Opinions on rocking a "stock" bike?
 

I ride a 2014 FatBob. I'm planning to make some performance mods to it, but as for aesthetics, I dig the stock design. I've looked at a few things like derby covers and such, but honestly I think they just look different - not necessarily better.

I don't see too many people riding stock bikes. Is this because people want to create rolling art that reflects their style? Or do people generally think that HD's design teams are bad at their jobs? I'm not drawing any conclusions here - just asking. Is there anything wrong with simply rolling stock?

Now, I know that many people will say "It's your bike - do what you want." And I respect that. But why do so few people keep the stock look?

When I went to buy my latest bike, I went in for a different model altogether. But I saw the FatBob and it spoke to me. It didn't say "with your creativity, I could be awesome." It was more like meeting a hot chick - I just dug what I saw.

Is it really so lame to run a stock look? I only ask because hardly anyone does. So what's your opinion on long term stock bikes?

If you're fortunate enough to find a bike that, from the get-go, completely satisfies you, there's no need to change it. From what I've seen, the reason most bikes are customized is because their riders look at them and say, "That part of the bike does this when I'd rather it did that." And quite a bit of it is comfort. Cars come with adjustable seats and backrests. Bikes come with seats.

I don't think there's anything wrong with keeping it stock, if that's what you dig. When I bought my 14 FXDB, I bought it because that was the bike I'd been lusting after since they came out in '06. The only thing I changed was the air cleaner because I got tired of banging my knee on the football, that's about it. Everything else about the bike came from the factory exactly as I wanted it.
Well...sort of. I added some slip-ons for the noise and a tuner for some power but I haven't changed the appearance of the bike. Some guys want a different look, I guess, and more power to them. I'll enjoy looking at their creations when I see 'em or they post pics. For me, I got what I wanted straight from the MoCo and I'm good with that.
End of the day, you've got a clean ride that a lot of guys got paid a lot of money to design and build. Enjoy it. :)

As you ride miles, situations come up where you think "Why didn't I have this or that?" So, you add stuff to make your riding more stable, efficient, and longer lasting.
It depends if you ride weekends or in fair weather too.
Do you drive a stock factory car or truck?

Nothing lame about it at all, if it works for you run with it. My mods were mainly for comfort. Sore ass so I bought a seat, then highway pegs, piggy back shocks, windshield, sissy bar. I didnt care for dragging the stock exhaust so I changed it too. Then the dam thing was still lean from the factory so decided to complete the stage one to richen it up. I never had a problem with the way the bike looked from the factory, look wise its not far from thst now

Nope nothing wrong at all. In fact when selling or buying all those mods really amount to a big loss to the builder.

This is how I see it. Motorcycle riders (brand doesn't matter) are a different breed. We go against the majority of the population & choose a more unique vehicle. Some riders customize to fit their personality or riding style. Others to it more for the "look at me factor".

Nothing wrong at all with leaving it stock. And people put lots of money into mods that hardly anyone will notice anyway, or that sometimes make the bike uglier.

But I bet Harley makes a lot of money off their "make it yours" marketing campaign.

If you're one of those people that trades bikes every couple years, yeah leave it stock. You'll take a beating on the mods every time you switch bikes. Who cares if the bike runs way too lean from the factory. You're not gonna own the bike long enough for it to really matter.

If you're like me, and you're in the bike for the long haul, the risk of losing money on accessories isn't a factor. With the exception of new handlebars, I left mine alone for 5 years, it already had the stage one upgrade when I bought it. Now I've changed seats 3 times, finally found one that is perfect for me, exhaust once, and I've began the process of blackening out a few of the parts that I don't like in chrome.

I have a done a few things so it "looks different" then everyone else's. The fact is if I left it stock it would look different than everyone else's! I haven't done anything major, just some bolt on parts. I think Dave hit it on the head. People buy cars and trucks because they need transport. They leave them stock because they "need" a vehicle to get from point A to point B. People do not buy Harleys because they "need" a motorcycle. There are many benefits to a motorcycle, but if we "needed" a motorcycle we would probably save money and buy a scooter....