So I've seen this discussion elsewhere but thought I'd start one here. The question to start is, what do you consider the most important (probably from a safety standpoint) addition you've made to your bike?

For me it is my HID headlights. It is a close one between the HIDs and the Hyperlites but ultimately it's probably more important that I see at night than anything else.

What's yours, and why?

For me it was replacing the tires. The stock michelins back in the day when I got that bike lasted a long time but didn't stick worth a damn in comparison to Metzelers. That's part of the reason I was so suspect of the Michelins I had to put on my bike during my trip.

As far as safety mods go, the best thing I did was buy a new bike (back in 2000). My old bike had lousy brakes; the Monster has super brakes.

Otherwise, no safety mods. The bright white bulb I put in my headlight was much brighter than a regular cheapo H4, but it died after about six months, so I'm back to regular bulbs.

The best mod, pound for pound, are the grip heaters, no question.

What Ian said. Even my K100RS is worlds above the old Sabre V65, which handled terribly and couldn't stop worth a damn in comparison.

Speaking of night and day with safety and capability: 82 goldwing --> 09 K13S.

Need I say more?

You guys have a valid point, a modern motorcycle is much safer than an older one...but, the intent here is to help everyone learn what changes you have made to your current ride that you see as vital.

My bike is pretty much stock. In order of safety importance I would say:

1. tires
2. brake lines
3. suspension upgrades

But given how old my bike is part of this was due to the fact that the original parts were past their usable life span. The same applies to my brake rotors and pads.

When new, there was little to upgrade. The bike from a safety point of view was fine as it was.

I guess you could argue that from a safety point of view, everything else being equal, the heated handlegrips are probably the biggest real "upgrade" because the bike did not come with them and not being able to move your hands that well in the cold is a real safety concern.

I can't say I've done any safety upgrades to my bike. I think the most important safety item to a bike, any bike, is good maintenance. Brakes, wheel bearings, swing arm, fork seals, tires (including pressure), etc.

Neglect a couple of important items and you can have a bad day.

Hmm. That's a good point. I would say the most important upgrade has been to the rider. Trip down to Deal's Gap and The Total Control course have probably had a much bigger impact on my riding safety than any single purchase of gear.

Not to mention upgrading to armored riding gear, having a top quality helmet, good gloves, etc.

OK, it became apparent to me as I rode home today that I totally blew it with this thread. The original question is much more pertinent when applied to a single make/model of bike. Hence this is a good thread on the FJRforum where almost everybody rides the same bike.

Yermo, you might want to yank this thread and save some space on your server. Maybe I can delete it?

That's cool. We just ain't got no farkles!

Except for the grip heaters. That is my official number one mod.

For the record, other mods include a BMW-style electrical outlet, oil thermometer (my bike is air cooled), saddlebags, bar-end mirrors, aftermarket clutch slave cylinder and clutch basket/plates, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting.

All pale in comparison to the grip heaters.

@Josh It's a good discussion even in the direction it went so I would be loathe to delete it.

Personally I think upgrading the rider is probably the single most important upgrade for safety.

To go a bit short of replacing the "nut behind the bars" I think the most important thing behind that is just practice! What I've seen in the above thread is two basic themes- being seen (and seeing- lights) and getting out of trouble (brakes, maintenance, etc.). And these don't mean shit unless you know how to use them (as I know from hard experience).

No bike is inherently safer than another if you go by the axiom of know your limits and ride within them. Upgrades change your limits, but you still have to know how to use them. Even comfort upgrades have safety utility if they allow you to spend more of your attention on what is going on around you. Track classes have the utility of not only showing you how to go faster, but they let you explore the limits of your motorcycle in a more controlled environment.

Just buying something and installing it doesn't mean diddly until you spend some time with it, learn it, and practice. To keep beating this dead horse- I've got a few rifles, ranging from a 22LR to a 7.62x54R Romainian Sniper Rifle (PSL). Buying fancy new optics and bull barrels doesn't change the nature of the beast. The 22 is loads of fun to shoot, but if I want to hit something hundreds of yards away on the first shot (don't forget the zombie danger!), the PSL is a much better choice. But without practice, both of these rifles are more effective as clubs than as projectile throwing devices.

OK, so so far for me, the Verholen barbacks I added to my K13 have made the biggest difference for me.

They completely changed my ability to keep weight off of my arms and thereby allow me to better control the bike. Too much weight on the arms = stiff steering; less weight = much improved handling agility.

Behind that, I'd say the extra brake lights (lite buddies), the rear signal conversion kit (LEDs vs. bulbs, with running, tail and stop lights), my front driving lites, the rear bag reflector kit and my helmet halo were the next more important add ons--I'm pretty fanatical about visibility. Multiple points of light and reflectivity are critical on a bike, IMO.

Last (but not least), even though they aren't necessarily farkles, I'd say the heated grips and my kanetsu electric vest. I you aren't uncomfortable, you can pay much more attention to what's going on around you.

@Matt Very well said.