Here we go again. You really don't like it when someone doesn't agree with you, do you, Cole? Well a lot of what you do is wrong and illogical. You've learnt some stuff from experience but you don't seem to be very good at forward planning. My impression was that this guy was copying your modifications when those modifications may not have been suited to him. Certainly from the way he was talking he did not seem terribly experienced. My comments were not condescending but I queried if he would notice the benefit of the work he's having done or if the money might be better spent elsewhere.
Ok, there's a thread about changing forks. Well done for spotting that, kudos for being able to read. There's a myriad of threads about all sorts of things on the ADV, most are pointless.
Your bike is probably ok for you although I disagree with some of your choices and I find the end result chaotic. I didn't not choose to change the forks, my budget wouldn't let me and I'm spending the remaining money traveling. That's my choice. The fact remains I don't agree with you and that seems to rattle your cage. Most people I meet seem pretty decent but some like to show off their toys a bit too much and that's fine for them but I prefer to use what I have. It's called a difference of opinion. Yours is no more valid then mine or anyone elses. Your bike was built on the advice of others, more qualified where I've saved that money and gone out and researched for myself and made choices that fit my budget. Someone asked and I had made a suggestion in line with my philosophy and our opinons didn't match. So what? That's a good thing, if everyone agreed there would be no discussion, now would there?
I wish I had had the budget to spend that you did, in fact one of my dreams is to build a bike from the ground up when i get a chance but mine would be quite different to yours. I don't have a beef with your modifications even though some of them I think are wrong. I don't hate your mods, I actually don't care one way or another but you seem to be fine going around forums knocking other people choices.
The fact remains... I don't agree with you. That's an end to it if you can get your ego under control... I bet you can't and I bet you have to reply to this, don't you...