Much likebeginner motorcycle choices and going from generic to specific, ADV motorcycle mods fall into the same category. When you’re just starting out, modifying your bike sounds like something youshouldbe doing becauseeverybodyseems to be doing it. But where do you begin, what mods are necessary, and which ones are just farkles you can do without?

When I got my first “real” adventure bike, my Suzuki DR650, it wentunder extensive surgery and modifications by @rtwPaul. At the time, I couldn’t even locate my carburetor (or tell what a carburetor does in the first place), so to me, all the mods and improvements, bike build threads, and jet pilot discussions were more or less incomprehensible. I could understand the use of the obvious stuff, like handguards or aftermarket footpegs, but things like suspension upgrades or carb mods? I had no idea and no understanding, and if it was up to me, I’d have happily ridden the DR650 in its stock form for months and years before changing anything on it myself.

If I bought another bike now, though, I’m pretty sure I’d get on some ADV motorcycle mods right away. First, I’d want good suspension, solid clutch and brake levers, aftermarket footpegs, and crash protection. Then, budget permitting, probably an aftermarket seat and roadbook navigation equipment; the rally world is moving towards electric roadbooks, but I still prefer the old school, mechanical ones. Next up would be carb mods to make the bike more bite-y if necessary and finally, some LED lights even though I try to avoid riding in the dark as much as I can. In terms of luggage, I’d stick with Mosko Moto rackless system, and I’d want to make a small toolbox under the luggage rack or perhaps near the skidplate.

However, all of this took a long, looong time to really sink in. For one, I was never mechanically minded; for another, as a new rider, you just don’t know better. Does your bike feel slightly off because the suspension isn’t great, or is it because you don’t have the skill level yet? Will the carb mods make that much of a difference, or is your bike enough bike for you for now?

These things take time to figure out, and it takes miles and experience to start telling the difference. For example, my heavily modified DR650 feels very different from a rental DR I rode in Ecuador last November because of the suspension and modified carb; but if I was a new rider, while I might still feelsomedifference, I wouldn’t be sure whether it’s because the bikes are set up differently or am I just an unsure rider. It’s a bit like riding horses: when you’re learning, you can’t tell the horse started the canter on the wrong leg, you’re just trying not to fall off. With experience, you can not only tell but correct the canter. Same with bike mods – it takes time to feel attuned to your bike in the first place, and only then it makes sense to start changing it.

So before doing any ADV motorcycle mods at all, it seems to me it’s best to ride the bike as-is for a while and focus on improving your skills. Then, if possible, ride the same bike but with a different suspension set up; if you feel a big difference, go for the new suspension – but if you don’t, the stock will work fine until your skills are better and you can tell your bike needs to work better for you.

It’s the same with any other mods, not just suspension. Ride stock until your skills are at a level where you will really feel and fully utilize any bike modifications you do; as an example, for the first year of riding South America, I was perfectly happy with a tiny Chinese motorbike using a backpack strapped on the back as luggage – I was just learning to ride and figuring this ADV stuff out little by little, so if back then, someone had presented me with a fully adventurized KTM500, it would have been completely lost on me. Similarly, I happily plodded along the TAT with a mediocre suspension set up, and only a few years later when I started doing amateur rally races could I appreciate a fully custom suspension that I have now.

Finally, the whole reason behind doing ADV motorcycle mods is to customize and adapt the bike and its ergonomics to you and your type of riding, traveling, or racing. Just because everyone seems to be going nuts over shiny new rally kits, it doesn’t mean you actually need one for your bike, especially if it’s your first rally race – more likely than not, you’ll do just fine on your bike as is, learn a ton in the process, and then start thinking of what you’d like to change. And some mods may turn out to be completely unnecessary in the long run – for example, I never actually needed the fuel range that my Safari 30l tank had, and I’m now swapping it for a 25l Acerbis because the oversized Safari gets in the way when I’m standing on the pegs and need to shift forward. The leaner, smaller Acerbis, on the other hand, allows for better position and movement.

Once again, though, all of this took time as well as trial and error to understand and appreciate. And the learning has only begun – as I improve my riding, put even more ADV miles on the bike, race more, and work on my bike more, I’m sure that years down the line, there’ll be new mods, new ideas, and new improvements I’ll want to do.

所以对于那些刚刚开始睡觉world and feels overwhelmed by all the aftermarket options, all the shiny objects, and all the nitty gritty of performing bike surgeries, I’d suggest patience and experimenting. Ride your own ride, see what feels good, try different bikes and test different setups, and build slowly – skills first, mods second. Some practical stuff like crash protection, better-quality levers and pegs, and perhaps a luggage system aside, there’s no need to rush and spend thousands of dollars on improvements you may not yet need.

What’s your take, and what mods have you done on your bikes? Share in the comments below!