Top 5 Motorcycle Accessories Your Bike Should be Equipped with

The motorcycles, once seen as a mode of daily commutes, have now started growing its appeal to a wider audience. Also, the availability of motorcycles from every segment and budget in our market have now given us the necessary exposure. After owning a ‘perfect’ motorcycle built for the purpose, there always remains scope to make it perfect-est(pun intended) with accessories. We have listed down top 5 accessories your bike must-have if you plan to tour around on your mean machine.

Let us be clear that a properly certified helmet, basic riding gear like knee and elbow guards, jacket and riding shoes are NOT accessories at all, which few of us might think. Rather those are MUST-haves for everyone before swinging a leg over the saddle of your motorcycle and we urge everyone to always use them. So these items won’t be included in this list. We have only covered things which can improve your overall riding experience.

Universal Mount for Mobile / Action Camera / Navigation System

While touring or even during daily commute the situation might arise where you will get lost in the middle of nowhere. Then either you take help from a local fellow or from a navigation app in your mobile. This act may add frequent stops causing a delay in your ride. So if you have mounted, to hold a phone or a dedicated navigation system, then it will come in handy.

A dedicated navigation device and action camera will usually come with a specially designed mount. However, it is not the case with mobile device mounts hence we need to choose the custom one. Thankfully, selecting one is not difficult as there are only a few parameters to look for. The mount must hold the device firmly, but without causing any damage. Considering the vibrations and shakes a bike is subjected to, the holder must hold the device from all four sides. But if the holder acts too firm, it may cause the damage. Easy mounting and dismount-ability will be a boon. Today’s devices are so power-hungry that having charger is must too. To avoid the screen sun glare, the ability to tilt the mount is important.

Tyre Puncture Repair and Re-inflation Kit

A flat tyre is like an empty bike, one never wants to encounter yet is quite unavoidable. In a daily city commute, a punctured tyre may not be too troublesome, as finding a repair shop is usually easy. Situation changes when you venture out for a long stride though and a repair kit becomes essential in such occasions. A ‘must-have’ parts of one such kit are repair patch or wick depending on the type of tyre. Pliers and cutter will help in getting rid of the cause of puncture. Inflating a tyre is as important as fixing it. Recently, CO2 canisters with inflation gun are available in the market which can instantly inflate a tyre at once. If that is not available, then the normal portable hand pump will do the job too. Lastly, a pouch to hold it all together help you in managing all this stuff.

Motorcycle Tank Bag

Whatever the type of ride maybe, a tank bag will always prove to be the most helpful accessory. The bag can be used to store important bike documents, first aid kit, extra set of gloves etc. A bag with a magnetic back will ease our process of mounting and dismounting of it. It should have back straps so that it can be carried over the back when dismounted. Also, as the bag will be exposed to weather it must be water-proof. Some bags come equipped with a helmet holder and camel bag to carry water in it.

Disc Lock

Almost all motorcycles today are equipped with a disc brake, at least on the front end. While in motion, this disc helps in bringing the bike to halt as and when needed. But when at halt and parked, it can also double up as lock mount too. Very small and handy disc locks prevent spinning of the wheel, rendering the bike immovable and safer against theft. When not equipped, lock’s small dimensions makes it easy to store as well.

Gel Pads for Seats

Motorcycle seats are designed to suit the majority or to a person of average built. During short runs, a stock seat may not cause any trouble but can bother a lot when used for a long duration. Getting a custom seat is the best alternative, but may be difficult to source or costly affair. With the increasing reach of e-commerce sites like Amazon or Flipkart, ordering a gel pad is now much easier and economical. We all know gel is a semi-solid substance which can take almost any shape. This quality helps it in giving equal support across your butt and additional cushion to soak in the shocks, which drastically reduce saddle sores.

There are countless motorcycle accessories available in the market and each new day adds few more. Hope these shortlisted top five motorcycle accessories, equally appeal you as it does appeal us. Still, if you feel that this list could have been better, feel free to share your views on it. Wish you always safe and comfortable rides ahead!