Hey Jim. First off.. buy a dust cover for the XR. Its gonna be a long time before you ride that again! I have never met a 690 owner that didn't absolutely love their bike. If you are looking for case guards check out R&G. They have the best coverage I have seen for a 690.
Hope your right about the cover, been looking for a 690 for awhile on the used market and broke all my own rules about buying a new motorcycle. Something about wanting something and not being able to get it? Some kind of compulsive disorder or something. Yup, been checking out the R&G ones, look nice. Think I will go with those.
Welcome - I also have the Adventure spec skid and case guards..... WELL worth the $$$ Thank goodness I have them as both have been bashed to hell last year!
Any interest in going to Hatfield McCoy trails? http://trailsheaven.com/default.aspx I try to go 2-3 times a year
Also dualsport event in PA in June that I go to every year (June 6-7 I think this year) http://www.durtydabbers.com/
My little group that I ride with has talked about both those places for a couple years now, especially the dirty dabbers ride. We always make the "Thrills in the Hills" ride put on by Wayne County MC in New York and ride that area often.
Hmm, couldn't get the quote function to work. Already have a wings pipe installed and a complete seat concepts seat on it with 0 miles. I have had the seat concepts seats on my last 3 bikes and the wings was a result of internet research. I couldn't believe how fast the wings pipe made it across the big pond, paid for it on a Thursday from my phone through Paypal while on a snowmobile trip and it was at my house the following Tuesday, unbelievable!
Must haves as far as I am concerned right now. A real skid plate and case covers from Adventure Spec, the rest I will wait until I actually ride it.
Those are great choices for "first mods." I rued my decision to wait on the case guards. I dented mine in a very mild tipover; it cost a metric buttload to fix.
(A Metric buttload is more costly than a standard, imperial, buttload.)
Luckily I am close enough to the Canadian border that I do understand the metric system and will get some protection for my underside.
Thanks for the warm welcome guys,
Jim