Fantasy bike builds - What would your dream bike look like with mods?

I'm still saving up to buy a bike, and I know what I'm going for, but I'd still really like to see if anything can be done to get something that would fit perfectly.

BHPian AulusGabinius recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I've been testing out practically everything that I can think of that is going to fit my daily requirements, and everywhere I felt I was compromising here and there on something or the other. So, I thought I'd create a thread where we can post our fantasy bike builds and the potential mods on existing bikes that would fulfill our fantasies and would fix the things that we feel we're compromising on. I'd also like to put up costs for that, so that the potential mods would also have a realistic figure to it so that anyone who thinks about modding something or the other could still try it out if they had the cash to spare. I'll start out by listing my use case, the bikes I considered, what annoyed me about them, and the mods I really would like to do along with the costs of them all.

P.S. I'm still saving up to buy a bike, and I know what I'm going for, but I'd still really like to see if anything can be done to get something that would fit perfectly. 

My Use Case: I do a 7 km commute to work every day, and I use the car only when it's going to rain heavily. The commute is split evenly between city roads, highways, and outright pathetic roads. I also go on weekend rides (currently with my car), which can be as much 500 km or so, and easily spending a minimum of four and max of eight hours in the saddle. I almost never travel two-up, except on errands, and therefore have no need for anything that makes two-up touring more comfortable than what the stock set-up offers. Touring in Maharashtra means good roads, bad roads, moderate slush, even occasional river crossing-like washed-out roads, so some off-road comfort is a huge plus.

Another point to consider is that I'm 6'2" tall and not in the mood to travel tucked in, but a moderately sporty posture a la a sports tourer is not out of the question. Looks-wise I quite like bigger front wheels, but the handling trade-off can be an issue for mostly tarmac, so that's one thing I'd really like to mod if possible, if the bike has smaller wheels.

Bikes I'd consider and their mods: 

1. Triumph Scrambler 400X: As it stands, this bike is pretty close to exactly what I want and need, and our admin Axe-77 has done pretty much everything I'd like on this (here:

Here's what BHPianAxe77 had shared:

Got my Scrambler 400X delivered over the weekend and did a nice maiden ride today from Pune to Mumbai.

The stock accessories on the bike I'd have are the quilted seat covers (purely aesthetic), the flyscreen, the mud splash kit, and the bashplate (I think that's standard).

Several others on the thread have also done quite a bit of modding on theirs, so I'll put a summary of the points I'd like to change about this motorcycle, who's done them, and so on:

• The handguards are flimsy in the event of a fall, so I'd take what Axe has done and upgrade to Barkbusters. Approx. cost seems to be about 6k on Bikenbiker.
• Grip wraps from Trip Machine Co., just to enhance the retro look. Approx. cost 2k.
• The front brake pads are organic and seem to be entirely useless after exuberant riding, so I'd change them to the Speed's sintered ones. Approx. cost seems to be about 2k at the dealership.
• The fuelling sometimes left me (on a friend's bike) wanting more of a throttle response in the higher revs (vibes aside), so I'd get a FuelX Pro to modulate that. Approx. cost is 10k.
• The BMC air filter is a no-brainer, both for long-term engine health and better airflow. Seems to be for about 5k.
• The seat foam is a little bit soft, so I'd probably try and get a harder, denser foam like what nasirkaka has done. (Here's the link to that thread). 
• The tyres need to go for sure, and I'd probably get Apollo Tramplr XRs or Reise Moto TourRs, and then move up into Pirellis or Metzelers based off those.
• The final item would probably be the battery. I'd like to explore whether a Shinko Li-ion battery would be safe to fit on this, and it would save a pretty decent chunk of weight from the bike itself, about 3 kilos if I'm not wrong.

2. Royal Enfield Himalayan 450: I would get this if I felt the need for a more substantial bike, and of course if I'm going to be doing more touring than maybe once or twice a month. This is a more off-road oriented adventure, and I would mod it to be a little more road-biased, a Himalayan Re like the the V-Strom 800 RE. Much has already been said about the bike on the relevant thread, but I've ridden a few examples among our riding group, and the only really annoying things that bothered me were:

1. The big front wheel gives just a tad less response than the 19-inch on the scrambler, and that's fine.
2. The stock seat is a little uncomfortable, but the OEM adventure seat fixes that pretty well.
3. The weight. I don't have any physical issues, it's just somewhat annoying. Reminds me too much of the TB500 I had.

 Other than that, here's my fantasy build for a road-biased Himalayan 450:

• OEM parts: Adventure rider & pillion seat, rally sump guard and bars, touring mirrors (reinstalled with loctite).
• That front beak is really not to my taste at all. Personally I'd take it off and install something 3D-printed on the lower front mudguard, which would be about 4 inches in circumference longer than the stock one. That would change the profile of the bike too, and bring the weight lower, whatever it would add. I'd estimate the cost of this mod to be around 7k all-in.
• The front wheel I would probably change to a 19-inch rim, steel because I'd still like to maintain the robustness of it, and I think I'd need new spokes as well because of the reduced length. I can use the hubs as they are, an advantage of the spoked wheels. I know, this would compromise the bike off road and possibly the suspension as well, the overall gliding quality of the Himalayan would reduce, but I would trade that for the lighter handling that it would produce. This could be reversed if I don't like it, but it' still worth a try. This is an expensive one, could go up to 30-35k.
• Tubeless conversion for the wheels. Easily going to cost about 20k if I go for the way2speed option, but there are several others. Barring that, I would certainly get OEM tubeless wheels if they're available.
• The upper cages have got to go. They're too heavy for the occasional use of mounting two tanks bags or tanks on them, and I can always put them back if needed. I can get some indicator holders on a much smaller, custom-built crash guard that mounts using the original bolts, which is only going to keep the tank from getting scratched. This would probably cost me another 20k or so.
• BMC air filter again, just can't let that low hanging fruit go.
• I'm not entirely sure the FuelX Pro is really necessary, but I have found myself wanting slightly more punch under 2000 rpm in the twisties. So probably a yes.
• The mount plate on the rear can go too, since I'm more of a soft luggage person, and it's always going to be either luggage or person. I can easily build a grab-rail/backrest that will do the job in its place and be a whole lot lighter.
• I'd also flip the handlebar mounts to the higher position, I don't need any bar risers after that one.
• A Carbon Racing Touring windscreen seems a more protective option than the OEM screen, so I think I'd like that one too! 

All in all, I think I'd cut down about 10 kilos, may be a little more or less, but at the end of it I'd have a more responsive, lighter and more city-friendly Himalayan.

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