10 Useless Motorcycle Accessories You Should Avoid

Motorcycle accessories are designed to make your ride more convenient and comfortable, or simply look cool. However, there are some add-ons that are absolutely useless, and in many cases, cause more trouble than they’re worth. Here are the top 10 add-ons that you should avoid: 

Bike Roof

One of the biggest charms of two-wheeler riding is to be a part of, and enjoy the environment. Sure, nature isn’t always kind, and the Indian riding conditions are often harsh. To tackle this, the most obvious solution is to wear the appropriate riding gear. But installing a roof on the bike? That’s a little too overkill, don’t you think? If you’re going to such an extent, you might as well take an auto on that one particular rainy day instead of ruining your bike. 

Then comes the question of its efficacy. They play havoc on the bike’s aerodynamics, add unnecessary weight, and also massively affect the weight distribution. You’re already fighting against physics while riding, so you wouldn’t want ten other factors to (literally) weigh you down, would you? We get the intent behind it, but it simply is better to use public transportation (or if you’re privileged, a car) if the elements are too much for you. 

Helmet Mounted AC/Coolers

Helmet companies put in a lot of effort, invest heavily in R&D, and work hard to make their helmets as lightweight as possible. But these aftermarket products often undo those efforts. We’re not saying that these coolers are completely useless, but the cost at which they come can’t be ignored. They affect weight distribution, not to mention putting a strain on your neck. 

Motorcycle Speakers

Four words: Lack of civic sense - that’s what it means to have music blaring on your two-wheeler. Here are two more words that aptly describe this trend: Dangerous distraction. If you’re really keen on listening to music or communicating, just invest in a helmet intercom and make sure the volume is low enough for you to be aware of your surroundings. 

Helmet Wiper

Just like those helmet-mounted coolers, this one also affects weight distribution and adds extra stress to your neck. Not to mention, having a device that moves rapidly right in front of your eyes, when visibility is already poor due to rain, is not a good idea. Instead, you can apply a hydrophobic coating on the visor. These days, many riding gloves also come with a built-in visor wiper that you can use. 

Strobe Lights

Having fog lights on a bike can be useful on dark highways or off-road trails, but adding a strobe or flashing effect is distracting at best or epilepsy inducing at worst. You wouldn’t want an oncoming driver to have a seizure and crash straight into you. 

Helmet Wigs

Here we go again. These wigs are mounted on the helmet, which increases its weight, messes up weight distribution, and affects aerodynamics. At high speeds, they pull your head backward, putting extra strain on your neck. There’s also a chance of it falling off and causing distractions or even loss of vehicle control behind you. So, this is another accessory that’s best avoided.

Free-flow Exhaust

This topic might offend some people, but hear us out. Yes, racing bikes use free-flow exhausts, but they are designed with performance in mind. That’s why you mostly see such exhausts in motorsports, where they change air intakes, remap ECUs, and make other performance tuning. If you’re only using your bike for daily commuting or even for touring, and have no connection with the track, then getting into free-flow exhausts isn’t worth it, especially the poor quality ones. Using cheap aftermarket exhausts can affect your bike’s life and only add to noise pollution. It’s cool to be fast on a track, not an annoyance on the street.

Loud Horns

Even a normal horn is enough to get the attention of the person in front of you. There’s no need to install an unnecessarily loud horn. It only adds to noise pollution and elevates heart rates in sensitive people. Be considerate, have better civic sense. 

Fancy Alloys

Many riders have this craze of swapping the stock wheels with flashy alloy wheels. Alloys can definitely make a bike look more appealing, but buying cheap alloys can lead to serious problems. 

Many unreputed aftermarket alloys are made without proper engineering and lack the necessary strength. One sharp bump, and they can break. If that happens at high speed, then apart from the alloys, you might end up breaking your bones too. Always go for alloy wheels that are offered as an accessory from the bikemaker itself. 

Disc Covers

Disc covers are quite useful on track or sports bikes because they reduce wind drag and improve aerodynamics, but that's if they are specifically designed for your bike. These make a difference only if you’re fast enough to the point where even a few milliseconds make a big difference between winning and losing a race. If you’re using your bike for commuting or touring, this simply isn’t necessary. Worse, having a cheap disc cover will affect the wheel’s balance, and in turn, the bike’s handling and mileage too.