Center Stand

I suppose a center stand is not absolutely necessary, but I wanted one for a couple reasons.  Firstly its safer and your bike won't fall over when on hot pavement or dirt.  I like it also for working on the bike or god-forbid I have to fix a flat out in the woods.  The Happy Trails Centerstand is sturdy, well made, and a simple 15 minute install.

It folds up out of the way and should not drag under normal use.  I did notice that before I upgraded my suspension, if I had the bike leaned over and hit a dip and bottomed the suspension, I could just touch the ground with one of the legs - nothing bad.  I'm a bigger guy, and I really needed to upgrade the suspension anyway, and after I did this problem went away.   

Handguards

I haven't really had that much trouble with brush hitting my hands but I've had major trouble snapping off my brake and clutch levers, so for that reason alone these are worth it.  I chose the Moose Racing Aluminum Handguards.

Installation is straightforward except for a couple of things.  First you'll have to cut off the cable loop on the left side of the handlebars.  A Dremel comes in handy here to cut and grind it smooth.  The other BIG thing, is that you need to get a pair of 1/2" spacer thingie like the shown in the photo that extend the stem attached to the bar, or else your bars will not fit over the handlegrip housings.  Unfortunately those little spacers are not included in your kit so you'll need to order them and they run about $9.