Motorcycle customizing: why, trade-offs, importance of riding position

You and your bike need to fit each other

Everyone customizes their motorcycle to fit their needs and desires. Some carry it much further than others. Some have no choice if they want to ride a particular bike. Others simply have no choice.

Women as a group have chronically been underserved in the area of motorcycle apparel and gear, not to mention bikes that fit their size. That situation is changing as manufacturers recognize that motorcycles are not gender specific, and there are plenty of shorter men who have the same issues that women have.

Paul Golde, senior product specialist at Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA, and Athena "Chickie" Ransom, owner of Vagabond Chopper Co., addressed the issue in a presentation title "Making your bike fit you (but if all else fails, find a bike that fits you). The two are speakers at the International Women & Motorcycling Conference (IWMC) currently in session in Keystone, CO.

  Athena "Chickie" Ransom and Paul Golde

Paul led off, discussing the sorts of modifications possible and the trade-offs that come with them. For instance, lowering kits will make it easier for shorter riders to reach the ground flat-footed but also will reduce ground clearance. Seats can be cut to a lower profile but that reduces the cushioning. A smaller bike may fit someone better, but it will have less power.

One no-cost tweak that few bikers employ is suspension adjustment, says Paul. Many Kawasakis have adjustable air suspension that comes set at 0 psi and many riders never change it. Paul sets his to 40 psi and "it makes a huge difference in the comfort and the ride."

Another option that some riders go overboard on is electrical accessories. What looks really cool or works well for you may overload the bikes amperage with disastrous results.

One good thing about events such as the IWMC, Paul said, is that they are making the industry pay attention. Manufacturers are now offering adjustable seats and other features that benefit not only short riders but very tall ones as well.

Chickie stressed that form has got to be secondary to function. Modifications must be safe. The riding position is key to confidence in controlling a bike.

"You don't want to be comfortable, you don't want to be cocky, you want to be confident," she said.

What many people do not understand, she said, is that true customization takes time. You usually can't just purchase an aftermarket part and bolt it on, it will require adjustments to make it fit properly.

"There's no way you can't do something you want to do," she said, but it will cost. You need to find someone reputable who can give you what you need and do it safely.

"How long does it take? As long as need be to do it right."

Totally committed to Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Chickie said that "before Harley came out with custom parts, I had to cut up stuff and make what I wanted."

When it comes to a perfect ride in a custom world, said Chickie, "it's all about the measurements." Customizing your bike to fit you needs to ensure that you and the bike really do fit.

"If you're not one with your bike you'll leave it parked. It's like a relationship--you have to work at it, it's work. You have to work to get to that goal of your vision of what you see and how you want to ride and be one with your bike. It's a working relationship."

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