Best, worst and coolest mod you did

Doug Dubach 

No 80's Boost Bottle?

I had to have one on my 81 CR125.

Mounted on the rear cradle by the shock.

I cut up a 16 OZ. Bud can and bonded it to the bottle. So whether it did anything or not, it was cool.

They only worked on Yamahas!

Just as long as it wasn't Bud Light! 

Best mod: ribbed seat cover

Worst mod: fmf powercore4

Best performer: I installed a thermostat for cold weather riding, works exactly as it should.

Coolest: sss forks on my 07 wr250f.

I'm waiting on a number plate to come in so I can send it off to Anchor Tape Co. and get it made.  Those look great!

In 2005 we had a KX 65 and we added Marzocchi Forks and Novation racing swingarm to it. I don't have any pictures I can find sadly, the swing arm was something like half an inch longer. Anyways this is just an example, not my bike. Can't find a picture of the swingarm 

Coolest mod was this 2016 CRF a-kit shock I shoved into my 1998 CR250, needed to modify the subframe and the airbox for it to work. 

I think it pre-dated Bud Light. 

These were always so bad ass back in the day.

Best mod: I was always losing the pipe springs on my YZ250, so my dad fashioned some out of an old couch. They never came off and were just weak enough not to break the tabs off my cylinder.

Worst mod: Shorty silencer for klx110. Cut like 6" from the stocker and beat out all the baffling inside. Really loud and made zero low end power even after messing with jetting. Had to buy another stock exhaust lol.

KTM EXC 250 2017. Carbed 2 stroke road legal.

Best mod: Cone valve forks, valved so that I can ride anything from hard enduro to Motocross. A little stiff for hard enduro and a little soft on MXGP type tracks but can get pretty damn close on the clickers.

Best mod for the value: motomaster sintered GP pads, the most aggressive pads they make. Absolutely incredible stopping power and nice and grabby which I like.

Coolest: cone valves again but also replacing the tank, subframe, seat etc to update it to the 2020+ styling. As far as I've seen it's the only Carbd 2020+ styled road legal KTM with PDS, always gets a few questions when I'm out riding in a group.

Worst: a few years ago my local parts shop only stocked cheaper parts such as all balls replacement bearings seals etc and after a while of using them for everything my bike felt quite sloppy. Got sick of it and completely rebuilt the whole bike with OEM, skf, brembo etc components and it instantly transformed the bike. I was shocked what a difference it made.

3 pages and not one mention of rattle canning the plastic black and installing Metal Mulisha stickers, tsk tsk

A Bills pipe really livened the engine on my 90 YZ250...unfortunately it was also was paper thin and the first time I crashed it flattened out. 

(Really back in the days)

2004 Honda CRF250, DrD full system.

I N S A N E !

A friend got all the brands pipes for that bike that we tested and the DrD was just a revelation!

Was like getting 100cc more, really impressed! 

Worst by far was sending a carb to Tokyo mods.  Made it so much worse it wouldn't even run and their service was terrible on top of it.

Same - I thought I was the only one - I forgot about that!

I had the same experience with Dubach Racing aka "Dr. D" exhausts in ~ 2003-2008 on my various CRF450Rs (and 2003 Z400 Quad). Still have a full stainless system on my 2008 CRF450R - nice system!

Best exhausts I'd ever tried on 4-strokes up until then, but it seems their quality plummeted and I seldom see DrD product out in the wild.

Drilled out my hand guards 🤣

In 1991 my dad had one of my RM 80 engines sent to Eric Gorr in prep for Loretta's.  It would be my first real modified bike outside of pipe, silencer, and suspension work.  Got it back and did a quick break in ride before we left and then ran it in practice.  Thing was an absolute rocket ship.  1st moto, 9-13 modified, I was about 5th or 6th off the start and held the position through the first lap.  After the tunnel as I made my way back down the start next to the big sign, the thing locked up.  

The guy on the Suzuki van said the entire thing was toast minus the cases.  The crank was a full blown rainbow.  He rebuilt it for us free of charge (stock) and it was ready for moto 2.  The ended up being my practice bike the following year as well.    

Another thing we did on those RM's was cut the silencer about an inch short.  Added a little more pep to the bottom end and maintained a stock look.  

I don’t have pics but I always put a second start switch on the frame for if I smash the stock one off the bars in a crash. (Happened once crashed on start and had dirt packed in it and it wouldn’t start). Porting my Own cylinders/ heads. Nothing crazy. Just cleaning up the casting marks and matching the cases or intake or exhaust ports. Makes a noticeable difference. Adding electric water pump to my 300sx when I frame It for the winter. Micro polishing transmissions. This makes a difference when shifting under a load. After you have it done it will shift like butter at WOT without touching the clutch. 

BK mod on my yz426 20 years ago... made a HUGE difference!

The JM top end on the kid's 85 was ridiculous. 

It was way faster than he was. Downside, C-12 and about a 1/3 pump gas required. 

Best: Suspension revalve/springs/etc for my weight/ability/etc. complete game-changer for my confidence on a track in rough stuff. The first time I rode my bike with a well-dialed setup, it hit me that I was staying on the throttle in places I would’ve let off before due to fear of swapping, or just sheer discomfort. 
 

Worst: Ironically, also suspension, in the form of FMF trying to branch out into suspension in-house. Absolute shit. 
 

Coolest: Swapping my 02 CR250’s Mikuni for the Keihin PWK off the earlier model (2000?). This mod is considered normal now, but in late 01-early 02, few had considered or done it. The best part was watching a guy at my local track (who also had this bike and prides himself on having the trickest bike) scratch his head looking at my bike and not being able to figure out what was different…

Yep. I ordered an oem carb for a 00 CR 250 and, threw it on my 01. I hated that Mikuni. 

Best was building an extra tall seat for my CRF.  It looked really goofy, but made the biggest impact of any single thing . Getting the Suspension done was a close second. 

Worst was  painting my triple clamps . Looked cool but chiped.

Coolest was making my own graphics the first time.

Best engine mod was the crank corked on my 74 mx175 Yamaha. 

Best suspension mod, White Bros set up on a 79 yz250.

Most difference in a pipe, PSI on my buddy's 90 cr250. Unreal top end!

Worst money I ever spent was on the forks of a 93 cr 250. Atrocious. 

Best was the PWK on my ‘03 Red 250. Thing sucked without it, but was a freakin monster with that and the head mod.

Worst was everything I did to make my ‘03 Red 125 faster - nothing worked

Coolest was the A Kit and Akrapovic dual carbon silencers on my 2008 CRF250. Too bad it still bogged. 

Also had a '79 YZ250F and had WB rework the mono, too. It wouldn't move in stock condition - maybe because I was about 110 pounds at the time!  They put a triple-rate spring on and revalved it. Night and day don't describe the difference. I also reversed the mounting so I didn't have to probe around in the hole in the backbone tunnel with a screwdriver to adjust the rebound, I could just reach under the rear fender.

I wish I'd kept that one. It had Simons forks and a Hannah replica kit (translucent side panels, lightning bolts, etc). It would probably fetch some coin today.

But no, I had to have the new '83 YZ250 and no one would give me a plug-nickel for an air-cooled bike at that point. 

Sold it to a friend for $300. 

Yep, did that with my 03 cr250 and now used the same carb on my 03 cr125 but took it a step further by installing a STIC metering block.  Now the 125 runs angry....screams!  I wish I would have kept the 250 to see what this carb/stic would do with that motor.

Worst- number plate auxiliary gas tank

Best-my custom made tall, soft. seats with a hump

Coolest-  Noleen 360 engine and graphics kit on a 93 YZ 250.