Greetings from Southern California,
Last week was the first time I had ever gotten on a bike. The experience has been amazing so far and I just wanted to reach out to the community and say hello. Yesterday I passed my DMV test and within the next few days I will be buying a R3 as my first bike.
If anyone has any info on what the "must have" mods/kits/tires etc are for the bike it would be much appreciated. My
#1 priority is safety.
Thanks in advance
Welcome from a former 619 resident.
There are no "Must-Have" mods for the bike, its a great bike for beginners and experienced riders alike out of the crate.
Regardless of what bike you buy, most people end up doing a fender eliminator.
Sliders to protect it from slow speed/stopped falls. Expect them to break from lowsides/highsides/fast crashes.
Spools/Slider spools to do maintenance/protect swingarm in a lowside.
Make sue you do a proper brake bed in when you get your bike, otherwise you may not like them, like alot of us. They get better after a proper bed in. EBC, Galfer and a few other companies have god instructions on how to bed in pads.
For a beginner, the stock tires should do just fine. Personal preference really. I wanted more grip cause I do canyons/track as well as commute. I have gotten my knee down on stock tires, so dont think they are super bad or anything like that. Some people have taken them to the track, and some reviewers have done reviews on the bike with oem tires at the race track.
Focus more of your money on gear.
A good leather jacket. try CL or Cycle Gear for their BILT and SEDICI stuff if you are on a budget.
Helmet and gloves obviously.
Kevlar reinforced pants with CE pads for everyday commuting.
Leather pants for track/canyon days.
Join a local forum and meet up group. San Diego Sport Bike Meetup Group is a good one. So is SCS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UptStEPxU8
