Today we're ranking motorcycle accessories based on their usefulness. We're going to give it to you guys straight and show you the accessories you really need for your day-to-day ride. Right, Logan?
Yeah. And we're talking about accessories that are actually useful. You know, no cigarette lighters, wallet chains, or personal massagers, despite what you may have heard down at the Harley Bar.
Yikes. And there's a twist in today's video. We're actually going to be telling you guys if we really use them and we will confess via our liar meter if we recommend something and don't actually use it.
Ready to get started? Let's do it. First up on our ranking today, one that I think a lot of people actually own and use, but we just don't think is all that useful.
It is the humble disc lock. So, you guys have probably seen this accessory. It's a nice sturdy bolt that goes in between your brake caliper and [music] in theory prevents some theft.
Logan, what do you think about the disc lock? Yeah, I mean disc locks are nice, you know, particularly for peace of mind and just couple hour stints going into a coffee shop or running some errands or something. Would I trust it to protect my bike 100% guaranteed left overnight somewhere?
Probably not. Yeah, I think in terms of theft deterrence, uh, it is one of the most low-key accessories you can buy. They're not that expensive and it does provide you some peace of mind, but ultimately a very enthusiastic and motivated thief with an angle grinder can get through one of those pretty quick.
And I don't know about you, Logan, but the times have used a disc lock, I forget that it's on there and I try to roll away and I just drop my bike. This has happened to me twice and has now made me not want to use a disc lock anymore. So, I do have to admit that uh I'm recommending it, but I don't really use it ever because I'm kind of dumb and it's just going to fall over.
What about you? Yeah, I mean, I don't use one either. Again, I have one.
I have one, too. Yeah. But I I'm always just like I don't really go anywhere where I think it's necessarily necessary.
Maybe I'm the textbook like victim of motorcycle theft because it can never happen to me. But I keep my bike parked inside at night and when I'm going places it's typically in the daytime in uh you know nicer parts of town. So I typically do not use a disclos.
So there you go. The best theft deterrent is go to the nice parts of town. Sorry for those of you who don't live in the nice parts of town.
Right, Logan? Well, go ahead. Increase your liar meter.
We're off to a great start. recommending you guys stuff we don't actually use. In theory though, it's a great accessory.
If you do use it, it is [music] nice. It's a nice one to just throw in your backpack, but I think there's more useful accessories. Moving on.
So, the liar [music] meter is about to go off the charts with this next one, and that is motorcycle comm systems. We did a whole video about comms not so long ago. Uh, what's your take on motorcycle comm systems?
So, the more nuanced take, we did a whole deep dive on this recently. I've stopped using one as much as I used to use it. I think that they have a time and the place.
They're nice to listen to music, maybe talk to a buddy, but I just find my split in using them maybe like 10 to [music] one. You know what I mean? I think most of my rides I'm not using a comm system.
Every once in a while I put on some music or something. And I think they're a nice quality of life accessory. I don't think that they're like super useful or necessary.
What do you think? Yeah. Yeah.
I mean, I do use a motorcycle comm system. Typically, if I'm out for a ride for the sake of riding, like exploring new areas, and I really want to be engaged and focused. Uh, I abstain from the comms, but like commuting to work and things when it's like a ride of done time and time again.
A little bit of music goes a long way to kind of keep the energy up. As far as it absolutely necessary, definitely not. And that's why I think it finds itself so low on the list.
We kind of were thinking, [music] what can you not go without with riding? And you can certainly go without comm systems. People did it for, you know, thousands of years.
Just kidding. Couple decades. Yeah.
I mean, I I think about it that way, too. Yeah. A lot of riders over the decades didn't have comm systems.
They were totally fine. You know, I mean, I'd go so far as to say that, you know, having a ride where you don't have a cell phone or a comm system could be very refreshing, right? Keep it analog.
Keep it old school. See how they used to do it back in the day. Paper maps, you know, paper map.
So, in terms of the liar meter, I'm scot-free on this one. I actually am recommending it and I do use it. Just maybe don't use it as much as other people.
And uh don't let Logan lie to you. He is mainlining the Joe Rogan podcast every time he comes into work. No, I've moved on to Andrew Schultz.
That's my guy. Oo, he's good. Yeah, he's really good.
Yeah. Detect the sarcasm in my voice if you haven't yet. Moving on.
Next on the ranking is a humble accessory. one that has a single function, but I think is very, very useful, but it's something you could probably live without if you just change how you ride a little bit. It is, of course, the battery [music] tender.
So, this is a simple device that you plug into the wall, you attach to your motorcycle battery via an SAPE lead, and it keeps the battery at the proper voltage so that when you're ready to ride, you thumb that starter, and you get on your way. Logan, how do you solve this problem? Ride more.
[laughter] Simply ride the bike. It keeps it charged up. All good.
But hey, I recognize that not everybody lives in the beautiful warm climate of Austin, Texas that I do. And uh some of you have to winterize your motorcycle. So that's why we increased the battery tender a little bit on the ranking.
Do you have a battery tender? I do have a battery tender and I just finally started using it again for the first time in, you know, probably years actually because I've been neglecting my Sportster. That's been a theme for these Monday videos as I talk about how neglected my And I was like, "Ah, it's kind of actually below freezing and I haven't ridden my Sports in months.
I should probably plug that sucker in. " Yeah, but I thought the Sportster was a kickstart or a hand crank or something like that. It's not that old, right?
I might be hardcore, but I'm not that hardcore. Yeah, it's not some shovel head, iron pan, nickel trade in. It's all these metal terms for Harley-Davidson.
It's just a girls bike. It's It's just a simple girls bike. That's why the Kickstarter is so fragile.
It's easy to start. Easy to start. Tiny little starter motor.
I also have a battery tender because I'm very blessed to have several motorcycles. I don't get to ride them all the time. So, my Daytona uh does sit for quite some time at certain times of the year.
I think I haven't even fired it up in several months, which is a little sad, but it is on a battery tender. So, fingers crossed I go to start it up and it starts right up. So, I think this is a great accessory, one that you should absolutely have if you live in a colder climate, if you have multiple bikes, or if you are a type of household where you maybe don't ride all of the time.
I think it's a really great accessory. So, yeah, I think in terms of wire meters, uh I do have one and I use it. So, all good there.
What about you? Yeah, I I agree. I have one and I do use it.
There you go. Or recommending you stuff we really use. So, motorcycle luggage might not be the coolest, sexiest, most romantic accessory, but I personally enjoy [music] it.
Big fan. That's why you're ranking at number five over here because it's not absolutely necessary. You can certainly ride a motorcycle without luggage.
And luggage meaning tail bag, tank bag, maybe some saddle bags or something, but motorcycle specific luggage. very great to have, very useful, but you can do without. And as you know, as we move further in the list, you might find there are other options as well.
That's true. And I know I look at luggage and you know, shout out to the DRZ, the KLR guys out there, the milk crate people. you know, it's a it's one of those highly substitutable goods, you know, like you can go for the paint match, super nice hard cases, fits two helmets or whatever, but it's it's something that you don't necessarily need, but a super nice quality of life mod to have because once you try riding with luggage where you don't have anything on your person anymore, it's it is very, very nice.
And you know, like when you see someone with a motorcycle with luggage, you know, they're like an OG giga Chad. Like they're taking that to the office. They're taking that to the kids soccer practice.
They got a couple soccer balls or basketballs in there. I don't know. Like you It turns your motorcycle into not just a weekend fun toy hobby, but a lifestyle improving object.
[music] Totally. Yeah. It's something that Yeah.
evolves past just a toy functional utility. And as Logan alluded to, luggage comes in lots of shapes, sizes, colors, and price points. We're very fond of the simple tank bag or tail bag.
You can pick those up for not much money, and they dramatically increase the potential and ability of your motorcycle to just do stuff that a normal vehicle would [music] do. So, we did rank it number five today. Uh, do you have luggage on your motorcycle?
I do. Yep. Got a little tail bag, right?
Got a tail bag? Yep. I also have luggage on my motorcycle.
I have a little tail bag, which is actually a tank bag that I just threw on the back of the togg cuz I'm too cheap to buy another bag. So, it's trans. It's Wow, you went there.
Wow. Good job, Logan. Someone's got It's [laughter] cuz of someone's got podcast.
He's listening to too much Andrew Schultz. He's He's got Austin trans brain. Moving on.
I'm super excited to share the recent winner of our latest sweep stakes. Braden in Houston actually won the Honda Hornet 750 and I was able to deliver it to him in person. Check it out.
Yeah. Well, congratulations. I'm really excited for you on this bike uh delivered here in the Houston area.
You said you're heading off to [music] the Marines, though, right? So, you may not keep the bike. Yeah, maybe not.
Probably not. Probably sooner [laughter] or July, I'm going to leave, I believe. Yeah.
Well, at least it'll be here in a good home. And well, if you see it come up for sale, maybe you pick it up from Braden over here. But hopefully you get a chance to ride a little bit, have some fun, and uh big congrats to Braden over here.
So, big congrats to Braden on winning the Hornet 750. If you want to win this Moto Gucci, head over to yamube. co and become a member for your best chance to win.
You'll get access to our Discord server and automatic entries to win this motorcycle. Click that link and don't miss it. All right, next up is a total layup.
And to be honest, if you watch YouTube motorcycle content long enough, you're going to think this would be the number one mod to have, the number one accessory, but we actually have a bit of a different take. Phone mounts find their way as number four on our list today. a very useful piece of equipment.
In my opinion, for one specific use case, I think that I'm seeing a lot of people, I don't know why, they're on their CFOs, but they're on their CF Motos, they have the phone mount and they're flipping through TikTok or they are answering text messages or they're they're on Discord. They're literally live streaming current chat. Yeah, chat.
What do I do? Chat. And I think that's a bad use for a phone mount, right?
Motorcycles are supposed to put you back into the real world, put you back into a state of being present. So, phone mounts for me is a bit of a a double-edged sword, right? Because very useful for GPS.
I think that's the number one use case, but if you're scrolling while you're riding, brother, you got your priorities all mixed up. What do you think, Logan? 100%.
Like, I do use a phone mount and I use it when I need the directions. That's pretty much it. Cuz yeah, I'm not the hardcore old-timer with his feet up in the paper map.
I need that digital map adjusting to real time traffic conditions cuz our millennial brains are too small to understand how to, you know, navigate a paper map. What's north, south? I don't even know anymore, you know.
Cardinal directions, that's what they are. That's tough. But where they are, I couldn't.
Who knows? You know, but yeah, I don't keep if I don't need directions, I do not mount my phone. It's not a every time I get on the bike, I mount up the phone.
Maybe that's a hot take as a motorcycle content creator that I'm not always running a mounted phone, but it's the truth. Yeah, I'm the same way. Uh if I need my phone, I'll mount it and I'll get the directions or whatever.
But often times I'm riding somewhere that I already know where I am and I don't need directions. And I really, you know, and I know phones nowadays you can do like do not disturb and you don't have to get notifications, but it's like I have to remember to turn that on and like I don't want to see notifications pop up while I'm riding. So phone mounts for me, [music] it's really kind of double-edged.
You know, I'm a big fan of just like grabbing that phone, chuck it in the backpack. Like I don't really want my phone even on like, you know, my person while I'm riding personally. Sure.
So I think we maybe earned a half point on the liar meter. I think so. Cuz while we do sometimes use them, we just talked about how much we don't like 90% of the use case for them.
Yeah, it's another one where like it's like comms to me where it's like it's a nice to have, but you can certainly live without it. Yeah. And [clears throat] you can also just like memorize where you need to go.
Memory. Imagine that. But I'll give myself a half point on the liar meter.
Yeah, I've I've recommended foam mounts. We were sponsored by Rock form for a very long time. There's lots of different foam mount options out there.
I still prefer rock forms. I think they're very sturdy and uh yeah, I think they're useful, but you know, maybe not quite as useful as people say. So, yes, podium positions in the bronze position.
Uh sort of a uh foil to the traditional motorcycle luggage. We have a backpack. M but not just any backpack.
Not just any backpack like a kind of motorcycle specific backpack that's tailored to the motorcycleycling experience, [music] you know. So it's got the chest strap so it's not acting like a parachute when you're doing those epic 186 mph pulls on the highway with your buddies. As well as a hydration pack goes a long way, especially when you live in uh the hellscape that is Texas in the summer.
[laughter] So you guys, I see the comments all the time. Yam, how does your skin look so nice? Hydration, boys.
I drink a lot of water. I also moisturize at night because I have to look beautiful for [music] the camera. But I am a big fan of hydration.
Drnk your water. It's going to be good for you. And what better place to do it than on your motorcycle when you don't notice that you are getting dehydrated.
So, I'm a big fan. I like the chest strap. I like the hydration.
I like the ability to have some stuff in my backpack to where if I jump on any different motorcycle, I always have my accessories with me. And I just think a backpack is one of the best accessories pound-for-pound that you can get for your motorcycle. If you're an average commuter, you know, you're bringing in your laptop to the office.
You just put it in your backpack, get to your location, step off your bike, walk into the office. You don't have to take luggage off. You don't have to fuss around with everything.
You as a system are ready to go and begin your work in the digital ether. So, I think it's pretty good. Yeah.
But think about like how like epic and goatated it would be if you show up to the office decked out in climb gear with like a quick release hard like top box and you set that down in your cubicle and then you open up you've got your lunch box within there. You've got the spare helmet cuz any of you guys are always talking about how many spare helmets they can carry in their luggage and then also your laptop for work purposes. I think that's way cooler, way more savage and goated than a backpack.
Savage. Okay. I imagine ADV guys, they arrive to the office in their climb gear.
They like kneel down and they transform like a transformer. Like all all their gear just like materializes off of them and then like they start walking, you know, like a like a Terminator with like their suit and they're ready to conquer the boardroom after, you know, lane splitting all the way there. They got there early so they have time to do this entire like transformational thing.
I can see that too. Anyways, all this to say, a backpack is your crucial step to beginning this process. A backpack is one of the best accessories.
Poundfor-pound, dollar for dollar, they're not that expensive. And look, if you're the type that's rocking that old school Jan Sport backpack, you know, on your motorcycle, upgrade to the real thing, you will not believe the difference it makes. The chest strap alone is just, it's incredible.
Yeah. They got a Jan Sport with like a Lebu to the back that their girlfriend gave them cuz they think it was so funny and cute and ironic. I remember being 20some.
[music] Leubus didn't exist then. That's a new thing, I guess. So, you had a Tamagotchi pinned on your I had I had I'm not that old.
All right. Just two chopped unks over here trying to stay relevant. Uh, okay.
So, for the liar meter, uh, I use I use a backpack literally every time I ride. So, I'm recommending something I actually genuinely use and I love. Yeah.
So, I am [music] a guilty of being a liar because I do use a backpack, but I'm also too cheap to buy an actual motorcycle specific backpack. You have a military. I use a military surplus.
It does have a chest strap and it has a big carrying capacity. huge payload on that military backpack, but it doesn't have room for hydration bladder, so I'm always [music] thirsty and dying. You guys keep an eye out for Logan's new venture in vlogs.
He's going to be doing Afghanistan camping videos where he's using his military surplus backpack and we're all very excited for that new endeavor. Solo camping at night. [laughter] Afghanistan.
How does he going to Is he going to make it? He uploaded the video, so I think so. Right.
Just that one extra step. So, you're a bit of a liar, right? You're you're let's say half point on that liar.
You don't have you don't have the proper uh what's the one I use? I'm trying to remember the name of it. I don't even remember.
Uh the brand. It's sort of the Korea. I got I got the KGA with the I've had it for like 10 years.
But still works. They make high quality stuff. Yeah.
In the silver position, what we think is what you really need as a motorcycle accessory. Super important. And I will stand by this one.
It is an inflator and patch kit. The combination together. Why is that?
Well, for two reasons. Number one, getting stuck on the side of the road with the flat stinks. That turns from, you know, you're having a great ride, having a great time with your motorcycle to then you have a 3-hour debacle waiting for the tow truck and you don't know what to do.
If you have a patch kit, you can solve that. If you have an inflator, a little battery powered one. We've been talking about this lately.
You know, weather changes here in Austin. You go from 30° to 90° in the span of a week. It's crazy.
Your tire pressure is going to change dramatically. It's so much nicer just to be able to rock up to your bike and say, "Oh, I need to inflate my tires. " Pull that bad boy out, inflate it.
[music] To me, this is one of those must-have accessories. How do you feel? Yeah.
I mean, your tires need air, and you need an inflator to put the air. I mean, it's hot. You can't ride a motorcycle without air in your tires.
The easiest way to put air in your tires is through an inflator. In regards to patch kit, I run tube tires on my motorcycle. So, I've accepted futility.
I've accepted bait is outside of my control, outside of my hand. You have to be a real ADV guy. You need the spoons.
You don't bring your spoons with you. I leave the spoons at home for the ice cream. I tell my toddler the same thing.
We're leaving the spoons at home. Leave the spoons at home. And cuz it's a I would need a center stand.
And then I'm like I'm not Your bike doesn't have one, Logan. Bought the wrong bike, dude. Bought the wrong bike.
I'm not taking a wheel off on the side of the road to change. No way in. Honestly, if that happened to me, I just tip the bike over and call an Uber.
I'd be like, I don't I don't know. I'll come deal with it later. Like two tires to the street.
Crazy work. But yeah, I mean you've accepted your fate. That is unfortunate.
Uh I've had last year I used a patch get an inflator twice I think on the R9 and then I think another bike had a flat the smart pill. That was two though. Yeah, that was two and I I remember we commiserated about how awful that was.
So yeah on the R9 I use that several times. Patch kits are great. Inflators are great.
It is such a great thing to keep. I personally keep mine in my backpack so that I never forget to bring it on my ride. And yeah, I I'm not a liar.
I really use them. I think the new battery powered ones are actually really great. I used to be one of those old fogies and I was like, "No, I like the SAPE lead ones so I always have power.
" But honestly, the new battery ones are really nice. They're really nice and they're small and they inflate them pretty quickly. I I think they're great for motorcycle tires for sure.
They're a little slow for cars, but they're pretty quick on I try to use them on the on the truck and I was like, "This is taking forever on your 37s. " Yeah. Yeah.
I don't Well, I got those rubber band tires on my on my lifted uh Dodge, but yeah, we don't need to talk about that on the channel. That's That's on the Yummy Noob Truck channel. Yeah, [laughter] cuz he's got you just did the squat mod on it, right?
I did the squat mod. Yeah. So, I can load the bikes up, but I'm still, you know, donk status.
You know what I mean? Yeah. 37s floating wide on the on the road.
Real nice. Savage. Yeah.
Savage. Epic goated. So, yeah, I'm a big fan.
Don't need to lie about this one. Uh, this is one that I recommend. Again, in terms of dollar, in terms of pound-for-pound, super useful, not that expensive.
This has to be in your rotation. Mhm. 100%.
I use mine literally every week. Yep. Moving on to the final one for today's video.
So, we were discussing during pre-production like what is going to live at the coveted number one spot, most useful accessory. And I think we found a pretty uh optimal choice. If you had to have one thing on this list, what's the one thing you really can't do without?
And for most riders, I think it's going to be a rear stand. Totally. Completely.
Yeah. Rear stand has to be the number one choice. Why do you think it's the number one choice?
Well, I mean, any sort of chain driven motorcycle, I couldn't even imagine cleaning a chain, even though I clean my chain like once a year. I couldn't even imagine doing that without a rear stand. That's insane.
You need to increase the lime meter just for cleaning your chain once a year. I also I'm just going to do that, too. I also never clean my chain.
I'm going to be totally honest. But yeah, I can't imagine how do you clean one without a rear stand? No, I don't think you can.
I mean, it's like just yet inching it back and forth. It'd be crazy. You'd look like a crazy person.
The other thing, too, is like, you know, changing tires, right? You know, very common way of swapping new tires on a motorcycle is you pop the whole wheel off, you go take it to a service shop, and then they install the tire, and then you come and put it back on at home. I don't know why we do it that way.
That's just the way that it's done. Uh because if you if you bring that motorcycle in, doubles the price. It literally doubles the price.
It's not worth the money to just drive or ride your bike in and then be like, "Oh, can you just change the tires? " They're they're going to charge you like $1,200. Like, don't do that.
So, rear stand immediately going to start saving you some cash, right? And because so much basic service can be done with just that one little rear stand, man, like oil changes, chains, like all the small little things you need to do on your bike. Put that baby up on a rear stand, you're good, you know?
Yeah. It's the key that to unlock the entire world of motorcycle maintenance and modification. Totally agree.
Yeah. And I want to point this out because I'm a big user and we're not sponsored by them, but I've been using them for over a decade now. The Pitbull stands.
They're the gold standard. Mr Worldwide. Mr Worldwide, baby.
uh Noriega cocaine trips around the world, right? No, but Pitbull stands are the best. Uh I've had mine for over a decade.
They work amazing. They have the rubber and the spools. And pro tip, [music] if you're willing to risk it a little bit, you can use the rear stands as a front stand.
If you squeeze them in real tight on some bikes, you can make it work as a front thing. They sell dedicated front stands so you can get your front wheel off, but I have in a pinch used a pit bull rear stand as a front stand, and I did make it work. Have I dropped a bike on the stand a few times doing that?
I sure have. But that's the name of the game, baby. Name of the game.
Name of the game. So, rear stands, I think, absolutely should be the number one accessory that you get. [music] What do you think?
I agree. I think it should be like the first purchase before you get the, you know, the Snap-on torque wrench and stuff. You need that rear stand.
Totally. Totally. Yeah, I think that that's the number one accessory you should get.
And, uh, yeah, maybe you guys just work your way down this list. And actually, you know, I I look at this list now and I, you know, starting from the top going all the way to the bottom. I'm like, that is a nice, you know, way of working your way down.
You know, maybe you'd want a backpack before you get the inflator and the patch kit cuz otherwise you have no place to put it. So perhaps backpack is more important than inflator. But those are our choices for the motorcycle accessories ranked.
Let us know down below in the comments if there's any accessories that you would pick or if there's any that we missed. We made a deliberate choice to not include any tools cuz we think tools are different than accessories. But certainly, as an honorable mention, a tool roll should be included on your motorcycle as well.
Thanks so much for checking out today's video. We appreciate it. We'll catch you in the next one.
See you later.
