Alright guys, let’s talk about my RX6. Been itching for a bit more punch lately. Saw some folks online raving about easy mods, figured I’d dive in headfirst this weekend. No fancy workshop, just me, my tools in the garage, and probably a fair bit of cussing. Here’s how it actually went down trying five supposedly “easy” upgrades.
1. Swapping Out Those Factory Slippery Tires
First thing Saturday morning, coffee in hand. Stared at the stock tires – decent, sure, but felt like riding on butter sometimes, especially when damp. Went down to the local shop, grabbed a pair they recommended for “better bite.” Got the bike up on stands, wrestled the old ones off. Man, breaking those beads loose with just tire irons? Brutal. Lots of grunting, sweating buckets. Finally got the new ones seated after struggling for an hour per tire. Went for a quick spin afterwards. Yeah, instantly different! Corners felt planted, didn’t slide out like before when I gave it some gas. Big thumbs up, worth the sore shoulders.
2. Ditching the Stock Can (Exhaust)
Afternoon rolled around. That factory exhaust… sounds like a sewing machine, honestly. Wanted a bit more rumble without waking the neighbors (or the wife). Picked up a simple slip-on replacement earlier in the week. Undid the clamp holding the old one, pulled it off. Easy part. Sliding the new one on? Took some wiggling and gentle persuasion with a rubber mallet. Tightened everything down good. Fired it up. Oh yeah! Deep, throaty growl now. Not obnoxiously loud, just… present. Makes grinning inside the helmet way easier. Felt a tiny bit freer breathing too, maybe?
3. Upgrading the Wimpy Horn
Realized how puny the stock “meep meep” horn was last week when some clown almost merged into me. Grabbed a cheap but LOUD twin-tone horn from the parts bin. Located the stock horn hiding under the fairing near the radiator – tight spot. Unplugged it, cursed at the awkward angle. Mounting the new one was tricky; had to rig a little bracket using a zip-tie masterpiece I’m weirdly proud of. Hooked up the wires. Tested it. BAM! Nearly jumped out of my skin. Sounds like a proper car horn now. Feel way more confident people might actually hear me.
4. Adjusting the Clunky Gear Lever
Always found the shifter a bit high for my boot. Just a personal feel thing. Sunday morning, not too bright out yet. Found the adjustment rod near the gearbox. Simple concept – loosen locknut, twist rod. Took maybe… five minutes? Set it maybe an inch lower. Hoped on, took a ride around the block. Shifting just felt… smoother. Less of a lift with my toe. Didn’t fix the transmission, but made it feel nicer. Small win.
5. Installing Bar-End Mirrors (Sorta)
Okay, this was the “easy today” lie. Hated the big, wobbly stock mirrors. Decided bar-ends would look sleek and maybe vibrate less. Bought a set. Had to wrestle the old bar-end weights off. Then discovered the new mirrors needed the bar drilled out slightly for inserts? Crap. Didn’t have the right bit. Improvised, messed up the hole a bit. Got them kinda mounted, but they sat crooked. Tightened everything insanely hard. They stayed on during a test ride, mostly. Vision is different, takes getting used to. Don’t shake much though! Looks cool? Yeah. Actually functional yet? Jury’s still out. Win/Lose situation, that one.
So, there you go. Was it all “easy today”? Heck no. Took most of the weekend, a little blood (knuckles), some sweat, and maybe a few tears of frustration (mostly the mirrors!). But the tires, exhaust, horn, and shifter? Totally manageable in a garage afternoon. Just maybe skip the mirrors unless you like gambling.
