Bits & bobs and odds & ends:
The handguards on the Hyper are more decorative than functional, as they are entirely made of plastic. They also have integrated turn signals which look good IMO, but a drop results in the loss of a functional indicator, which is a no go on a longer ride/trip.
I installed these Evotech handguard protectors as good future insurance
I like the stock look of the handguards, so I was looking for something low-profile and unobtrusive. The protectors are made from CNC billet aluminum.
Seems like a fairly solid mount point to the bar
Wife wanted to replace the low front fender with something more dirt-friendly. A high front fender is more effective at preventing mud from building up between the fender and tire:
Original
Since the 901 and the 890 Adventure R are pretty much the same bike, the stock front fender from the KTM is a direct bolt on. I needed an adapter to clear the crash bars though.
After. Looks a lot better too, IMO (yes, I removed the low rear fender after this pic was taken)
She spent no time getting that thing dirty!
She added a cool Husqvarna sticker that she had lying around
Service lights are an annoying feature on these newer bikes, especially when you do the maintenance yourself.
Even more annoying is when they pop up annually, regardless of mileage. That way the dealerships are guaranteed to get you back in the bay 365 days after your last $ervice:
I got this OBDStar diagnostic tool on sale. Considering the dealership charges you minimum 1 hour at ~$200/hour to reset the service light, this tool pretty much paid for itself after resetting the DesertX and Hypermotard.
The DX uses the newer Euro 5 OBD2 adapter, which didn't come with the OBDStar kit. But that only cost $15 on Amazon.
You can also use the tool to turn on options on the TFT menu, like heated grips, aux lights, etc. Also $$$ saved having to go to the dealership if you install all this yourself. Unfortunately I got this tool *after* I installed my heated grips on the DX.
OBDStar gives you one year subscription, which allows you to download any new patches when the bikes update their firmware. Also, this unit will connect to any Ducati, but if you want to connect to another manufacturer's bike, you need to buy a whole new physical unit instead of just purchasing and uploading the new brand's SW on the existing OBDStar device. Annoying, but I guess it cuts down on piracy...
One regret I have with my R1250GS is that I didn't opt for the factory Sport Suspension when I bought it. It adds an additional 20mm of travel front and rear, and I miss it everytime I scrape the bash plate on a large rock or log.
At ~60K kms, it was time to service the suspension, so I decided to upgrade to aftermarket shocks and kill two birds with one stone.
My bike comes equipped with Electronic Suspension Adjustment so I wanted something that integrates with it. TracTive has the
eX-PERIENCE Suspension Kit which is essentially plug-and-play with the factory ESA while offering additional high and low speed compression settings (manually) above and beyond what the factory suspension offers.
I am pretty much wrench-incompetent, so suspension installation is well above my pay-grade. I opted to get the shop which I bought the TracTive shocks from to install it for me. They're out in Vancouver, so a 4-hour ride there and back made for a good day-trip.
Zero dogs are required for the suspension install, but that didn't stop Riley from offering a hand, er... paw.
Riley is a very good boy at suspension installation *AND* customer service!