Farkles, farkles, farkles

I'm almost positive this will not be a popular thread.

Why do so many folks feel the need to 'farkle' their bikes. I'm just browsing Touratech's site and I'm looking at these prices just scratching my head. People are paying absorbent amounts of money to dress up their bikes and these aftermarket companies are laughing all the way to the bank.

Everyone knows having farkles doesn't help re-sale value (maybe it will help make a sale).

Personally, I'd rather save the money and invest it in a trip, or put it towards more long term goals such as retirement. I also use the money to use on camping/hiking gear that will have a real usable value, rather than an aesthetic quality.

Before people chime in defending farkles, I do know a lot of them serve a utilitarian purpose, such as wider foot pegs, PIAA lights for more visibility on the road for oncoming traffic, etc. People that are firm believers in farkling, do you try to buy farkles used first, to offset the jaw dropping sticker retail price?

So my question is, why do you farkle?

Because I can and want to. I also don't really care what other people thing about my farkles. As long as I can look at my GS while enjoying a latte at the local Starbucks. I also feel quite good about keeping other people occupied machining and manufacturing the farkles I buy so they can afford to pay for their hobbies.

I personally only do it for necessity/comfort, I'm looking at a more comfortable seat and then I'm going to make some panniers out of ammo cans (so I don't have to carry a backpack).

I usually only buy farkles that serve a purpose, like carrying extra gas up the Dalton Highway, which if you don't have the GSA is needed if you want to get to Prudhoe Bay and back.

if I can't find what I'm looking for I make it, the luxury of having access to a machine shop 24/7.

I assume that you live in a home that has walls, soft furnishings etc. etc. etc. Have you changed the colour of the walls of the cushions on your sofa, cause if your have you’ve FARKLED. We all FARKLE to personalise what we own, why wouldn’t you raise the handlebars because you’re tall to save yourself a bad back! Levels of FARKLE are determined by your skill levels and who you know.

Everybody is in a different financial state, some of us have enough money to be able to afford what we want without much constraint while others have to more tightly budget their purchases.
With that said, I rarely buy items that have only eyeball appeal like LED accent lights and stripe kits for wheels etc, I don't want the bike too gaudy, but I'll be the first to buy things like the Nav-V, crash bars, $300 BMW foot pegs (my favorite item yet), radiator protectors and such.
I thank the lord for my wives chosen profession each and every day.

My GS came pre-farkled compliments of the previous owner. Didn't leave me a lot of room for more.

Original Farkles by Previous Owner – as of June 2008

Touratech Beak protector
Oil cooler protector
Headlight protector
Parabellum wihdshield
Laminair lip
Touratech turn stop
Crash bars (Touratech I think)
Cylinder head protectors (sold these)
Moto fog lights
PIAA HID driving lights
MFW Aftermarket mirrors (sold and went back to stock)
Touratech Cockpit 2/power outlet
Verholen Instrument Cover
Spoke wheels
Brand new Tourances
Throtlemister
Lowered 2" Wilber shocks (went back to stock pending getting these rebuilt and lengthened)
2 skid plates
3 seats (2 of which I traded for a heated Corbin trio front/back/and rest)
Handlebar Cross-bar
Touratech luggage rack
Serria carbon fiber rear hugger fender
Strobe/flashing brake light
Helmet lock
Lift handle
Front fender extension
Bagster Tank protector
Two Bagster tank bags
Torx Oil filler cap
Vario side cases
Several power outlets (found a new one I'd not noticed before just this weekend)
Kickstand extension foot
Brake pedal extension
Touratech hard parts here, there, and everywhere
Handguard spoilers
Fastway pegs
BMW Chrome muffler
Elf Hwy pegs (sold these, I'm too tall)
Handlebar risers (two sets, sold one)
Carbon fiber gas cap trim



I've added -

Throttle rocker $10
Hammerhead Shifter sized for my boot - $70
ROC Straps - $35
Zumo 450 GPS - $349
Vario bag liners - $125 T
Seat Beads - $15
Coretech Sport Tail Bag - $60
Horn button Protector - $15
Cross Bar Pad - $22
Wunderlich seat guides - $40
Touratech Under Rack Tail Bag - $45
Touratech Windshield Spoiler - $90

My 05 is pretty much farkle free. A few thing that are needed, I added like extra lights, louder horn, throttle lock, safety and comfort things. The rest I leave in the catalogs. The TT stuff kills me, how many have ever broke a gear position potentiometer?

For the same reason I drink beer; I enjoy it.

I think that's what had me scratching my head and starting this thread. Some of the farkles in the TT catalogue are absolutely ridiculous. To each their own, obviously, I just wanted to know why people invested so much money in seemingly needless stuff. My bike is 100% stock and I don't really see why I would need to change that. It's completely subjective tho.

Ergonomics

That's the rub right there.
people like to personalize them.

I ride year round, so I added things like handguards & heated grips to protect my hands from cold air.

I also added top case on both of my bikes, because it makes the bike much more useful in day-to-day commuting world. You can fit more, and ride longer than if you were carrying all that stuff in a backpack.

So I add farkles purely from practicality standpoint.

I was told by the dealer that unless you added $5-7,000 in farkles within 12 months of the delivery date (GS and GSA, respectively), purchased at the dealer or otherwise documentable with receipts....that the WARRANTY was VOID. :huh

As a matter of fact...I have a file folder labled FARKLES that I bring with me every time I visit the dealer...just in case of an 'audit'.
Just checked the Excel spreadsheet...the current farkle total is now <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="88"><colgroup><col width="88"></colgroup><tbody><tr height="20"> <td class="xl24" style="height:15.0pt;width:66pt" height="20" width="88"> $8,154.27 </td> </tr></tbody></table><table height="12" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="25"><tbody><tr height="20"><td class="xl24" style="height:15.0pt;width:66pt" height="20" width="88">
</td></tr></tbody></table>You're sayin'...that isn't true? Ah...jeez.

I buy anything I see that makes my ride more comfortable and entertains me. I'm trying to figure out how to put a surround sound system on my GS at the moment

Functionality for safety and the ease of the ride ...

I farkle, therefore I am.

I try to only buy farkles that serve a purpose, but have been known to get a bit carried away. Every single farkle on all my bikes are very very important, and without them, my bikes would be useless!

Safety, bike protection, ergonomics/comfort, aesthetics, to 'individualize' my bike and because I enjoy tinkering. I have the financial means, time and interest.

Lastly, I think your question and use of the term 'farkles' is too broad; your question implies that anything added to your bike is a waste of money and that the factory got it right the first time. I assume that's not what you had in mind.

Ich bin ein farkler!