This post begins a list of small upgrades - farkles as they're known to the moto-world - stuff that makes the going a little easier, the bike a little, um, sexier, and the rider a bit more satisfied in having spent whatever discretionary income to make his ride that much more unique while all the other riders on whatever forum they're subscribing to are doing the same thing. Tribal behavior at its best.
To start, a KLR handle bar bag was added providing a great spot for glasses and gloves and anything else you find yourself constantly putting on and taking off. Great design, though not quite waterproof.
To the left of the bag is an
SW Motech waterproof and shock-protected iPhone case and mount that I borrowed from my mountain bike. The case is a clam shell that seals with an o-ring with waterproof ports for power and headphones. The screen retains its touch sensitivity, even with my gloved hand. The device rotates 90 degrees and has a stout quick release feature. In my haste of sorting out my interface with the KLR, I ordered a RAM mount system for the iPhone without even considering what I had on hand. Few iPhone users understand that the device has a dedicated GPS chip that works independently from cell service, so it can be just as effective as a standalone GPS and tracker.
Charging the device and powering other 12V accessories is this RioRand 12V/5V socket and power port between the clamps underneath the handlebar bag.
I'm not crazy about its quality, but it seems to do the job so far. Both ports are sealed with rubber caps, but they feel like they'd disintegrate with a little bit of sunshine and where I live there's a lot.
The last addition for this post is a Pelican 1520 top case. This was on the Montero and the H3 and held a breakaway cooking and mess kit.
This is now mounted on the top rack of the Caribou Case system adding a valuable go-to compartment to the panniers.
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