One of the fun things about having a motorcycle, besides the freedom, the rush and the adventure, is getting all the accessories that go along with it. The bike alone is an extension of the rider, it says something about who they are and their riding style. The riding gear a biker chooses to wear does this also, and the accessories a biker can get for their motorcycle further makes it their own and personalizes it.

The accessories added to the motorcycle do not get to be dangerous or make the bike hard to handle. In the 60's and 70's there were some fads that did just that. Some of the popular accessories of the time like high sissybar backrests and high handle bars could cause high speed wobbles in some bikes' handling. Other accessories such as extended forks and aftermarket frames with steep rakes, made a motorcycle dangerous to ride.

Some accessories are just cool things to amuse yourself and riding friends, while others really come closer to being necessities. There are many accessories available for every type of bike and biker. There are GPS devices, bike to bike communicators, travel trailers, cruiser windshields, and so on. On the more of a necessity side of things is the windshield. It is easier to go without a windshield on sporty forward leaning riding position bike because this puts the rider in a position of being naturally braced against the wind. On the more laid back bikes like cruisers having a windshield can be a huge difference between a comfortable ride and feeling like you got to go get your neck worked on.

Another good accessory is saddle bags. Saddle bags turn a motorcycle from a great toy into a practical form of transportation. There are hard bags, which are more like suitcases that can be mounted on a bike. These offer great weather protection and a lot of them can be locked. Not many companies offer them, but they can be purchased for many bikes from aftermarket manufacturers. There are soft saddle bags that are mounted over the seat. These come made of leather, vinyl and Cordura. These are less money than the hard bags, and still give the much needed space for road trips. Tank bags are also available. They are called that because they actually mount on top of the fuel tank with either adjustable straps or strong magnets. Obviously the magnet version only works if the fuel tank if metal. Tank bags add extra storage, and most of them have a clear map pocket on top. This means no having to unfold a map in the wind to find out where you are and where to go. Speaking of finding out where one is, a GPS system is an amazing invention. These are units that are little computers that use satellites to tell you where you are. For those that don't like to use maps this is a great option, and even if a rider is map savvy, this is still a great option. These systems will also have information about where the gas stations are and restaurants based on the location at the time.

So along with the motorcycle and leather jacket, these accessories really add to the riding experience, especially when going on a road trip.