mpdgsxr1000
01-12-2003, 10:53 PM
I've seen many topics about what mods should be done first to a new bike and they mostly say get an exhaust, jetkit/powercommander, air filter, etc. so whats should be your first thing to do on your mod list. here is what I believe should be done first and foremost and quick reason why (some of them will be my opinion) and im not including the simple ones like removing reflectors, switching directionals, cutting off the mud flap in the list
1) Suspension adjustment front and rear.....a bike off the showroom floor is not adjusted for any rider its setup in this state is sloppy to say the least and is just a starting point for a rider to work on. correct spring rates for bike and rider weight should be installed, sag set and the compression and rebound adjusted to optimize the tire grip to the road
2) Frame sliders....its a good mod to protect your investment if your bike has the option of having them
3) Steering dampener....with the rake and trail of todays sportbikes the front end can become skittish at straightaway speeds and can have a slight pulsing in the bars in a corner (in a corner you will feel this as the bars slightly shaking back and forth in a lean) a steering dampener will give you a better feel for the bike and keep head shake to a minimum
4) Braided steel brakes lines.....(this one is my honest opion) rubber brake lines suck no matter how you look at it, after riding with braided steel lines for a while get back on a bike with the rubber lines and you will feel how much they expand under braking, braided steel lines are the way to go give better brake feel and stopping power.
5) Brake pads.....(this one is my honest opion) the stock brake pads are prone to fading when the rotors are hot. I would replace them with a pad like the Ebc Double H pad or Performance friction which offer better feel, grab, and are not prone to fade when being put to the test.
Notice I havent listed any horsepower increasing mods yet there is a reason for that "Its a new bike". you should take the time to learn the bike with the stock power it has for proper break in and for you to learn where the powerband starts and how the bike accelerates.
6) Jet kit or Powercommander....optimizes the air/fuel mixture for best performance, most bikes today are on the rich side from the manufactures so they are covered incase of a lean meltdown.
7) Air filter....this one is up to you, with the design of todays bikes aftermarket air filters dont add any or add very minimal horsepower, and some even lose some horsepower with them, recommended just for the fact that you can clean them.
8.) Exhaust system....whether its a slip-on or full system. a performance exhaust is lighter, scavages the cylinders better of spent exhaust gases, horsepower gains vary between the different manufactures but the norm is around 4-6 horsepower with a slip-on and 5-20 with a full race system
1) Suspension adjustment front and rear.....a bike off the showroom floor is not adjusted for any rider its setup in this state is sloppy to say the least and is just a starting point for a rider to work on. correct spring rates for bike and rider weight should be installed, sag set and the compression and rebound adjusted to optimize the tire grip to the road
2) Frame sliders....its a good mod to protect your investment if your bike has the option of having them
3) Steering dampener....with the rake and trail of todays sportbikes the front end can become skittish at straightaway speeds and can have a slight pulsing in the bars in a corner (in a corner you will feel this as the bars slightly shaking back and forth in a lean) a steering dampener will give you a better feel for the bike and keep head shake to a minimum
4) Braided steel brakes lines.....(this one is my honest opion) rubber brake lines suck no matter how you look at it, after riding with braided steel lines for a while get back on a bike with the rubber lines and you will feel how much they expand under braking, braided steel lines are the way to go give better brake feel and stopping power.
5) Brake pads.....(this one is my honest opion) the stock brake pads are prone to fading when the rotors are hot. I would replace them with a pad like the Ebc Double H pad or Performance friction which offer better feel, grab, and are not prone to fade when being put to the test.
Notice I havent listed any horsepower increasing mods yet there is a reason for that "Its a new bike". you should take the time to learn the bike with the stock power it has for proper break in and for you to learn where the powerband starts and how the bike accelerates.
6) Jet kit or Powercommander....optimizes the air/fuel mixture for best performance, most bikes today are on the rich side from the manufactures so they are covered incase of a lean meltdown.
7) Air filter....this one is up to you, with the design of todays bikes aftermarket air filters dont add any or add very minimal horsepower, and some even lose some horsepower with them, recommended just for the fact that you can clean them.
8.) Exhaust system....whether its a slip-on or full system. a performance exhaust is lighter, scavages the cylinders better of spent exhaust gases, horsepower gains vary between the different manufactures but the norm is around 4-6 horsepower with a slip-on and 5-20 with a full race system