How to Customize a Honda Ruckus

Owners who ride a Honda Ruckus usually do so for their gas-saving engines and compact design that make them great motorbikes for city driving. The design of the Ruckus is solid and fashionable but lacks personality. Although these bikes are relatively small in size and short on creature comforts, it is possible to ads a little flair and style to your Honda Ruckus with aftermarket options such as wheels, tires, paint graphics and performance upgrades.

Things You'll Need

  • Aftermarket rims
  • Aftermarket tires
  • High flow exhaust muffler
  • Graphics kit
  • Ape hanger handlebars
  • Install aftermarket rims. The stock rims on the Honda Ruckus are basic moped rims and add unnecessary weight to the bike. Aftermarket rims are lighter and stylish. They also come in colors that can complement the color scheme of your Ruckus. When upgrading rims, it's common to upgrade the tires at the same time. It's possible to upgrade to tires with tread designs commonly found on street bikes that have several hundred more horsepower than the Ruckus.

  • Upgrade to a high flow exhaust muffler. The stock muffler used on the Ruckus is restrictive, i.e., horsepower is being robbed by the exhaust system because gases cannot escape the engine quickly enough. A high flow exhaust muffler will not only add a few decibels to your bike's exhaust note, it will reduce back pressure and allow for more horsepower gains.

  • Install a Ruckus graphic kit to personalize the paint scheme. Popular on dirt bikes and four-wheelers, graphics kits are popular with scooter enthusiasts as well. Adding graphics will allow you to add personal flair to your Ruckus.

  • Install ape hanger handlebars. Ape hanger handlebars were made famous when people started to install them on custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles. These handlebars sit high so you have to reach out to hold them. They give a bike a custom look but can take some time to get used to. However, they will surely turn heads on a Ruckus.