About to get a dark 696, what to change first?

[sroberts152]

#1 thing to do - get the touring seat.  This is hands down the best thing to do.  Period.  Save yourself. 

#2 14t front sprocket - Cheap and easy and immediate change to the low end power.

Everything else is personal preference.  Every one has their own preference for mirrors and pipes and plastic and carbon and tail chop and blinkers.  Do these 2, ride for a while and see what YOU want changed.  My Termis went on at 600 miles.  My bar end mirrors went on the first week I had my bike.  I finally got rid of my windscreen for a carbon piece.  I have a few other pieces I want to change out, but nothing dire.

[Statler]

track school.

[swampduc]

track school.

+1

[redial]

i was considering shorties, but i think that as a new rider i use my whole left hand to panic grab the clutch. thought about regular on the left and shorty on the right (where i really do only two finger panic brake)

but thought it would look rediculous, are pazzos good? was thinkin of the ASV unbreakable

[ArguZ]

If you have short fat sausage fingers like me you want some adjustable levers.
And I really suggest ABM Synto (superfine precision finger licking good) over the Pazzos
Question :
Is "dark" just the color ?
I remember dark was the cheaper edition with only one front brake disc and similar stuff..
Thats gone now, right ?

[peanut_man]

#1 thing to do - get the touring seat.  This is hands down the best thing to do.  Period.  Save yourself. 

#2 14t front sprocket - Cheap and easy and immediate change to the low end power.

Everything else is personal preference.  Every one has their own preference for mirrors and pipes and plastic and carbon and tail chop and blinkers.  Do these 2, ride for a while and see what YOU want changed.  My Termis went on at 600 miles.  My bar end mirrors went on the first week I had my bike.  I finally got rid of my windscreen for a carbon piece.  I have a few other pieces I want to change out, but nothing dire.

Bike came w/ the touring seat.  So that's done automatically.    I'm ordering 14t sprocket, cheap no brainer. 

[peanut_man]

If you have short fat sausage fingers like me you want some adjustable levers.
And I really suggest ABM Synto (superfine precision finger licking good) over the Pazzos
Question :
Is "dark" just the color ?
I remember dark was the cheaper edition with only one front brake disc and similar stuff..
Thats gone now, right ?

Just the color, flat black to be exact.  It's just traditionally called 'dark'.  And yeah, it's used to be stripped down / bottom line version.  But for the 696 is simply a color for the plastics.

[peanut_man]

track school.

I should have thought of that.  Yes that's possibly the BEST recommendation.  Cost isn't a problem, mostly just coordination, I don't have a way to haul the bike to the track myself.  Will have to buddy up w/ some people.  Hopefully later on this year I could.

[sfarchie]

I have a red 1100S and may be interested in trading the tank skins. Never dropped my bike, but it has the usual fine swirls from cleaning. As you said, hang on to them for a few weeks first. I'm still undecided myself. PM me if you want a trade and I'll decide then. I know, I'm being lame. Tough decision!

[peanut_man]

I have a red 1100S and may be interested in trading the tank skins. Never dropped my bike, but it has the usual fine swirls from cleaning. As you said, hang on to them for a few weeks first. I'm still undecided myself. PM me if you want a trade and I'll decide then. I know, I'm being lame. Tough decision!

I can tell right now, owning a 696 is gonna be a lot of fun.   

[peanut_man]

One more thing... sliders... Frame / Fork.  Worth it?  I used to have them on my Multistrada.  But it broke off after a crash and in the process bend the tube around the frame.     Not sure if that's what supposed to happen.  Should I just rely on insurance instead of frame sliders?

[somegirl]

One more thing... sliders... Frame / Fork.  Worth it?  I used to have them on my Multistrada.  But it broke off after a crash and in the process bend the tube around the frame.     Not sure if that's what supposed to happen.  Should I just rely on insurance instead of frame sliders?

Frame sliders will be good for low-speed / no-speed drops, won't do so much good in a real crash.

[Popeye the Sailor]

I have a red 1100S and may be interested in trading the tank skins. Never dropped my bike, but it has the usual fine swirls from cleaning.

The irony of me saying this is a killer but.....


remind me to show you how to clean a bike. You should not be swirling the paint 

[peanut_man]

The irony of me saying this is a killer but.....


remind me to show you how to clean a bike. You should not be swirling the paint 

And how is that exactly? 

[hbliam]

reflectors, stickers on frame, sticker on tank, rear fender/plate holder crap.....in that order.