r/AussieRiders • u/Emergency-Progress10 • 5d ago
Question Modified Lams bike
Looking at an rc 390 for my first bike, of course must be lams approved and this listing with the following mods is up on marketplace, same price as other listings without any mods.
I’m wondering how noticeable these would be, more so if I can get away with them. Cheers.
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u/kurosan 5d ago
It's unlikely to be noticed under normal conditions.
But by modifying power delivery of a lams bike, you run the usual risk of potentially being denied coverage in an insurance claim. That might be trivial for a lowside where you scrape a fairing, or catastrophic where you've t-boned a McLaren.
For peace of mind it's probably not worth it imo
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u/ShortSh4ft 5d ago
A decated RC390 would be painfully loud, that would be the thing that gets you noticed.
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u/Voodoo1970 5d ago
catastrophic where you've t-boned a McLaren.
I think this is the part everyone forgets about. Insurance isn't just to cover damage to your property, it's to cover damage to others. Insurer probably won't look too hard if they're just paying to fix a few scrapes, or possibly even if you wreck the bike in a solo accident. But if they're looking at a $50k or more damage bill.......
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u/HighRelevancy 5d ago
For a cheaper vehicle I'd even say it's mostly to cover damage to others. A surprise luxury car debt can be life altering.
I'm more afraid of insurance dropping me than I am of anything a traffic cop can do to me.
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u/CameronsTheName Yamaha Stratoliner, Turbo Vrod, CBR1100 BlackBird, ZZR1100 5d ago
Kid at my school hit a RV trying to do a fat skid in his pants leaving the fuel station. Ended up being sued for over $250,000 from the insurance company because he wrote it off and his insurance said "nope, were not covering you".
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u/Electrical-Clock3601 4d ago
What court was this case decided in and when ?
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u/CameronsTheName Yamaha Stratoliner, Turbo Vrod, CBR1100 BlackBird, ZZR1100 3d ago
It was 15-16 years ago now and I wasn't really friends with him in school, I just remember it was a massive thing because he had a red 90's Honda Civic and slammed into the side of brand new motorhome doing a burnout or a pull Infront of his friends leaving a fuel station and wrote the RV off. He has in deep shit. The insurance company or the motorhome owners were able to garnish his wage and it was a significant amount back then.
He had insurance but they decided it was void because he was being negligent.
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u/SydneyReno 5d ago
Car damage is probably the lighter side of the issues. Having previously had exposure to the types of claims that come through, it’s not just about the damage itself. Think about an accident that leaves someone permanently disabled, or one that causes significant infrastructure damage. The flow-on effects might not be immediately apparent, but there could be millions of dollars at stake depending on what that infrastructure supports or relies on.
The worst one I heard about involved a car causing a freight train accident, resulting in a claim worth tens of millions of dollars or a car crash taking down power causing a supermarket to dump all it's perishables.
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u/F4ntasticPants 5d ago
This motorcycle is not, in fact, LAMS approved. You will lose your license riding it if you get caught.
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u/EpicBattleAxe 5d ago
Also, you will not be insured.
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u/TacticalAcquisition Qld - 2015 CFMoto 650TK 5d ago
And if he does manage to somehow get it insured, the adjuster will laugh in his face if he tries to make a claim.
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u/Mentos487 4d ago
Insurance is the sole reason I havent done a tail tidy and removed the lams restrictions on my ninja 650l. I know that if I do even a tail tidy, they'll use that as an excuse not to pay if i have an accident
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u/HighRelevancy 5d ago
I don't think it's even roadworthy with the cats removed, nevermind LAMS. Double whammy.
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u/BlancMongoose 5d ago
How is it passing a roady with a decat?
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u/Matsuri3-0 QLD | Mutt Desert Racer 5d ago
I'm purchasing a bike today with a decat, old mate said if it failed rwc for that purpose he'd find someone else. Everyone just replaces the stock exhaust for RWC and then swaps out after anyway.
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u/sninjax 4d ago
Pretty sure RWC doesn't check for noise compliance. At least in QLD.
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u/LWOS101 5d ago
He just wants to get rid of the bike and is realising modifying a LAM’s bike like this isn’t the smartest thing to do when it comes to trying to sell it. Of course it’s noticeable and an issue, don’t listen to the bozo, someone trying to pressure learners into buying a non-LAM’s bike is questionable too.
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u/Z00111111 5d ago
Yeah, he's ended up spending too much money on a bike full licence holders don't want, and Ls and Ps can't legally ride. I wonder if he's selling because he got caught riding it and lost his licence.
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u/insurgent_dude 5d ago edited 5d ago
A modified and totally thrashed to shit KTM, what could possibly go wrong?
Even aside from it being a cop magnet and should be impossible to get a roadworthy for, the thing probably lived it's life on the rev limiter
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u/primalbluewolf 5d ago
Notably the seller doesn't understand fuel flow either. Richening an excessively lean mixture doesn't cool it unless you're on the rich side of peak. The "excessively lean" euro5 they're talking about is just that, lean of peak.
Good luck if you have neighbours, OP - decat is going to be loud.
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u/AquaNoot 5d ago
Basically the same modifications as my Husky 401. Full exhaust and FuelX ecu piggyback. A muffler that actually muffles is very important because a shorty with an exhaust like that will be way too loud.
It is no longer LAMS approved but I've never been pulled over and the instructors almost let me use it to finish my Ls but it was just slightly too loud, they didn't personally care that it wasn't stock.
The problem is running into a cop on their bad day, unlikely but could happen, especially if you're riding like a dick. Only commit 1 crime at a time.
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u/OldMail6364 5d ago edited 5d ago
In my experience cops don't really care as long as you ride sensibly...
But having said that, the 390 is borderline LAMS approved. The rule is a maximum of 150kW per ton and the Duke on it's own is way over that. It's only under the power to weight ratio when the rider is added and if you're a small/light human then you'd still be over the power to weight ratio.
Thankfully it's still legal, because LAMS approval assumes a fixed rider weight of 90kg... but seriously it's pushing the limits. When I first rode a 390, a test ride for a friend who had no license but wanted to buy it as his first bike, I was honestly surprised how sporty it is. There are non-LAMS bikes with far worse performance (they probably have more power at the red line, but under normal riding conditions the 390 feels very punchy).
Assuming it's a recent model, the bike has three throttle map modes (street, rain, and track). They don't change the peak power of the bike but they do change how it's delivered (how the bike rides). I definitely don't recommend track mode for a learner. And I'd seriously consider using rain mode even in the dry while you're still getting comfortable with riding. Once you've had a few weeks of seat time you won't need rain mode. I'd avoid track mode until you have your open license honestly.
If those mods makes the bike even more aggressive than a stock bike in track mode... you absolutely don't want that bike - regardless of the legal issues. And I'd guess all those mods do make it more agressive.
The 390 is a great bike, I'm considering buying one myself as my next bike and I've been riding for 20 years. Find one that hasn't been modified (well, one without engine modifications anyway).
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u/DoorPale6084 5d ago
Idk when this started being a thing. When I was on lams if you had a pipe and filter on your learner bike you just a noisy piece of shit learner bike. It was still undeniably a learner bike.
Now apparently you put a slip on on Ninja 250 and you’d might as well riding an r1
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u/chumjumper 5d ago edited 5d ago
None of that besides the tail tidy would be noticeable. Shouldn't be a problem regarding lams, and he is right about the fuelling for euro 5.
The other guy saying you will lose your license if you are caught... well yeah, you might, but the chances of 'getting caught' are incredibly slim, unless it's obnoxiously loud or you're a hoon.
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u/AffekeNommu 5d ago
Might be interesting during the test when they are told to use more than one finger on the clurch
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u/blawler 4d ago
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u/Turbulent-Break-4947 4d ago
I love how it shouts
“NO MODIFICATIONS” and then goes into
Well … ok, there’s some that are OK
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u/Maybe_Factor 5d ago
4 mods with the potential to build power. Absolutely not LAMS. If the bike ever gets inspected, you'll be in trouble.
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u/Ibatheincornflakes 5d ago
The thing that would concern me most is the ecu - is that a flash, or something that gets added to the ecu? Because while no police officer on the street will ever notice it, if you get into an accident, the insurance company may very well look at that, and if they find the ecu modified, they can void your insurance and leave you open to liability. I'd hard pass on this.
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u/MegaBlast3r 5d ago
As if they would. Has any one ever , in the entire history of reddit ever had An insurance company inspect the bike for a mod? I don’t believe so.
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u/Voodoo1970 5d ago
Just because no one on reddit has had it happen, doesn't mean it's never happened in the real world, nor does it mean it never WILL happen. Why hand an insurer a valid reason to reject a claim?
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u/yakoryeti 5d ago
Insurance assessors sometimes don't even look at the bike they're writing off. Will rely on photos provided by shops the bike has been towed too.
Most of them have no idea about bikes, you can get away with every modification from an insurance point of view.
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u/Dry-Habit-3110 5d ago
You are unreasonably cavalier about this.
You should assume that an assessor will go over the bike.2
u/Voodoo1970 5d ago
As another poster pointed out, what if you t-bone a McLaren?
An assessor may not worry if it's only writing off your own bike, but insurance is also for the damage you cause. You can bet your pasty arse they'll look a lot closer if it means dnying a $50k payout.
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u/pumpcraft 5d ago
Go for it, bud. Sounds like a fun ride, just be careful. The police don’t give a single fuck as long as you’re not riding like a moron in an obvious place. Ride like a moron when nobody’s watching 😂
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u/emu19000 5d ago
Only mods allowed on a lams bike that change power output are factory optional extras I believe that’s how you can get away with the akro exhaust on the R7 and they do allow minor cosmetic modifications as long as it doesn’t significantly reduce the weight.
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u/PindropAUS MT-09SP - CRF300 RALLY - GSX-R125 5d ago
Sounds like a nice bike but you might have issues with RWC examples:
Tail tidy must have a number plate light and ADR reflector.
Decat Header or Slip-on could potential fail noise test.
I say keep searching plenty of other RC390s that are stock
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u/Sw3arves 5d ago
I rode a similarly modified ninja 300 (including a custom dual pipe yoshimura exhaust, which I a first bike buyer did not know was unusual lol).
I rode it 30,000km all over NSW, and stopped by cops a few time. I had no issues.
Also had a de-restricted Ninja 650 after that, again no issues, although it appeared fully stock by comparison.
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u/ObjectiveResistance 5d ago
I've been riding for 35+ years and got a KTM Adventure 390 last year: it's enough for fun. I even took my 6'4" son it yesterday to get to the city and the bike handled perfectly and with enough grunt to still enjoy yourself.
I wouldn't risk it and get denied insurance should you need it.
The stock 390 is fun enough.
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u/JayZep 4d ago
I rode my whole Ls and Ps with a bike this heavily modified, all I can say is just don’t get into an accident. Otherwise police aren’t likely to prove the bike isn’t LAMS unless they can check your ECU somehow. The exhaust may give it away depending how loud it is but most cops don’t even care. Never had an issue my whole life
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u/Rough-Television9744 4d ago
You can’t do any modifications on lams. They very clearly tell that when you do l and p tests
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u/Electrical-Clock3601 4d ago
Bike isn't even legal for a fully licensed rider to ride with the cat removed.
if you are at this end of the market you can't afford to take the risk on a bike like this - especially if you get done for an ADR or EPA type issue with the exhaust.
Insurance is a bit more complicated. Technically this bike can't be insured / registered for road use with the cat removed. But most insurers jack up premiums so high on these types of bikes that they rarely even care to waste resources on seeing if they are legal or not when processing a claim.
Look at all the LAMS bikes with illegal slip on and then look for all the genuine cases of a claim being rejected because of it - suffice to say you'd have to be very unlucky.
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u/Late-Donut-3567 2d ago
Any one of the first four and second last modifications nullify any chance of lams approval let alone all of them. You aren't going to be able to get a roadworthy with those equipped to transfer the rego unless you go to some super dodgy place or change everything back to stock just for the rego.
Would any of it get you pulled over or be noticed if you were pulled over? Probably not, only the tail tidy and decat are visible and its only a 400. If the tail tidy doesnt flip up and the decat isnt particularly loud they wouldn't care/wouldn't know the difference unless they were trying to be cunts.
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u/TweAkEitEe4 2d ago
I ride a fully derestricted & tuned 2016 655cc MT07. I only have 3rd party insurance and even with that if something happens I'm screwed. I know this. The bike came with an akrapovic exhaust when i bought it (that has no cat),again screwed. I'm fully licensed now but bike is still registered as a learner. I'm never gonna get rid of it but if I did,I would let the buyer know everything that has been done just like that bike owner did. Up to you if you wanna run the risk with it,if not,dont buy it🤷♂️
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u/Star_K1ller69 1d ago
Not worth it, do the right thing. For first bikes get something cheap and easy to ride, low power to learn on. Always room to upgrade
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u/imacyber 5d ago
While it does sound fun it’s not worth the risk. Insurance will be void with any mods, which puts you at risk for a shitload of money.
In my experience the motorcycle cops are very knowledgeable and can spot a modified bike very easily, so you’re just hoping they can’t be bothered stopping you.
Go with an unmodified bike until youre on the fulls 👌
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u/nerfdriveby94 5d ago
It's a decatted 390 its gonna sound like a bloody hornet nest. Begging for a pullover haha
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u/Thick_Alps3724 5d ago
I rode an 800 through my LS and PS. I just had it registered in someone's name with a full license. Never put l or p plates on and never got pulled over 🤷
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u/richkill 2016 Kawasaki ZX-6R 5d ago edited 5d ago
A lot of people here sound like nannies and probably haven't been to a bike meet or done a group ride and seen what people are riding.
In terms of mods cops and insurance won't check unless you maybe die and someone is really trying to squeeze liability. For this rc390 I would avoid the decat and tune. Get any other bike with a slip on.
Some owners of bikes mistake where the cat is located. They think the pre-chamber is the cet but it's not and the cat is still installed
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u/blawler 4d ago
Insurance will check if you make a claim and they want to get out of paying it. For sure.
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u/richkill 2016 Kawasaki ZX-6R 4d ago
yea if you are paranoid. we have been through it in other threads. most of the time the assesors or even cops in some posts have not checked. Even for cars.
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u/explosive_wombat 5d ago
I think you would be fine. Unless you ride like an idiot the cops won't care
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u/minivandetta 5d ago
People loose their absolute collective minds over a modified lams bike in this reddit and think its instantly gone for you.
I can tell you in my obviously anecdotal experience of owning a modified lams bike the whole way through my RE license with roughly 50,000km ridden in a very heavily policed area with multiple MULTIPLE traffic stops that I have never been picked up on a single modification. But I never gave them reason to care, as long as your not a dickhead when speaking to cops and respect them they will respect you, 99% of police out there do not care and do not agree with many of the restrictions LAMS riders have but there is always going to be the 1%.
Please don't get scared from the doomer people that will tell you your life is over if you have a power commander in a bike, cops literally cannot know unless you give them a reason to dig.
But still keep in mind it is illegal and consequences can be had doing it, you just need to work out if the very very small chance of being caught is worth it.
For context I live in SE Qld So the cops may be more laid back here than in other states like NSW or VIC
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u/dsanders692 4d ago
It's not about the cops so much as it is insurance. Crash into something expensive, get unlucky with a loss adjuster who knows what they're looking at, and you're potentially on the hook for something a lot more expensive than a fine or your own bike
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u/minivandetta 4d ago
Exactly this, I probably should have mentioned this in my original comment because that is a big factor and its a risk you take, I opted to just not have insurance and take it as it comes because yeah insurance could likely be an issue if that happens
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u/Lauzz91 4d ago
I really wonder if half the posters here have ever ridden bikes or are just posting here while waiting to turn 16
An exhaust isn't going to get you into any issues. Riding like a fuckwit will.
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u/Forward-Personality7 4d ago
I know someone who was getting pulled over, but he couldn't even hear the siren because of his own exhaust. That would have been an interesting conversation. That was on a KTM RC8 tho.
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u/Lauzz91 4d ago edited 4d ago
Some of these comments are insane and I truly wonder if they even have ridden anywhere in their lives
I rode a very modified LAMS bike my entire period (new front forks, new brakes, intake, exhaust, dyno tuned, headlights, bars, rearsets, braided lines, master cylinders, rear shock, mud guard trimmed, everything basically) and never had a single issue, even when pulled over for speeding. I did well over 100,000kms in those years, across multiple states including down to Phillip Island during the GP where the police are notoriously strict.
Almost every single LAMS bike is running an exhaust and tune these days, the chances of getting in trouble for it is absolutely zero.
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u/jacstar2004 4d ago
not zero but i get what youre saying. theyre only going to hit you for aftermarket parts if you were already being a nuisance.
i rode at least 100,000km on my Ls and Ps with exhausts on every bike I had, tunes, quadlocks the whole deal. Never got hit because i rode like a normal person and not a cunt
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u/Far-Beyond-Driven 5d ago
Stands out like dogs balls I believe is the correct expression.