Hello everyone!

I have now rebuilt my 1992 xt225 and it's running like a dream. Naturally, I have started looking into accessories to make this bike more distance friendly. The first thing I noticed is how expensive accessories can be on a motorcycle, which is a bummer considering I only paid 450$ for the bike.

I'm hoping to start a topic where people can share how they kept to a TIGHT BUDGET, finding cheap buys and fabricating home-made stuff. The Serow is meant to be a COST-EFFICIENT bike so let's share some COST-EFFICIENT mods and accessories.

I'll start things off by showing the windscreen that I just recently made. The glass was just a 2 foot square piece from Home Depot. I was able to make strait cuts with a box cutter. Once I had the desired shape and size cut out, I rounded the corners using a bench grinder. I didnt want the complexity or cost of building a handle bar mount, so I bolted it directly to the front cowling. Due to the angle of the cowling being too steep, I used a pair of rubber door stoppers from Walmart to recess the sheet and the angle achieved was pretty much right on.



I didnt want a giant windsheild, just something to keep the wind off my chest. I wanted a certain look and I knew the little plastic cowling would never withstand a large windscreen anyways. This one ended up being 15 inches from top to bottom for that ADV look I was hoping for and I am pleased with how well it works. At 100 kph, I feel the wind hit me right around my chin and shoulders and my full face mask protects my good looks haha. At that speed, I previously felt like I was being pushed right off the back of the bike, so for a grand total of about 30$, this is a pretty good upgrade!

If I am to improve it, I will add some cone-shaped neoprene washers to the front in order for the bolts to sit better on the hard clear sheet.

Other cost efficient accessories I have added is the Coleman ATV seat cover (20$) and I also have a rear luggage rack (0$, a father's day gift from the wife lol). I am hoping to use the rack as a base to add a cargo box and some panniers. Has anyone here built some or bought some cheap? Does anyone have any mods or accessories they achieved on a low budget? Other windscreens, hand-guards, cargo boxes, fender luggage, passenger seat or backrest, panniers, device holders, power outlets......lets share our ideas!

[quote=Rocky Baker]Hello everyone!

I have now rebuilt my 1992 xt225 and it's running like a dream. Naturally, I have started looking into accessories to make this bike more distance friendly. The first thing I noticed is how expensive accessories can be on a motorcycle, which is a bummer considering I only paid 450$ for the bike.

I'm hoping to start a topic where people can share how they kept to a TIGHT BUDGET, finding cheap buys and fabricating home-made stuff. The Serow is meant to be a COST-EFFICIENT bike so let's share some COST-EFFICIENT mods and accessories.

I'll start things off by showing the windscreen that I just recently made. The glass was just a 2 foot square piece from Home Depot. I was able to make strait cuts with a box cutter. Once I had the desired shape and size cut out, I rounded the corners using a bench grinder. I didnt want the complexity or cost of building a handle bar mount, so I bolted it directly to the front cowling. Due to the angle of the cowling being too steep, I used a pair of rubber door stoppers from Walmart to recess the sheet and the angle achieved was pretty much right on.



I didnt want a giant windsheild, just something to keep the wind off my chest. I wanted a certain look and I knew the little plastic cowling would never withstand a large windscreen anyways. This one ended up being 15 inches from top to bottom for that ADV look I was hoping for and I am pleased with how well it works. At 100 kph, I feel the wind hit me right around my chin and shoulders and my full face mask protects my good looks haha. At that speed, I previously felt like I was being pushed right off the back of the bike, so for a grand total of about 30$, this is a pretty good upgrade!

If I am to improve it, I will add some cone-shaped neoprene washers to the front in order for the bolts to sit better on the hard clear sheet.

Other cost efficient accessories I have added is the Coleman ATV seat cover (20$) and I also have a rear luggage rack (0$, a father's day gift from the wife lol). I am hoping to use the rack as a base to add a cargo box and some panniers. Has anyone here built some or bought some cheap? Does anyone have any mods or accessories they achieved on a low budget? Other windscreens, hand-guards, cargo boxes, fender luggage, passenger seat or backrest, panniers, device holders, power outlets......lets share our ideas!


Rocky: I do hope you didn't use real glass! Good way to chop your head off. I do support the concept of doing "low-cost" mods.
I did a few on my XT250.
Check them out here.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpZ95WWbehg
May give you some ideas.

Hey, it's an XT not a KLR for crying out loud!

Kidding.

Looks like a reasonably sized screen. Big ones get real unwieldly off-road and can be problematic with cross-winds. I'll be curious to see how the screen holds up with the vibration of normal use.

Spooky, you have some really nice add-ons there for sure. Lots of good work! Did you have to do anything to the bike with regards to keeping the battery charged? I know LEDs don't use much power, but when you add up everything with the extra lights, camera, phone, charger, horns...did the stator/alternator keep up to the power demand?

I have the same concern in mind. Thats the main reason i was thinking about those conical neoprene washers. I guess time will tell!

Thanks!
I only power my... LED aux. lights. (On all the time)
GPS, and small LED voltage monitor.
When I put my GoPro camera on, and power it, it only take a small amount of current, so no problem.
I don't see any real drop on the voltage monitor, even at idle.

I ordered some MTM Case Guard ammo cans and an ammo crate to make a trunk and panniers. I've got some aluminum flat stock that I intend to make brackets out of. I will be stuck on nights at work for the next two weeks on a turnaround, so I don't know when I'll get to work on it.
I intend to mount the trunk first as there is less engineering involved, then the panniers.
I don't have a photo account anywhere, so I don't guess I'll be posting photos.
As far as cheap mods go, I did what we called an undertail on sport bikes. I pulled off the extra fender extension, mounted some tiny incandescent turn signals I've had around forever, and put an LED taillight meant for a WR under the little triangle piece on the back fender. Really cleaned up the tail. Total cost? I think the taillight was around $42.
I also did what we're calling the X1 mod on here opening up the exhaust a little.
I have a phone mount and a GoPro mount on it, but no power source as yet.
Chili

Those should be nice! If you have a Twitter or facebook account, you can put your pic on that, copy the link to paste on this site and then delete what I didn't want on there.

Sorry, I'm not on any social media.

Chili

Here is the bike with my new addition....a trunk!! I was originally going to use a Rubbermaid Action Packer as these are great durable and weather proof cargo boxes and they have large clamps at each end to ensure the lid stays shut. Lukily, the local Canadian Tire was all out of the smaller 8 gallon Action Packer so I found the next best thing and for much less expensive!






It's called a Plano Sportsman's trunk and can be found at WalMart or Canadian tire. I bolted it directly to my rear luggage rack through the bottom of the box. I also added some reflectors on the sides and back because I was afraid a smaller vehicle behind me wouldn't see my hi-vis vest with the big box in the way...

I found it a bit large at first (14 gallons) but as it turns out, a case of 28 bottles slips right in there like a glove....PERFECT SIZE! I can now take the bike to my camp and not have to come back to town for beer runs so often lol