom. Begin with the bike model and these don't have to be original ideas..

PHANTOM TA200

The Phantom suffers from being too low geared and a very cheap fix is to change the drive sprocket from 13T to 14T, 15T won't fit and the 14T from a NSR200 Honda will fit, but needs the rubbers from the original 13T transferred and fitted with superglue. The result is a much smoother and quieter ride and an increased quiet cruising speed. It is a tight fit which does just catch on the ally cover but not for long. Cost 150 baht

The second is the headlight, which is not halogen, simply replace with halogen. Can anyone give me a part number of a suitable 25, 30, or 35 watt bulb? Cost 100 baht

[BSJ]

Don't be a Cheap Charlie, go for the 150 baht twin filament halogen globe you can get at most bike shops. The 100 baht globes are no better than the 69 baht globes.

[AllanB]

Don't be a Cheap Charlie, go for the 150 baht twin filament halogen globe you can get at most bike shops. The 100 baht globes are no better than the 69 baht globes.

I thought they were all twin filament, how else would you get main and dipped?.....I haven't got them yet, my bloke can't source, any part number?

[YipYipYa123]

better tyres are a great upgrade from OEM ,followed by better brakes on most bikes but since this is a low cost thread :

buy a proper tyre pressure guage and make sure your running the correct pressures all the time (costs 150 thb for analogue or 200+ for a digital )

DO NOT TRUST GAS STATIONS ,THEY ARE OFTEN CALIBRATED DANGEROUSLY WRONG

if your bike has adjustable suspension ,taking the time to set it up makes a big differnce also ( costs nothing )

buy a quality synthetic oil after the engine is well broke in and use that as it will

iridium spark plugs last forever and are very cheap improvment over stock

same with air and oil fliters ,change em regular ,they are very cheap

buy a big bottle of carglo wax from the big c for 60 thb (bottle lasts ages if you only wax bikes

and they look amazing if you do it properly ) **do not get any wax on your brake discs **

oil your chain regularly ,examine it for wear and alignment and take care to adjust it correctly so it doesnt become slack

put a back off xp bulb in the brake light ,it pulses rapidly 3 times and then stays on max briteness to alert the drivers behind

that you are braking

as already mentioned ,a better bulb in front is great for nighttime visibilty and very inexpensive

a louder horn is also a nice mod ,stebel make them for bikes but any 12v car horn from ebay will work fine and is also much cheaper

another mod i like is a usb charger (190 thb ) in my battery box so i can charge iphones or android phones to use gps on the handlebar mount

im sure theres plenty more but these are the first things i usually do to a new bike

[CBR250]

Great suggestions Yipyipyaa - good maintenance is the key to cheap running as well as safety.

Where do you get the xp back off bulbs? I've never seen them in shops.

Almost any improvement in lighting is helpful for safety, and most can be done cheaply. Reflective wheel trim helps the bike be seen from the side by other drivers - esp. good for dark and rainy nights.

I agree that a better horn is needed for the lame little cartoon sound on most bikes - but I had a problem trying to use a car horn on my bike - I think the car horn needs more power than my thin little bike wire provides. It sounded very asthmatic.

Only suggestion I would add is always try to warm your engine up a little before taking off - just one minute of idling will help. Ensures less wear on engine parts.

[Beardog]

Led lights are very cheap & light up your bike so not only does it look cool , But the safety factor even in the daytime cant be beat.

[ib1b4]

I think the best low cost mod I made to my sports bike was foot peg lowering backets,they can be bought fron the US for a little over $220.oo plus freight. So I frabricated a set using 6 mm stainless plate ,total cost of 280 baht, including the price of a 8 mm thread tap that I did not have in my tool kit.

[Phronesis]

I love the King sticker: 10THB

[poanoi]

A good idea, i changed hand bars 5 times and i regret every one of them,

standard rocks, avoid wasting money

[moose7117]

how to improve a phantom in one easy lesson !

two litres of petrol and a match !

[Semper]

I love the King sticker: 10THB

[BSJ]

Don't be a Cheap Charlie, go for the 150 baht twin filament halogen globe you can get at most bike shops. The 100 baht globes are no better than the 69 baht globes.

I thought they were all twin filament, how else would you get main and dipped?.....I haven't got them yet, my bloke can't source, any part number?

Here you go. I didn't know your model year so it's up to you. https://www.sylvania...es/lrgmain.aspx

[BSJ]

how to improve a phantom in one easy lesson !

two litres of petrol and a match !

That's not nice! What the best solution is for everyone else isn't necessarily the best solution for the owner....unless they have top level insurance!

[cbrer]

Maintenance. Fresh oil, lubed chain. Good brake-pads.

Good tyres. Correct PSI.

Haven't even looked at the exhaust on a Phantom but imagine that it weighs about 6-7 tonnes. Are there aftermarket ones available that weigh about 90% less?

Edited January 2, 2013 by cbrer

[poanoi]

Geez.....investing those money on beer will yield more satisfaction than a chromed up pipe

[BirdsandBooze]

Double gel grips purchased back in England for the equivalent of 500 baht. Absolute luxury. Biggest waste of money was a 12 inch high MRA screen. The advertising blurb claimed it didn`t generate annoying wind noise or turbulence. Nonsense, no matter what rake I adjusted it to my head was like a nodding dog inside a megaphone.

[AllanB]

Maintenance. Fresh oil, lubed chain. Good brake-pads.

Good tyres. Correct PSI.

Haven't even looked at the exhaust on a Phantom but imagine that it weighs about 6-7 tonnes. Are there aftermarket ones available that weigh about 90% less?

I am interested in a new exhaust, as mine is not the best now after 8 years, where from and how much and does is sound better?

Thanks

Phantom is an okay bike, comfortable and stable (in a straight line), it does need looking after, but what else is there for 50-60k, CBR150 is a little small for me, virtually no pillion and I won't buy Chinese?

Also synthetic oils are not for all bike engines, so check.

[Phatcharanan]

how to improve a phantom in one easy lesson !

two litres of petrol and a match !

Who woke the 'noob' up?

Go back to sleep.

[cbrer]

Maintenance. Fresh oil, lubed chain. Good brake-pads.

Good tyres. Correct PSI.

Haven't even looked at the exhaust on a Phantom but imagine that it weighs about 6-7 tonnes. Are there aftermarket ones available that weigh about 90% less?

I am interested in a new exhaust, as mine is not the best now after 8 years, where from and how much and does is sound better?

No idea about pipes for Phantoms.

Geez.....investing those money on beer will yield more satisfaction than a chromed up pipe

Chromed up pipe? Now you're just advertizing your sexual preference.

I was referring to something weighing less than the 10 tonne stock pipe.

[Gweiloman]

Double gel grips purchased back in England for the equivalent of 500 baht. Absolute luxury. Biggest waste of money was a 12 inch high MRA screen. The advertising blurb claimed it didn`t generate annoying wind noise or turbulence. Nonsense, no matter what rake I adjusted it to my head was like a nodding dog inside a megaphone.

Had the same issue with the MRA screen on my Versys until I did the following mod:

This effectively raised the angle of the screen and it works much better.

[CBR250]

I've just been looking at getting a small screen for my CB1 to reduce wind resistance for touring. Gets uncomfortable sitting at 120+ for long stretches.

I checked MRA, Givi and Puig. All cost between £40 and £130. I've ordered one from China for £15. Made from ABS plastic, very similar shape to Puig Raptor. I'll do an update once I've tested.

[BirdsandBooze]

I've just been looking at getting a small screen for my CB1 to reduce wind resistance for touring. Gets uncomfortable sitting at 120+ for long stretches.

I checked MRA, Givi and Puig. All cost between £40 and £130. I've ordered one from China for £15. Made from ABS plastic, very similar shape to Puig Raptor. I'll do an update once I've tested.

Good idea, at least you won`t be too out of pocket if you find it unsuitable. The MRA is German with a German price tag. I was lucky enough to be able to sell it to a Thai neighbour who cares more about looks than performance.

[Gweiloman]

I've just been looking at getting a small screen for my CB1 to reduce wind resistance for touring. Gets uncomfortable sitting at 120+ for long stretches.

I checked MRA, Givi and Puig. All cost between £40 and £130. I've ordered one from China for £15. Made from ABS plastic, very similar shape to Puig Raptor. I'll do an update once I've tested.

Good idea, at least you won`t be too out of pocket if you find it unsuitable. The MRA is German with a German price tag. I was lucky enough to be able to sell it to a Thai neighbour who cares more about looks than performance.

Sometimes, it pays to buy quality - it only hurts once, but that's of course if it's suitable for you

[Fishenough]

Good ideas; louder horns, brighter headlights, and good brake pads are a must in CM traffic.

Also a cheap chain does not save you money, some of the very cheap chinese chains will wear out in 1/4 of the time as the chain that cost 1/3 as much. Not to mention the fun of being stuck road side due to a failed chain.

New comfortable grips to replace hard, lifetime lasting, stock grips is nice for your hands. Also large blue pipe can be assembled as a storage container, and secured to the bike for additional storage for cheap. Photo below was before I painted it black, though added as a tool tube, found it useful as a quick access water bottle storage.

A friends tool tube a second example;

[Pinot]

I was going to change the seat on Yamaha Nuovo Elegance as the two tone lighter part had uglied out after a few years. Instead I put one of these mesh seat cover over it. It looks great and the absolute best part of it is cool to sit on when in the sun! It also more comfortable to sit on. Best 600 baht I ever spent.

[prepress]

I was going to change the seat on Yamaha Nuovo Elegance as the two tone lighter part had uglied out after a few years. Instead I put one of these mesh seat cover over it. It looks great and the absolute best part of it is cool to sit on when in the sun! It also more comfortable to sit on. Best 600 baht I ever spent.

Can you tell where you purchased those mesh seats? I might need one

[YipYipYa123]

better tyres are a great upgrade from OEM ,followed by better brakes on most bikes but since this is a low cost thread :

buy a proper tyre pressure guage and make sure your running the correct pressures all the time (costs 150 thb for analogue or 200+ for a digital )

DO NOT TRUST GAS STATIONS ,THEY ARE OFTEN CALIBRATED DANGEROUSLY WRONG

if your bike has adjustable suspension ,taking the time to set it up makes a big differnce also ( costs nothing )

buy a quality synthetic oil after the engine is well broke in and use that as it will

iridium spark plugs last forever and are very cheap improvment over stock

same with air and oil fliters ,change em regular ,they are very cheap

buy a big bottle of carglo wax from the big c for 60 thb (bottle lasts ages if you only wax bikes

and they look amazing if you do it properly ) **do not get any wax on your brake discs **

oil your chain regularly ,examine it for wear and alignment and take care to adjust it correctly so it doesnt become slack

put a back off xp bulb in the brake light ,it pulses rapidly 3 times and then stays on max briteness to alert the drivers behind

that you are braking

as already mentioned ,a better bulb in front is great for nighttime visibilty and very inexpensive

a louder horn is also a nice mod ,stebel make them for bikes but any 12v car horn from ebay will work fine and is also much cheaper

another mod i like is a usb charger (190 thb ) in my battery box so i can charge iphones or android phones to use gps on the handlebar mount

im sure theres plenty more but these are the first things i usually do to a new bike

I forgot to mention of the cheapest mods to make your bike more comfortable for those long hauls or just all day cruising around the city

.....is get the seat done to match your ass/weight/riding position etc

On my versys i found myself sliding forwards too much into the tank esp under hard braking (crushed nutz 4tc and constantly having to push myself backwards up the seat ) so i went and had the seat reshaped ,a couple of layers of foam added to make it flat (not sloping downwards ) and also about a bit wider on each side for a larger surface area to support my weight (90-100kg) this made a huge differnce to those all day trips to other provinces and rougher terrain

when they were 3/4 way finished ,they asked me to sit on it and check it feels ok and made final adjustments until it was perfect

then i got the choice of a few differnt materials to re-cover it with ,i went with black perforated leather material and 15 min

later it was finished

total cost was 500 thb for everything and taken about an hour ,definately among the best low cost mods ive made and the bike is way more comfortable now

this is them in action making a ninja seat (not my) ,amazing talent and workmanship for the price of a few beers

[papa al]

I was going to change the seat on Yamaha Nuovo Elegance as the two tone lighter part had uglied out after a few years. Instead I put one of these mesh seat cover over it. It looks great and the absolute best part of it is cool to sit on when in the sun! It also more comfortable to sit on. Best 600 baht I ever spent.

Can you tell where you purchased those mesh seats? I might need one

In Pattaya they sell for 250 baht at s small shop on Pattaya road 3 a little south of Klang on the east side of the street, opposite soi 15 also opposite "British Law' with the Union Jack sign. I've set all three of my bikes up, they are great. Best 250 baht you can spend.