There are a lot of after-market bike accessories out there that will tempt you to make your bike look more attractive. Some people want to dress their bikes up to give their bikes the “bling” factor and spend thousands of dollars. However, there are a lot of after-market parts that do not add anything to your motorcycle except to make it look better.
The dirt bike that you purchase in its original stock is already a piece of pretty durable and versatile machine that will give you comfortable rides through trails or tracks.
However, when you have ridden your bike long enough, you will begin to notice that your bike will be better if you add on a few bike accessories to make it perform better or to make your ride more comfortable and safer. Here are some of the bike accessories that you may like.
Handguards
Handguards keep your hands protected from being whipped by branches during trail rides or from bashing into the ground during a bad crash. There are a lot of styles of handguards to choose from. There is the MX or open style or the wraparound style.
With the MX or open style, the handguard is only mounted on the inside portion of the handlebar. The outer part remains open. On the other hand, the full wraparound handguards are mounted both on the inside and outside.
Since they are dual-mounted, full wraparound handguards offer you more stability and protection during tip-overs or crashes.
Skid plate
A skid plate is one of the after-market bike accessories that you definitely must have to protect your investment on your dirt bike. A skid plate prevents rocks and other debris from smashing into your bike`s engine.
Skid plates come in different materials ranging from polymer plastics to aluminium to carbon fibre. Some people believe that metal or aluminium skid plates are better than plastics. Other riders find that plastic skid plates are quieter and slicker to get over rocks and roots and logs during trail rides.
Plastic skid plates do not resonate that much as compared to aluminium skid plates making your ride quieter. On the other hand, carbon fibre skid plates offer excellent protection to your bike`s engine while being the lightest.
Auxiliary fuel tanks
When you are an adventurous rider, you tend to ride trails that you have never travelled before without knowing how much fuel you will need to complete the unknown path. Having an auxiliary fuel tank with you will help you finish a remote trail worry-free.
There are a lot of bike accessories shops that sell different types of auxiliary fuel tanks. They range from a simple gas can that you can mount easily on your bike to a more semi-permanently installed auxiliary tank.
The choice of the extra tank will depend mostly on the amount of long riding that you do regularly. However, if you find yourself always riding very long remote trails a lot, then it is recommended to replace your stock fuel tank with a larger one.
Suspension
Suspension adds a great deal not only to your comfort but to your safety as well. A properly working suspension system for your dirt bike means that your motorcycle goes where you aim it.
Remember that the suspension that comes with your factory fresh dirt bike comes from a supplier that gave the lowest bid. So it will not come as a surprise that the stock suspension of your bike will wear out quickly.
You need to replace your suspension system with a system that will be suited to your body weight and your style of riding.
Remember that when you plan to purchase after-market bike accessories, always go for the ones that will give your bike better performance and riding comfort.
Phillip Hastings
