Member "Surffly" posted the following, and got me thinking this should have it's own thread...
surffly said:Wanted to post about time frames on projects. While I know that some of my larger “builds” have taken many more years then I thought they would ever take, and some never got finished, I am always amazed to see what other people are able to accomplish in a set time frame. I am baffled and envious of threads that I see constant and steady work being done. Seems like in just a few weeks the owner is done and off enjoying their new bike. Have even watched people do this with bikes that I owned at one point. I always wonder what the magic ingredient is. Do these people have more money? Less friends? An amazing inner drive? Better tools?
For me personally I enjoy to putz around in the shop on a big project. Often in the time it takes me to finish one major project a million others enter and leave the shop. Have assumed that the added distraction of the additional projects elongates the major one. This might be true, it probably is.
I have never been a person to put a deadline on my stuff. When I started the Seeley I was talking to a number of friends and decided to actually shoot for the Mid Ohio event as a target to get the bike “done”. Being honest with myself I didn’t see it as overly realistic, nor did I really care to push to reach the goal. While someone could do this, I don’t think I can. That is not to say the bike will never be finished, but rather that it would not be complete in a few short months. I am juggling travel with a new job, and the rest of life.
That all being said I did view the Seeley in a different way. This is the first time I am starting a project in a location that I am settled. The rest where done while going back to school, changing jobs and just having my whole life in flux. I also overly complicate things by adding new projects on top of others and constantly distracting myself. This time was a chance to be different. First was that I didn’t have anything else to distract me. Actually I struggled to even find shop space to use. The assumption was that I would turn a new leaf and finally be one of those guys that just cranks though a project.
But alas I am not. This is not an admission of defeat, a cry for help or any of that junk. Just a simple observation along my Hipsteresk quest to play with vintage performance motorcycles. I go though times where I spend hours wrenching, working and making headway, then weeks with zero movement. It just kind of is what it is. No complaints at all.
This introspective came after a long few weeks of personal issues. My soon (well at some point) father in law had a stroke. While he is no where near out of the woods yet, he is stable. Him and I work in a very similar way. We both enjoy the time spent just doing stuff. We built a Lionel train set, fixed the deck and would go spend time shooting trap or target shooting. All of these things I gladly did rather then wrench on a broken motorcycle. It just reaffirmed my belief that all of this stuff should be above all fun.
Weather has broken and I brought my CB1100F up to Albany to be my daily mount. Had thought about selling it, but couldn’t give it away for what ever reason. So she stays and will get some use. I do have plans this week to get into the garage and hack away at the Seeley. Had some time quick last week to ease my fears of a twisted frame and what not. With some simple levels I feel that everything is inline with what it needs to be. Will get more detailed next time.
It is fun looking back a few months to when I thought I could just find a solid running bike an swap everything over a weekend….lol
I do want to also thank everyone that has PMed me with offers to help make or source parts. I have had some stupid questions, needed help with simple stuff and just not understood other things. Personally I love to just learn and such. Have gotten to talk to other owners and even Colin! At the end of the day I am having a blast and that’s the important bit.