Motorcycle accessories are features and accessories selected by a motorcycle owner to enhance safety, performance, or comfort, and may include anything from mobile electronics to sidecars and trailers. An accessory may be added at the factory by the original equipment manufacturer or purchased and installed by the owner post-sale as after-market goods. Today, I’m glad to talk something about motorcycle accessories with you all!
Fairings: The most prominent of the plastic or fibreglass shells covering parts of the motorcycle is the “fairing”. In practice, this may blend almost seamlessly with engine panels or wheel covers/mudguards. These systems act to protect the rider from some or all of the weather, may improve aerodynamics (reducing drag), and are an important styling element. Modern fairings, mostly designed specifically for each motorcycle and fitted as original equipment by the manufacturer, have eliminated the aerodynamic and structural failings of early add-on fairings. Both sports and tourer versions improve the rider’s comfort in cold and wet weather and even “bikini” versions protect the vulnerable crotch region from water ingress.
Windscreem: Also called windshields or screens, motorcycle accessories can be built into a fairing or be attached to an otherwise unfaired bike. They are usually made from transparent high-impact acrylic plastic. They may be shaped specifically to direct air flow over or around the head of the rider even if they are much shorter than the seated rider. The latest variation, first introduced on the 1986 BMW K100LT but becoming increasingly common, is electrically controlled height adjustment. Heating: Since motorcycles lack climate control or proper protection from the wind, some manufacturers offer heated seats or hand grips to relieve the discomfort of low temperatures experienced during night riding or the colder months. They can also be added on as after-market accessories and are powered by the bike’s electrical system.
Panniers (saddlebags): Modern touring motorcycles often have panniers or saddlebags fitted as standard or available as options. They normally come in pairs but may be used individually.Panniers mount on either side of the rear of the motorcycle roughly underneath (but not interfering with) the seating position of the pillion passenger. “Hard” panniers commonly come in an injection molded plastic such as ABS, and “soft” panniers come in some form of textile (e.g. Cordura) or leather. Panniers are nearly always detachable and often lockable, both of their mountings and their closure. Suitcase-like panniers, side-loading, are ideal for carrying clothing into hotel rooms while top-loading hard panniers are more suitable for shopping trips.
Frame sliders: Frame sliders, also called frame protectors, fairing protectors, or crash bobbins, are an accessory used on street motorcycles for the purpose of maintaining the bike’s side fairings and internal components in the event of a crash, or preventing damage from dumping (dropping) the bike. They are made of plastics such as Delrin, acetal, or nylon, or sometimes aluminum. The frame sliders are usually located and installed on the engine bolts on the left and right side fairings. Along the same lines, sliders are sometimes added to motorcycle bar ends, and to front or rear axles, called fork sliders and swingarm spool sliders. These provide some potential damage reduction for the suspension components, wheels, and other parts by making contact with the ground before the rest of the bike.