Paul's Rants - Must have accessories!

[@DerekHartland]

Hi Paul enjoyed this argument greatly. Just over two years ago I bought a second hand 2019 Himalayan 411 from a really nice guy locally in the Oxford area he was the second owner a had bought it from the dealership cooperb motorcycles as an X demo bike with all their adventurer extras fitted, alloy wheels, tubeless tyres, heavy duty sump guard, luggage etc for over £6000, he then went on to add a further £5000 worth of extras to include performance cam, power commander, exhaust, ohlins suspension front and rear etc, the total cost of bike and extras a shade under £11000 I have all the invoices and paperwork which confirms this.I saw the bike advertised on social media and watched it for a few months as the asking price tumbled to an affordable level, l bought the bike for less than £4000 with all these extras fitted and some that were not plus most of the original parts as well, no wheels, exhaust or rear shock but the rest of the original bits and the best of it was the bike had done less than 1200 miles. I still have the bike, funny thing is I have removed most of the extras fitted and it's made little difference to what after all is not a performance motorcycle.

[@56Model30]

Hi Paul, excellent argument. I roll my eyes when I see KZbin videos of people fitting accessory nick-nacks and discussing it as if this is some major engineering exercise. In the old days people built customised machines such as Tritons, and I guess this is the modern de-skilled equivalent. Just the times we live in.

[@GeoffreyBennett-sx6ij]

Yes ... The boutique man ... Stuart ...F.

[@MrPeterbennett]

Most important thing is to change the factory air in the tyres, I find Cornish air to be better !

[@philipbrackpool-bk1bm]

I bought a Harley demo bike, I quickly realised that if you’re not constantly in the shop buying accessories and clothing their interest in you drops like a stone, I sold it.

[@-old-school-motorcyclesltd]

I agree Paul unless you keep it along time the only thing I would do is basics rack/ panniers etc. Everyone gets bored when it’s done then loses a fortune. 😂😂 Waste of bloody money to me😊😊

[@rickconstant6106]

When I bought my new 850 Commando in 1974, it never occurred to me to start changing bits of it. To be honest, as a 19 year old, after the repayments for the bike, all I had left over went on petrol (and the occasional beer). The thing that winds me up is seeing perfectly good older bikes that someone has cut about and "customised", then thinks that they have added value to it. It just makes me move on to try and find an unmolested example

[@daveroberts7751]

My sentiments exactly only replace parts when they wear out.

[@niallsommerville9813]

Good rant! Not being a huge fan of Christmas, the one thing I look forward to is grabbing a few used alluminium Turkey basting trays for the garage. Great as drip trays and cleaning really grotty bits, that's my must have accessory.

[@rogerlishman2532]

I agree wholeheartedly. All the bikes from the well-established manufacturers have every system designed by graduate engineers in mechanics, thermodynamics, electronics, and electrics. They test the combination and sign off the design to offer the best of performance, fuel consumption and noise attenuation. I can't think of a reason to change that unless I were to race the machine.

[@williamnethercott4364]

Well said! The biggest thing I ever considered buying that could be called an accessory was a pair of handlebars. In the end, I didn't bother, I just got used to the existing ones. Beyond that, I've only ever found it necessary to buy mirrors and a Tiny Tach (which is a temporary addition).

[@frankgibirdi2636]

Hi mate I totally agree with you , some people have more money than sense happy Xmas and New year

[@norsehall309]

G'day Paul, well said, you don't throw away good parts, if you need one buy one and new rings for both, also l think your talking about a Royal Enfield 650, l have had a 650 interceptor since 2021 ( bought new) and in that time have added a pack rack and a bash plate and the bike still runs and handles as it did at new, in saying that the amount of extras you can buy for the Royal Enfield range is staggering, cheers mate, Neil 🤠.

[@dunc1958]

My 25 year old Harley (not everyones cup of tea, I'm sure) which I have had from new and done 55000 miles on. Has had various replacement bits, most if not all of these parts were sourced 2nd hand from people who had purchased similar bikes to mine but had swapped various bits that came as standard to "better" aftermarket ones. They of course sold on the unwanted standard bits at a fraction of the new price, that's where I pop in. Harley Davidson's extras and custom bits catalogue is a formidable tome and the aftermarket suppiers are many and varied. They help me keep my bike standard and in the Harley world thats something of a rarity🙂

[@peter7624]

Yeah good Christmas rant Paul and very valid. Some people automatically put all the optional extras on before they take delivery just because some expert on the internet said that the standard this or that is rubbish. I reckon they've got too much money is the problem. one I wouldn't mind sharing..

[@johnfazackerley6951]

What i want for Christmas is a perfect BSA Spitfire.A65.I would give it a good thrashing around our local country lanes then stop for a couple of pints before lunch.Unfortunately this will not happen as we are all going to a bloody awful wedding reception.Great Rant...

[@MrBeracah]

Hi Paul I agree completely with you, the only things I have changed on my 25 yr old bike was a topbox for carrying waterproofs and lunch, heated grips for cold riding and slightly stiffer springs for the front forks to reduce dive under braking, which resulted in a slightly less comfortable ride. I agree the manufacturer has done development work to produce the bike in the first place and any deviation isn’t always an improvement. Thks

[@richardparkersmith4810]

The only extra that I really love is heated grips.

[@VinceJones-uj3cm]

I do enjoy your rants Paul. Don't always agree with them, but I do enjoy them.

[@borderlands6606]

Totally with you. My customisation runs to a pair of adjustable levers and some throwover panniers. I linked to a KZbin video recently where Ser Leo Moto road tests a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, and straight out the shop rides it at what appears to 70 - 100 mph on his back roads. It seemed to handle just fine.

[@lesterhall5310]

Great rant Paul, I'm with you replace stuff when its worn out or dangerous and that may take 10 years with any luck. Thousands of hours of research go into each part that makes up a new motorcycle and then Mr owner swops them for a shiny piece of crap that doesn't make anything but cosmetic changes and rarely makes a great deal of difference. Standard bikes i love them.👌

[@marcheighton6436]

Indeed people seem to buy bikes then add trinkets and dress it up in jewelry ride it for 500 mikes then sell it. I'm with you ride it enjoy it add necessities rack lighage replace parts when there broken and ride it some more. I have the model I think your talking about it's still standard and five years old now and 24,000 mls and I hope to put another 24 on it as long as my health lets me 👍👍👍 All the best

[@stephendeakin2714]

It's the modern times we live in Paul, a few years back I bought a modern British bike, made in Thailand and when the misses and I went out together it was like riding a pogo stick, the shock absorbers and front fork springs changed for progressive ones sorted the all around riding quality, if the manufacturer had spent a couple of quid on better specified suspension items in the first place, then I suppose the retail price would have been a hundred pound more and would it then be seen as too expensive, I don't know.

[@Frank-e9p]

My 25-year-old Sportster is mostly stock. The previous owner put a set of exhaust pipes on it and a set of pioneer rails. I put a windshield on it that was on it for 20 plus years. The shocks are original and the only thing I replace the tires when they wore out.

[@highdownmartin]

I had a gs1200 which had a ‘ comfort seat’ on it and I got the original as well. Ididnt find the comfort one comfy so I swapped em and flogged the comfort seat. Now would Bmw have the cheek to sell a seven series for eighty grand or whatever and offer a comfortable drivers seat as an expensive extra. I think not. They’d be slated forever more!

[@richardwyatt8979]

I think the explanation for all the accesory bits is quite simple. Take a new or returning rider, let him spent too much time at the pub or coffee shop talking to all his expert buddies and watching you tube experts and then he KNOWS that he has to do all this stuff to his new, untried bike to make it have street cred. Never ridden the bike, but knows all about it's "flaws" and how to cure them. A parts sellers dream come true.

[@mervynprice7009]

One very enjoyed rant. On the only times that I have purchased new machines, all I wanted were heated grips & a rear rack, preferably with a single seat. This way it keeps the weight forwards. I am tall with large hands, so never any problems with reaching the levers. The downside being my feet were too big for the carburettored BMWs. Not that it mattered, as I soon discovered my preference for single cylinder motorcycles.

[@paulallen3873]

We sing from the same hymn sheet Paul. The only mods I’ve ever made to my bikes have been pragmatic, like racks, panniers etc. If you don’t like it as it is, why buy it in the first place. If I’ve wanted a performance bike, I’ve bought one, not tried to turn a tourer into something it’s not. But I suppose we often lavish gifts on those we love & in that respect, some shower their ride with gifts.

[@peterwilson8797]

Spent a fortune on my 2nd hand 2019 interceptor. Not to sell. It's a usable show bike. Lancaster over water paint job. Pannier rails. Rack. New exhaust and power commander. Rolling road time. Went to East Kirkby camping. Polished it and went to the bike night. Wouldn't have done it to sell it. I've 2 other bikes that are standard and more capable than me. 😂😂

[@windmilljohn]

Before I bought my 350 Hunter, I was aware of the number of discussions regarding vibey mirrors and rear shocks too firm. All I can say is yes, the mirrors… I cannot tell the make of vehicle behind but I can see one 🙄 And the rear shocks…. They are a bit firm. I could change at some point, but they are fine on at least 50% of roads. But, the other day, seeing a video of a custom house. A customer was changing all chrome parts for blacks parts…. What a waste of money! Yes I know it’s their money.

[@Kaybe-i6f]

Hi Paul, there is more disposable money about than years ago despite what people say. Just look at fast food and eating out, people afford it. Also nowadays a motorcycle is a hobby, something to look at parked up in a public space and ride sunny days. People throw money at their hobbies hand over fist. I got on the road at 16 back in the early 1980s on an Ex Post Office Puch MV 50, cost me £6 plus fees from a local Auction as a runner. I’ve love my bikes ever since but things have changed so much in that time and feels sad in some ways. Nowadays I am a slower rider and enjoy my surroundings on my 2017 Bullet 500 and yes I have purchased an exhaust plus a few other things but nothing major as too much bloody money for what they are also I don’t do enough miles each year so nothing much wears out.

[@DeanRider_1956]

Well said Paul!

[@nbandpinportugal]

Some people have more money than sense but it makes you wonder how they accrued it in the first place.

[@geraldfitzgibbon7428]

Great rant paul . I bought a bike from England. It was near 2 yrs old only had 9thou 4hun miles .iv owned it since oct 2020. Iv just put clocked over 16 thou miles this summer gone. ( id class it as just run in now) alot people buy new bikes and seam to move them on before they get to many miles or b4 2 years old. Or u see bike for sale less than 2 years old less than 3 thou mile. And seller claims full service history. So i guess people have got sucked into the buy new trap and kit it out

[@hermangibbs8163]

Well said . Thanks Paul.

[@paulhenshaw4514]

Thanks, Herman!

[@tonybritten3070]

I have to admit I did replace the exhaust system on my interceptor its taken a bit of weight off it but I did it mainly for the sound 🙂 the bike handles great just the way it is , Merry Christmas Paul , keep the videos coming 👍

[@grateberk6435]

Ace bars and a pea shooter on yer Fizzy! Hahaha!

[@joetocchio9666]

I agree with you. I buy a motorcycle for what it is, not what it could be made to be. Oh I do like to doll them up but as far as performance I don't touch them. I find it silly people who get that 650 and want to put a big bore kit in it because then if you're doing the job correctly you really need to upgrade everything else. Why not just get a T 100 and be done with it 😂. Great channel btw, I'm not a mechanic but have learned quite a bit here. Thanks

[@mikerolph362]

Yes if you are buying a 650 to upgrade to an 850, why not buy an 850 in the first place ?, must work out cheaper and be a lot less hassle I would have thought.

[@murffff]

merry christmass paul have a good one

[@anthonyhull2998]

A happy Xmas and New Year to you and family. I always prefer standard bikes but there will always be people who want to make their bikes different hence cafe racers. Some people always want to be different and pay more to be that way. It usually stops when they get girlfriends and married ha,ha. .

[@stephencroft6481]

Not to mention the big bore kits and clutch upgrades

[@rodneygunn788]

My350 Enfield still pretty much standard only carb and exhaust changed go to work transport 15 years jack of all trades trades think it might be run in after 22 years

[@nickaxe771]

I do wish my 2020 bike still has points condensers' carbs ect....but they dont.....and I wanted the bike I have.....to keep my 1969 BSA company....Bout £250 worth of extras on my 2020 Triumph T100. £100 de-cat kit good old EU to thank for that....£125 second hand set of Norman Hyde Toga exhausts.....a £20 tyre pressure monitor kit to seeing the bike has tubes....so I can get early warning of a tyre prob. Thats it. £4000 sound crazy.

[@deancooper7952]

I wss tsught some engime compomemts are best replaced in sets,for example pistons due to matching run time,heat cycles,manufactuers etc.maybe just replacing one conrod would have saved money and matched odd pistons?some things are considered poor practice.

[@750triton]

Plenty of disposable income and not so plenty on technical ability. They can fit all these extras or replacement parts but can't buy a knacker and restore it to a rideable condition

[@highdownmartin]

Customising cars these days is snapping some dayglo green mirror shells on and a sticker on the boot. Sad really

[@austen.5756]

Thing is in the 60s and 70s bikes were lower and didnt have to carry 20+ stone umpalumpas. 🤣

[@stevec-b6214]

My theory is simply that many riders nowadays have neither the patience nor the ability to do actual mechanical work. They desperately want to do something to `fix it up` or `customise` it by simply bolting stuff to it. no real skill required. They then claim to be `experts`. I bought a 2 year old himalayan and spent the second day of ownwership taking off all the crappy bolt on bits. A guy up the street bought a ducati multisomething, and when I asked what tyre pressures he used, proudly proclaimed that (after riding it like a loony all summer), had no idea, and no intention of finding out either.

[@neilmcintosh1200]

Oh dear.....

[@udubidub]

seen a track bike on KZbin 8 grand for swinging arm it was racing in BSB

[@750triton]

Sorry for second comment but I didn't want to edit my previous one. Not that it matters much because, I have a feeling YT are either deleting or hiding my comments. For a couple of weeks I bought 6 pint jugs of milk instead of the usual 4 pints, so I could make a pair of handlebar muffs. Winter riding to work up the M6 was freezing my fingers. My hands were proper toasty after that. Cut them off when the weather warmed up, bin them and buy new milk jugs next year. Blended in quite nicely once covered in black gaffer taper

[@paulhenshaw4514]

No problem, and I see plenty of comments from you, so they are getting through.

[@MickBird-g7y]

I did see the advert you mentioned and thought exactly the same thing. I think it's down to attention seekers needing a conversation starter. I'm guessing the catalogue man, with his branded riding ware, who stands by his bike waiting to bore people.

[@michaelgillett5477]

Hi there, just heard you rant yes I come from the same school when people used to take stuff off a bikes and say oh I’m gonna renew that I’m afraid to say I used to belong to what I used to call the vulture section as stuff got thrown away off other peoples bikes I used to end up using it I never had a lot of money. I never had high paying jobs. I never smoked hated the smell of them but it was a case of motorcycles or cigarette and I’m afraid to say motorcycles one, but I think nowadays people like to be brag to their friends and say how much they’ve done this how much I’ve done that the world is a funny place at the moment and I can’t understand it. I think I’m still living in the past enjoy your muddy ride on your bike over the next week or two have fun Michael.

[@alvindavenport5657]

There are a lot of relatively new riders who get wrapped up in the accessorizing game promoted on the internet and spend way too much for parts they don’t need or fully understand how to use. They wind up losing a small fortune when they sell the bike for the next big thing they’ve seen. They really need to ride the bike they bought and not worry about what others tell them they need. I’ve seen a lot of “long-term” bike reviews posted that are 20 minutes of showing off accessories and 5 minutes of covering how the bike performed. I have more important things to spend my money on-heat and food for my family being two.

[@andrewslattery403]

Lots of common sense. Adding a Goldie silencer: now you're talking.....

[@damiantuttle1348]

Gotta be an interceptor

[@stan5513]

The aftermarket beckons with huge promises of performance gains, but the marginal difference is soon forgotten. Aftermarket parts in chrome or gold display your good taste and wisdom. LMAO.

[@julibradbury]

And then they fit a black and white/silver number plate on a new bike. How sad is that?

[@paulhenshaw4514]

Very sad. I think I may have covered those in one of my rants already ...

[@billykershaw2781]

No carbon fibre....? Oh dear...ha ha ha😂

[@nordkettenhund]

Although you didnt mention names, it must be Harris and RE...

[@derekgee8504]

I was in the army in 1966 and I was lucky enough to be mustered as a dispatch rider and had rode Triumph , Ariel and BSA and the only issue I had was a broken clutch cable . After I completed my service I bought a Honda CB 750 and realised that there was a huge difference in performance between the British bikes compared to the new Japanese models. I now own three Hondas many years later and while appreciate the old bangers the Hondas put them to shame in all aspects. No need for additional bits to make them “ better” because it was fit for purpose out of the box.

[@ianaristotlethompson4186]

As for the GS owners, don’t go there. Each to their own.

[@GTMarmot]

Half a mile ridden per £1 spent on accessories, probably

[@alanwilliams3677]

Everybody's an individual. Can't ride a bog-standard bike, because that would mean you're happy with bog-standard performance. Same mentality that sees people spending a small fortune on making their 250, 500, 750 or whatever faster with performance parts; why not just buy a faster bike to start with?

[@peterrestaino7047]

Sounds like Harelys buisness model.

[@brockett]

Why would someone buy a bike which has a low powered engine ( e.g. a modern 350 Enfield) and then fork out for a de-cat exhaust, performance camshaft, power commander type do-dab etc. when all they have to do is to buy the new 450. But let's be honest. Lots of reasonably well off pensioners are buying these fairly cheap bikes to recapture the two wheeled youth they never had but always wanted. Most know far too little about mechanics and are easy prey to the snake oil salesmen with their murky upgrade parts catalogues. Then along comes the KZbin reviewer. With their opinions subject to the availability of freebies and the offers of things to review which might attract more clicks and views. All in the hope that they can derive an income out of the naive who watch and the gullible who buy through their channel links. Selling cheap junk must be making someone rich. Some of the most popular reviewers are more like prostitutes and some up-graders and self proclaimed mechanics are downright dangerous. Thank goodness there are many good folk such as you Paul, You, and a few others, have saved my sanity through some darks times. Rant on Paul. Rant on.

[@paulhenshaw4514]

Thank you!

[@JamesHughson]

Your missing the point its all about making the bike yours / different anyone can buy a standard bikeand ride it but where is the fun in that

[@paulhenshaw4514]

There's quite a lot of fun in it actually, I find.