- Upon purchase of the Momos/Regal Raptor Bobber 350, I immediately swap the stock bobber handlebars for stock 10” mid-ape hangers originally fitted on its sibling Daytona 350 because I wanted to sit upright and had to pay the cost difference which required longer accelerator and clutch cables. I made the handlebars follow the tilt angle of the front shock absorbers but over time, it tilted slightly backwards allowing me to enjoy an Easy Rider body tilt.
- Then it was sent immediately to be airbrush in zebra stripes which included the helmet. I came up with the initial design as the specialist said that was unfamiliar territory. The foundation stripe stickers had to be readjusted on the tank and fenders to accommodate the convex shape of tank and fenders as well to avoid cross-conflicting the stripes. My requirement that the stripes be roughly 2” thick so that they could be well seen about 30’ away.
- One of the earliest custom job was replacement of the spark plug cover in favour of a chrome alloy version because I was jealous of its siblings which that comes standard. However, I’ve re-installed the original black version because the 350cc engine does not look massive and that chrome cover makes the engine block look even smaller and puny.
- Next, the stock 0.75mm spark plug cables were replaced with the 1.0mm version imported from UK by my daughter who studied there. This change gave a more humpy engine sound, a smoother engine and no more starting problems on cold mornings.
- Vandalism struck less than 6 months of ownership where the rear plastic end portion was broken in two, replaced then broken again in two. The airbrush work was intentionally chipped probably with a padlock and had to be given an expensive touch-up. That rear end was disposed and I fitted a side number plate-cum-brake light holder which required a custom bracket. Rear side lights were reattached elsewhere while front side lights were relocated near (with custom bracket) the radiator and aligned height with the rear side lights.
- Only 6 months old, a grounding cable fitted from engine block to rectifier immediately changed headlight beam from yellowish-white to whitish-white.
- About that time, the worn soft stock handlebar grip were replaced with a chrome alloy version but even that wore over time and has been replaced with this vintage-looking hard rubber version.
- The stock electric horn is prone to heavy Malaysian rain and was replaced 3 times. I eventually found air-horns to be more reliable and effective at warning cars of my presence.
- The stock inner throttle is made of really soft plastic. One fine day, it tore, fortunately, I was 5 mins. away from my mechanic. He said such incidents are common even among super-bikes so advised me to replace them with a more reliable aluminum version. This one has similar dimensions as found on the Yamaha RZX.
- Side mirrors have a common weakness: unreliable ball joint hinges which easily crack from unwanted knocks against car side mirrors. Another case of wear and tear but this time I replaced the stock chrome mirrors for the black version because chrome is so hard to maintain sparkling clean.
- Wear and tear of the clear plastic DOT4 viewer required me get a replacement and just like the side mirrors, I opt for the black version.
- Parking the bobber too close to the closing autogate, it knocked off the footpeg. At that time there was no original replacement so I ended buying a custom version but this chrome aluminum pair only cost slightly more than a single stock foot-peg. I ended buying the toe-pegs too because they were matching and look more glamorous than the stock version.
- The stock chrome fishtail exhaust had many fine scratches because my bobber was a showroom unit. Many months of polishing still could not remove the deep scratches and as keeping them sparkling clean was troublesome, I gave them coats of black heat resistant paint which initially required coats of clear acrylic plastic to serve as an effective base over the chrome exhaust pipes.
- Two of the side light amber case cracked so had to be permanent glued while another became faulty through rain leakage. Thus, I invested in black metal casing replacement versions yet to be installed.
- Recent custom jobs are minor: Here, colour coded silicone hoses with custom spring clips replace stock rubber hoses to add some colour over a fundamentally black engine bay.
- I invested in 2 switches and a pair of mini-strobe light for an emergency switch and mini strobe light features yet to install (need the supporting relay units) as I find them important safety items over the minimalist design concept of this hardtail bobber.
- I always felt the clear plastic stock petrol filter looks and feels cheap so invested in this tough looking aluminum version
- After 7 years of ownership, the protective clear plastic cover of the brake hoses cracked at a few places so I DIY and removed them with a knife, now they look brand new and expensive.
- The stock front shock absorbers have a very rough finish so I DIY and gave them a metal sandpaper rub-down
- I bought this simple volt meter yet to install and plan to attach it outside the battery box case and I feel it is a practical tool to help monitor battery life.
- Similarly, the minimalist concept was too basic so I invested in 2 switches to serve for am emergency light switch and strobe light switch yet to be installed as I have not bought the respective relays..
Other than the above, I am very satisfied with what I’ve done to my bobber. I feel it is complete and meets my requirements. I expect tyre replacement soon and prefer the 90 series zig-zag tyres as they cover the gap between rear fender and tyre well. Initially I had plans to replace the mid- ape hangers for the classic beach bar version but changed my mind because in Malaysian weather, mid-ape hangers effectively cool my armpits.
