[Geeto67]

Ok so first my thoughts on build threads......

Why the fuck does anybody do these? seriously? It's a lot of work.

I have to be honest, if anyone creates one of these thinking it is going to "inspire" them to work on their project or keep the flame lit....let's just get that out of the way right now: It won't. Like many less than pleasurable motorcycle tasks it becomes it's own chore. It's a pain in the ass to take pictures, it is a pain in the ass to sit down and do a write up, and most important it's kind of distracting to be thinking about how you are going to write something up while you are working on something so that you get the right pictures.

Truth is for me I like to write. My current employment situation precludes me from taking money for my writing so I don't write for motorcycle magazines anymore. I liked updating this thread because it exercised that muscle and gave me an outlet for that burning desire I had to write that didn't involve telling noobs how unrealistic they were being in their expectations. It also allowed me to work through my own frustrations, a kind of therapy if you will so that now everything I touch that goes south is met with a shoulder shrug and a meh, where as before I would occasionally throw a wrench against the wall. That being said if I am to do a new thread like this I would manage it a little differently. Less frequent updates with more progress and more tech questions.

I am not trying to discourage anybody from starting a build thread, just manage their expectations a little better:

- A build thread, no matter how much encouragement is posted in it, will not be a substitute for motivation. The only thing that will motivate you is progress on the project and achieving your goals. It will also help if you have a local real life community like I have with vinmoto that can come over and give you fresh perspective from time to time.

- These type of threads function best for two things: as a place to ask very specific technical questions and a way to draw people interested in your type of bike on a multi-make forum to you so they can act as a resource.

- If you don't like to write, or don't like to take pictures don't start one. It requires both, and more importantly it requires you to be entertaining with your words but informative with your pictures. build threads that are all hipster-gram photos with single sentence write ups get treated savagely and with good reason - they are not delivering to your audience. Don't show your audience how cool you are, give them what they want and will keep them interested and everyone will be happy.

I think that's it for now. Discuss. next up.. tools, maybe? I dunno might delve into the "flip" and money aspect. Stay tuned.

 

[grandpaul]

...and PLEASE don't take 14 photos from the SAME SIDE of the bike, but at slightly different angles and distances. Take photos of BOTH sides.

 

[jaguar]

I actually like build threads. They are fun to see how others handle issues. For me personally I use them as a record of what I have done, also every now and again I read them to see what I might have missed. As for motivation everyone is different. Some times having some web buddies reading along can be enough to get back to the project. As for this project I very much enjoyed reading it. Hope that some will see it for what it is. To me it showed very raw how much "life" can get in the way. These "5 week" build off TV shows are just lies. I think that some might really be interested in the money aspect of the project. Labor is labor and almost none of us here pay a shop, so that is a wash. But the parts do add up, stuff nickel and dimes you. There can also be a breakdown between "needs" and "wants". You NEEDED tires, but you WANTED Avons. Did that want cost you extra? Was that worth it? Another aspect that you can explore post sale is how this bike compared to a stock "restoration". While it did have aftermarket parts on it, and a specific look.....this wasn't something that most people would call a "build". It would be neat to talk more about how a few small changes can really impact the bike.

 

[grandpaul]

I've been doing these online build photo/narratives for over 16 years, it's just the way I've always done it since I started my first online forum

Check the date on this post (forum had already been up for a little while)
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[steveo]

I've made a few ham fisted attempts at build threads, and usually keep the text down to one or two lines.
Mainly because I struggle to string a sentence together.
Got to say it's nice to get a bit of encouragement when you've put a 10 hour day in the shed.

 

[DohcBikes]

There are not many active build threads here because of the environment. My fabricated affect and intrusion here has been in an effort to highlight what goes on here and what will be tolerated. Nearly anything. Build threads should have an option for the o.p. to moderate their own thread.

 

[DohcBikes]

Furthermore, i have a build thread in which ive shown nearly zero real work and it has 10 thousands views because i continue to fabricate drama which highlights the type of posters and even viewers you get here. If some of the members here would stfu in build threads it'd be a much more quality site.

Ive always been a proponent of o.p. moderation in a project thread. Guaranteed to keep people on topic and respectful if they want anyone to see their opinion.

 

[Fk5]

You only think it's hard work because you are not doing it right. You are supposed to post your ultimate plan and scheme, take a few shots of the bike with the tank and seat off and then cut the rear hoop. See you again under a different user name. If I'm not mistaken you didn't even have any pictures against a brick wall or with a wooden block under the kickstand. WTF?

I've never done a real build thread because I don't really do "builds" I am more of a remove and replace guy. I do way more work on the cars, but I posted what I would like/plan for my Lightning. I only plan to make one real change a year. Other than the dream of getting rid of the big aluminum rear sub-frame most of the things I want to do are simple. Paint and a 3/4 fairing. I think the motivation comes from within. Once you've posted your plans and dreams, you don't want to have your balls busted for delays and failure to make progress. The only time I've had anything resembling a build thread, it was basically an online journal of repairs and mods. Even if nobody else was interested, it was useful just to see when I made a change or even the date and mileage I last swapped the plugs or changed the oil. That way I know that even though I just did the wheel bearings they actually had 54K miles or how long the welds on those sub-frame connectors lasted.

The patina thread is awesome because it actually showed real life cost and time frames. Too many times experienced guys act like everything goes so smoothly and they never make a mistake. This unfortunately encourages people like me get out the sawzall and the mig and call ourselves builders.

 

[Geeto67]

There are not many active build threads here because of the environment. My fabricated affect and intrusion here has been in an effort to highlight what goes on here and what will be tolerated. Nearly anything. Build threads should have an option for the o.p. to moderate their own thread.

Bullshit.

You are not some social justice sheriff trying to bring law and order to the internet by holding a mirror to it. The internet is the portrait of Dorian Gray, holding a mirror to it will only cause it to become more grotesque as it tries to one up it's own reflection. If you are... then you are literally a simpleton because you fail to grasp the basic concepts behind human behavior and why nobody will ever "win"or "lose" any argument on the internet. Yes I used simpleton, and yes I mean it in the victorian sense which was more than just someone who was gullible.

Furthermore, i have a build thread in which ive shown nearly zero real work and it has 10 thousands views because i continue to fabricate drama which highlights the type of posters and even viewers you get here. If some of the members here would stfu in build threads it'd be a much more quality site.

Ive always been a proponent of o.p. moderation in a project thread. Guaranteed to keep people on topic and respectful if they want anyone to see their opinion.

Because that is what you foster. It is the value you put in and the value you get back. Look even my thread went off the rails at times but it always came back around because it had the content to promote it.

Value in, value out. Garbage in, Garbage out. It is the universal truth of any forum, not just this one. Sure you can trim it a little in either direction through moderation, but honestly as more forums monetize, more are going to drift toward the absentee landlord model we have here and this is the way it's gonna be.

You aren't doing anything other than creating chaos. you aren't "teaching" anybody, you aren't "illustrating", nobody is going to see what you have written and suddenly have a revelation. All the regulars here already know what this place is like and has no delusions about it, and to be honest kind of enjoy it. It's the internet, not real life. get over it.

 

[DohcBikes]

You win.

 

[Geeto67]

You win.

I wish.

 

[pwalo]

the scarf isn't as ghey as the disney ending.

Wicked conclusion to the build thread and it's nice to put a face to a mind, if you get me.

Interested as to what the next build will be in the tbc...

 

[pwalo]

The reasoning behind the build thread post by Geeto should be made as a sticky in the build threads. It is bang on the money.

 

[Geeto67]

ok, so let's get this discussion kicked off....here are the projects I have in the hopper from least likely to most likely:

- 1976 KH500. So I bought this bike by loading it into the trunk of my GTO after it had been sitting outside of a shack of some broken down alky's place. It had been a bracket racer with hardtail struts and a goodyear slick on the back (drag not road race so more like a car slick). I got it running, made a few passes with it at westhampton before it closed, and then one day while fucking around with it in front of my house in queens the slick "let go" and bent one of the struts. I took it apart to fix the damage and began painting it the ugly combination of army green and anthricite before it just sat and sat and sat on my work table. The positives: It has TNT chambers, Raask rearsets, 36mm tomaselli clipons, a home made braced swingarm, and a home made dual disc conversion (and conversion plates for zx6 calipers). I also have a stock tank that I had a zx7R filler cap welded into for that cool race look. I don't have a lot of sentimental attachment to it so I am happy to sell it at the end, which is good, and the price of triples has been increasing. The bad...well it needs almost everything. not that there is much to "everything" but still...it probably won't be cheap.

- 1969 cb750 K0 "American Street Racer". This is kind of a halo project for me as it involves me collecting some very specific period parts for a long time (20 years) to build the ultimate K0 hot rod. It is meant to do three things: 1) prove that a high level custom could be built without cutting one thing off the frame, 2) that a "performance" street/race bike could be built that doesn't fit the "mold" of the english cafe racer, 3) piss off the K0 purists. I finally got all the parts I needed when a sandcast restorer jag and I knew sold me a titled frame after he parted out an original die-cast 1969 bike. I already had the K0 engine with full 811cc yoshimura road race setup from parting out "the beast" an old long island street racer. I have all the parts I want to build it like polished GL1000 front end, lester wheels, tracy tank, fiberglass replica stock fenders, car style 4-2 drag pipes, raask rear sets, Corbin Gentry lo-profile seat, RC swingarm. Del-orto sidedraft carbs, aluminum vintage motor cross bars, ARD magneto, and black bomber tail light and preston petty number plate headlight. The concept is to build a late 1970's style american street racer - a bike that was part chopper, part racer, that could do the drags or a road course and just look the part. The goal is to make everything smaller and lighter so that Sock-4 looks huge and yet not cut up a 1969 diecast that could be restored (the engine I have was with several hundred numbers of the original engine that was in this bike). Pros- I have 90% of the parts I need and would only need a few new service items like tires and cables and such. However I want this to be the "cleanest" bike I have ever put together so it is possible I would spend a fortune on paint and cosmetics, most of which I would have to outsource. Also I have a feeling that once completed I wouldn't want to sell it. This bike came about through a hangover discussion between me and JT nesbitt where he ended up sketching it's origins on a piece of paper over tacos at Rachel's in brooklyn.

- Goldstein's H1. Ex AMA and AHRMA race bike. I now have all the pieces but again this one will be expensive and I am not sure whether I would keep it a strict race bike or retire it to a street bike. I haven't the skill or funds to race it myself so if it did go back on track it would have to be under one of my racing friends (hey Ken). Have no intention to sell as it was a halo bike for me to acquire.

- 1971 norton commando. Ex race bike. It's basically a hacked 1971 frame, a completely disassembled 850 engine, and some spares not being used by dad's dunstall 810. It's as disassembled as a norton can get and missing a lot. have no attachment to it.

- 1978 "dunstall" cb750F. This is a bike I got from a friend who is now deceased. It's a hot rod of mostly unknown origin, but has clearly spend most of it's life as a street urchin. has dunstall tank and a few dunstall kit engine parts. Tank de-laminated in 2011 and ruined the carbs, has been siting since then. I got into a lot of trouble with this bike and have many fond memories. needs probably the least amount of work but I def would not be able to sell it at the end. I have an interceptor/boomerang comstar wheel swap I pieced together for it that just needs to be installed.

so vote your favorite, pics to come as soon as photobucket stops being updated.

 

[pwalo]

K0 all the way.

It's the one you want to do too and it shows in your descriptive.

You don't have to sell it once it's done.

If it were me I'd build the stinkwheel but it isn't. Make a good job of pissing off the purists!!

 

[drgonzo]

K0 asr

 

[Geeto67]

K0 all the way.

It's the one you want to do too and it shows in your descriptive.

You don't have to sell it once it's done.

If it were me I'd build the stinkwheel but it isn't. Make a good job of pissing off the purists!!

It's certainly the bike I have put the most thought into. But I have had the most time to put into it.

My circumstances right now kind of dictate that the next bike get sold, kid is growing up and I need to be thinning the herd. The Wife is kind of over the "bike" thing and hates that we have so much unusable surplus. The deal I have struck is I need to get down to single digit numbers, but I get to fix them up if I want to use them.

 

[pwalo]

Stinkwheel it is then..... like you said it won't be cheap but I reckon between what you've got and what can be done there is room to make a buck or two.

That and you don't mind selling it at the end.

 

[CAPTAIN AWESOME]

Sell some of the projects off as projects and those can fund the ones you really want to put money into. No sense doing another build like this one only to have to sell it.

 

[Geeto67]

Sell some of the projects off as projects and those can fund the ones you really want to put money into. No sense doing another build like this one only to have to sell it.

I should, esp the triple stuff. But I feel horribly guilty about having ruined some of those projects since many of them came to me as running bikes.