This is a summary of the modifications that were made for comfort purposes.

Side Panniers : Jesse Luggage

Panniers are a subject by themselves. Some people prefer soft luggage and can defend their opinion with really good arguments. Some other prefer hard lugagge such as these for and can give you just as many other good arguments. I decided to go with hard cases as they protect the gear a little more and can be locked. The bike came with Gobi plastic luggage and I found them just too wide for the capacity. The Jesse system adds up to 36” in width once installed. From what I remember, the Gobis were over 45” wide. The Jesse system is a much more compact setup that puts the weight down and increase capacity. In my opinion, they do not look as good as other options such as Zega cases, but that’s a bonus! I don’t think flashy stuff is a good thing… When first installing the luggage racks, they would not fit with my aftermarket Leo Vince pipes. I was also missing the rear handles. They had probably been removed when fitting the Gobi system. The pipes were oval and as the racks go underneat the exhaust, there was interference. I put the stock pipes back on and everything went together perfectly. I made a aluminum washer inside the cases in order to prevent damage. I also installed a set of strap hooks to attach gear over them if I need to. Overall, I am very pleased with the system!

 

Rear rack:

Again, many options available for rear racks. I went with a jumbo sized rack that seemed legit from Black Dog Cycle Works. The width matches the cases and it is sturdy.

 

Seat:

Even though my KTM low gel seat was much more comfortable than the stock seat, I would still get sore after about half an hour. I used to spend a lot of time cycling and I always used a saddle that would preserve my future. I wanted to get a seat that would do the same. I went with the Saddlemen low track seat. I find it a dozen times better than the other one in terms of both comfort and construction.

 

 

Cruise Control:

I love this thing. It puts pressure on the on the throttle handle and allows my right hand to rest on steady roads. Easy to install and simple, I think it is a much better idea than the electronic options. I was afraid it would put too much resistance when decelerating. Fortunately, they inverted the threads in order to release will reducing throttle. Good stuff!

 

GPS Mount:

There was already a Garmin Zumo 660 installed on the bike when I bought it. It was held in place by Touratech/ KTM bracket bolted to the frame. The charging station was also there and everything worked fine. I decided to keep it instead of investing in another unit. I would put more time in mapping software insteadIt is glove compatible and that’s huge on a motorcycle. . Overall, I am pleased with the functionality so far.

 

Heated grips:

I installed Symtec heated grips under my rubber grips. I put aluminum tape over to help the durability, I also installed Grip Puppies over my rubber grips to make the grip diameter bigger. I did not like the small grips as my fingers were hitting my palms. I realized they also improve comfort with vibrations damping and with the natural heat barrier they provide with the heated grips. They diffuse the heat better and I do not need to turn the heated grips off after a while.

 

Windscreen:

I was about to change my Arai XD4 helmet with integrated visor being so loud at 80+ km/h. Then I realized I could totally change that by putting my hand over my existing windscreen. It allowed the air flow to go over my head instead of hitting me square in the face. I decided to get the touring windscreen from KTM. I am now able to hear the engine and surrounding sounds. It is also less tiring now that I do not have to hold my head through that wind.

 

Switches:

I installed 4 toggle switches on my dashboard. They control the auxiliary lights, heated grips and auxiliary fan. The last one switches off all lights on the bike. It allows me to isolate all power when starting the bike. Not that it is necessary, but it will be handy if the battery is depleted. I linked them to 4 matching LED’s that light up when active. They were very bright when they came in and I decided to tint the lenses with black paint. Now they are dimmed and not blinding at night.

 

Bar risers:

I did not like the handlebar position. It felt too much forward when seated and too low while standing. I installed a set of 2” Rox bar risers that I angled toward me and now the feel great. Unfortunately, I had to get a longer set of throttle cables and brake hoses. Throttle cables were starting to get damaged, so it was a good thing.