AndrewDoesHair
Been Around the Block
Hi. Total n00b here, I admittedly have had cafe racers brought to my attention by the recent bandwagon excursion. A quick two seconds about myself, and how I got the bike bug, if you don't mind.
I started out as a punk kid who didn't want to do his school work. Ended up working on my '57 Chevy all day instead. The little bit of school that I did enjoy was drafting, mechanical engineering, etc.
After dropping out of high school, I realized that hair cutters could make a living without a high school diploma, so I ended up on a path to do just that.
And then a few years later, I started working with wood, and making guitars from scratch. I don't know why, it just seemed fun...
The guitars have given me a lot of experience with finishes, both nitrocellulose and polyurethane/polyacrylic. I've wet sanded and buffed until the wee hours of the night. I can't wait to get a tank and helmet into my paint booth.
Through woodworking I learned some principles that have really stuck with me. Buy the best, and cry once. A $10 saw that goes dull after one project will cost 10 times as much as a $50 saw of the same type that goes dull after 50 projects. Then I found this to be true for clothing; $50 jeans that last a year cost twice as much as $100 jeans that last 4 years... So with a mind that craves mechanics, design, and is always seeking a balance of art and function, coupled with the mindset to seek the highest quality in all purchases, I fell in love with cafe racers, and the entire culture, after being introduced to it by a friend who has been collecting (building, modifying, selling, trading, obsessing over) bikes for 40+ years... The idea that he still wears a leather jacket that he bought 40 years ago just makes me crazy- THAT is quality. And as I've been looking at Schott, Lewis, and other leathers, I am smitten by the goals of these companies- quality, durability, tradition, etc.
I haven't gotten a bike yet, but the search is on. I hope to find something stock, and to learn as much as I can from this friend, as he has promised to help me fabricate parts, and work on, replace, or rebuild anything that needs it. Here's a pic of me being a dork in his workshop
And here is one of the gems that is buried in his barn.
So I have to admit, it's intimidating to get into a new hobby like this. I hope not to offend anyone with my n00bishness. I'll try to search everything I can before I ask questions. Thanks, everyone!
I started out as a punk kid who didn't want to do his school work. Ended up working on my '57 Chevy all day instead. The little bit of school that I did enjoy was drafting, mechanical engineering, etc.
After dropping out of high school, I realized that hair cutters could make a living without a high school diploma, so I ended up on a path to do just that.
And then a few years later, I started working with wood, and making guitars from scratch. I don't know why, it just seemed fun...
The guitars have given me a lot of experience with finishes, both nitrocellulose and polyurethane/polyacrylic. I've wet sanded and buffed until the wee hours of the night. I can't wait to get a tank and helmet into my paint booth.
Through woodworking I learned some principles that have really stuck with me. Buy the best, and cry once. A $10 saw that goes dull after one project will cost 10 times as much as a $50 saw of the same type that goes dull after 50 projects. Then I found this to be true for clothing; $50 jeans that last a year cost twice as much as $100 jeans that last 4 years... So with a mind that craves mechanics, design, and is always seeking a balance of art and function, coupled with the mindset to seek the highest quality in all purchases, I fell in love with cafe racers, and the entire culture, after being introduced to it by a friend who has been collecting (building, modifying, selling, trading, obsessing over) bikes for 40+ years... The idea that he still wears a leather jacket that he bought 40 years ago just makes me crazy- THAT is quality. And as I've been looking at Schott, Lewis, and other leathers, I am smitten by the goals of these companies- quality, durability, tradition, etc.
I haven't gotten a bike yet, but the search is on. I hope to find something stock, and to learn as much as I can from this friend, as he has promised to help me fabricate parts, and work on, replace, or rebuild anything that needs it. Here's a pic of me being a dork in his workshop
And here is one of the gems that is buried in his barn.
So I have to admit, it's intimidating to get into a new hobby like this. I hope not to offend anyone with my n00bishness. I'll try to search everything I can before I ask questions. Thanks, everyone!
