WHY? Do guys build something that you really cant ride ???

1fasgsxr

Over 1,000 Posts
I see SOOO many bikes built these days the have dirtbike tires for the street, or Firestones that handle like shit !!

WHY??? I want to ride and enjoy what I build or buy. A "Dirt Bike Bobber"....WTF
Each to their own i guess, but I just dont understand it. And some of it is just flat out ugly as hell too...

ok rant over.
 
Well I'm stating the obvious here, but many of these situations stem from the fact that some of these guys have never actually ridden the bike they are building, or maybe even a motorcycle at all. Then they get a project and search for potential. And of course they are drawn and inspired by popular "cafe, brat, etc" internet pictures. Then the part shopping begins, and before they know it a bad string of decisions have been made. Then its denial stage and if we are lucky the healing can begin. Here's one often cited "inspiration pic".
 

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I hear you on the firstones.


But I tear it up on the dual sports with "dirt bike tires".
To each their own.
 
I agree...but why does anyone want to build something to "look" at...its not something you wanna hang on your wall...
Well maybe something actually cool or worthy 8). I just do get it. If i spend thousands of dollars on something, it better damn well put a fucking smile on my face. (.)(.) ... and if they have never actually rode one, dont get me started.
 
I get crap for riding my Honda Shadow with Dunlop 404 tires. Everyone says they are junk tires. Well I dont ride hard enough to find out what the tire can't do. I hear what you all are saying about the Firestone tires but maybe the builder knows the limits and figures the performance limits of those tires match the rest of the bike, and they like the look. Riding smart means to know the limitations of yourself and the equipment. Dirt bike boobers... Well... We have a lot of old railroad beds converted to atv trails and if I turned a Dual Sport into a Brat or a Bobber than sure why not take the trails when I want to change the view. Im not going to do that on street tires. Thats the "Benifits" of having a DS. And there are alot of bikes built to just look at. Look at the $60k choppers sitting around in showrooms. Its more art than function. Much like what we see on the internet or even here. RELAX, nobody is asking you to ride any of these bikes you verbally abuse. Look and laugh if you want. But I garantee you have found and have copied ideas in the past that you have seen here or the internet. Hell most of us got our start on crappy mini bikes. Probably did 30+mph on old leaky minibikes with knobby farm tires. Im sure we all have stories. Quit crying. Bunch a babies. Ride. Just ride.
 
Minicafe...... I agree with you 100%. I have been riding for a lot of years too... and I have never had issues with anything that I have "customized"
I do know that 1fasgsxr is an Jackass. Obviously no sense of style. I'm sure he is riding his stock 1975 Honda and not changing with the times. He is probably the type of person who gets off on making others feel inferior to all his knowledge about what people want and need in a bike.
 
Brown bear you do not know me at all...jackass sure at times we all are. But for me it has always been function over form. I have been riding for give or take 35 yrs so I have seen and done plenty. I have more than one bike and nothin I have is in stock form. And for you to have only a few posts here and call me a jackass shows your intelligence.

I have more style in my dingle berries than you do in your entire body.
 
The people who argue let people do what they want "custom is never wrong", beauty is in the eye of the beholder etc. are always those with tiny post counts. Not the experienced guys giving advice on here. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but function comes down to experience, and mechanics. If you come on her with a pretty fender rubber, or ground dragging cb I'm never going to reply "looks good" "keep at it" "you go girl"
 
brownbear said:
I do know that 1fasgsxr is an Jackass. Obviously no sense of style. I'm sure he is riding his stock 1975 Honda and not changing with the times.

What does changing with the times have to do with modifying a machine to function and perform worse than it was designed to perform?

And what exactly is wrong with riding a stock Honda? They are brilliantly designed machines. Your insinuation that your idea of "style" trumps functionality is idiotic at best.
 
there are some builds that are unrideable, but they were built for looking at. Most here want to build to their tastes but still function as a rideable bike. When a persons build becomes a road hazard and will kill them then people need to pipe up and say something.....if the builder ignores it then its there tough luck and they become road grime.
Yeah, I'm building a street tracker CX (which most people don't like anyway) but Im making sure my geometry is where it needs to be so that I can ride the damn thing and not be a tank slapper at higher speeds. I like the look of a tracker, for those that don't, tough shit
 
An early cb750K is good looking bone stock bike......stock is nice
And I have a barn find CB that needs to be restored and will be to stock
 
Also my GPZ is a great little bike that I will never hack up, its too nice of a factory bike to molest, but there are plenty of others that I will just chop up to hell
 
Kamn the difference is that you have enough riding experience to know that even if you want a certain style there are things (like frame and steering geometry) which must be taken into account to ensure a well functioning and safe machine. Too many people out there who have never even ridden see these garbage art bikes on Pipeburn and think that it's acceptable because it has been published in some high gloss photos. We are simply trying to educate these types of people that you can get that look without sacrificing performance. Some of the modifications and supposed upgrades are really detrimental to performance and that the aesthetic itself shouldn't drive the build. I am all for having a bike that looks as well as it goes, but not if performance is sacrificed. In all instances there is a bit of a give and take, quid pro quo, etc. and I have no problem accepting that sometimes you choose aesthetics over functionality just because you can. But not on a bike that is meant to be ridden. There are so many guys out here building bikes that they've never ridden, thinking it's going to be their new daily, only to find that it is borderline unrideable even for short distances, end up selling it on eBay for 5x what they bought it for, and further exacerbate the entire problem.
 
coyote13 said:
Kamn the difference is that you have enough riding experience to know that even if you want a certain style there are things (like frame and steering geometry) which must be taken into account to ensure a well functioning and safe machine. Too many people out there who have never even ridden see these garbage art bikes on Pipeburn and think that it's acceptable because it has been published in some high gloss photos. We are simply trying to educate these types of people that you can get that look without sacrificing performance. Some of the modifications and supposed upgrades are really detrimental to performance and that the aesthetic itself shouldn't drive the build. I am all for having a bike that looks as well as it goes, but not if performance is sacrificed. In all instances there is a bit of a give and take, quid pro quo, etc. and I have no problem accepting that sometimes you choose aesthetics over functionality just because you can. But not on a bike that is meant to be ridden. There are so many guys out here building bikes that they've never ridden, thinking it's going to be their new daily, only to find that it is borderline unrideable even for short distances, end up selling it on eBay for 5x what they bought it for, and further exacerbate the entire problem.

I totally get that

This is where the experienced need to step in and say something and from what I see here, the folks on this forum do say something. The initial question is actually questing peoples wants and why they want it. This is no different than me asking my clients "why do you want a dog?" The answers that piss me off and cause a reaction to me are for example "I think dobermans look cool man! " OR "bull terriers are badass man" .........I want to punch them in the face. Like bikes, these people are not thinking beyond the end of their dicks and are acting on wants alone for whatever factors are driving them.

Im done

Cheers Dudes
 
You all misunderstand what I am saying... I am not saying that a bone stock bike is not a good looking bike... only that times and taste changes. I just don't understand why people like 1fasgsxr have to down other people's taste in bikes and what they deem "good looking". You don't have to say anything at all if you don't like something... but if you do see something that may be dangerous... yeah speak up. And what do my post numbers have to do with anything? If an elite bike builder just came to this site you wouldn't be criticizing them. MOST (not all) would be hanging all over them.

The point of all sites like this is information, innovation and the sense of friendship. Not to make people feel like crap by making stupid comments.
 
Here here, cheers to you sir. Nailed it.

BrownBear, I get what you're saying. But even a known builder would get torn apart on this site for building a bike that looks good standing still but doesn't function worth a damn. That's a fact. And part of the friendly camaraderie that you're pointing out is between the lines. The reason guys get on here and tell the newbies where they're going wrong with their buiulds is because we actually do care. We don't want to see anybody get hurt or killed because of a miscalculation or bad decision which could have been prevented by someone more experienced speaking up. I don't care how good it looks, if it's gonna get you killed I'm gonna say something, aesthetics and personally feelings be damned.
 
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