I always saw the "mods" others were doing to their sleds as "personal preferences" unless it was motor related. But not even bolt-on stuff is classified as a "mod" to me. All of that is simply what it takes to make your sled fit you like a glove. Swapping motors, blow dryers, nitrous, those are mods.(Harkens back to my racing days and how sanctioning bodies classify the races I guess)
And in doing these little personal adjustments, makes the person riding the machine more capable, and in turn makes the machine more capable.
There are a lot of machines that many people can ride to their limits. Add these preferences, and both the machine, and persons limits can grow. (Don't add your little quips about Burandt or Pro-RMK's, I don't wanna hear it, none of us are Burandt but many of us can ride a stock Pro to it's limits in a multitude of scenarios)
I had a new 06 Rev, an 07 Rev, 08 XP, 09 XP, and 10 XP. All demo sleds. Sure I rode them bone stock for a time, but for every little change I made, it got me closer to the end goal of pushing me and machine to a height we couldn't get to before.
From changing risers, grips, bar bend, exhaust to suspensions, tracks, big bores etc. Every change was made for the better, even the grips. Stock ones were too small for me, with a bigger grip I could ride harder, for longer, and being comfortable is the name of the game on any motorized machine.
For those that cannot "feel" small changes, no need to worry, my boss who had ridden for 30+ years couldn't tell the difference between a 144 and a 162. Meanwhile I can feel a few clicks of the clickers on my shocks, the difference a few degrees in helix angle affects how it reacts, etc. If you're not at that level, not to worry, you either have not the experience, or focus more on the experience sledding gives you overall.
Some of it is a head game, and some of it really does work!
Burandt's sled won't fit me perfect, and won't allow me to ride to my potential. Likewise, my sled is not perfect for Chris, and it wouldn't let him ride to his potential either.
If an OEM stumbled apon a "perfect combo" for you, then GREAT! That's newsworthy for them, but they don't go out to create "the perfect sled" but only one that meets the needs of a vast array of the average person. If you ended up landing square in the middle of that bullseye, then all the power to ya. Such is not the case with others. Hence the reason we "alter" our sleds.
Much like my dirtbikes, I'm not going thru the whoops like Justin Brayton did in Phoenix this past weekend, but I'm gettig my suspension revalved all the same because the OEM, as good of a job they do, didn't get it right for me. Does this mean I can ride my bike to its potential? Nope, not at all, but the bike won't reach its potential being valved for a 155lbs person when I'm north of 200. Still doesn't mean I can blitz the whoops in a AMA Supercross. But it makes it easier to do the things I know I can do, and those things that I have yet to find the limits to do on a bike.
Now I'm no hero on a bike, and I can't really tell many differences like others can, some rebound here, some dampening there, if the change is substantial, then I'll notice it, if it's incremental, I have no idea something was changed. Put on any new tire on my bike and I'll never know the difference, front or rear. I'm just not that good yet(unless you swap me out a trails tire for single track - HUGE difference)
To re-iterate my previous point, if the joy of sledding overpowers your sense for the little things, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. However there are people such as myself, that do focus on the little things. And once you ride a stocker, and then ride our "stockers" you'll notice that no two machines are alike.
