A few words.

Kanticoy

Kanticoy

Mad Science!
DTT BOTM WINNER
Okay, so this is a little bit of a rant, and forgive me if I step on anyone's toes.

I feel like I have been here forever, and through the years I have fallen in love with many of you and consider a lot of you some of my best friends in the world. I have met people that I would never have met without this site, and for that I am thankful. I have watched many of you bleed and sweat over your bikes and bring life into something that defied anything that I ever saw before jumping on the gray and black pages.

Lately though, and like a good friend said "it's could just be the winter blues", I feel like something around here feels a little funny. I think it all started with the Norvin as the BOTM. While being a beautiful bike, I feel like the honor to sit at the top of these pages should go to someone who has taken the time to share the struggle with their fellow builders on this site and shown what they went through to get there. Most of the BOTM winners have been guys that have gotten on here with something that they saved from the rust heap and spent their very minute spare change on to turn into something that they could only dream of having were it not for their love and the willingness to build something with their hands. I'm not saying that manxnorvin didn't do that, but it is a little disheartening to me that a person with only 3 posts won the honor to sit up there for a month. It wasn't a contributor here, and he didn't even accept the nomination on the nomination page.

I am well aware that it is a beautiful bike, there is no denying that. I am also aware that this site has grown exponentially due to the affiliation with CRTV and it is attracting a lot of attention because of it. I suppose that my real...and I don't even want to say complaint...but maybe "sadness" is that the sense of community to me feels a little vanished in comparison to years past. I have hugged a lot of you guys' necks and opened my house up to a lot of you, I love many of you to death. Maybe it is just a sense of nostalgia that makes me hate some forms of evolution, i.e. what happens with growth.

I want to say that this is not targeted at anyone in particular, because I know that the guys that make this place tick bust their ASS to make it what it is. Thanks to all of you who admin and moderate to make it what it is, we all owe you a HUGE thanks, and a lot of times I know it is a thankless task. I just know that there are a lot of people here that would give their left leg to help another person out just because they want to promote the sport. Originally I would have thought that it was unrealistic to think that a lot of guys surfing the web together could become a family or a club or whatever label you choose to put on it, but I promise you, it did that and more.

To all of you out there that have made me feel like I was a part of something great, I thank you. You all know who you are. To those of you that I haven't had the pleasure to become close to like that, I look forward to making many more friends the same way. I just really want this place to stay that way, and something just feels a little disconnected compared to what it used to. Again, this could just me being...well...bummed.

Really this post is just me getting some thoughts off of my chest and speaking my mind about observations. I appreciate all of you, and I just want to see this place thrive as the exception, and not fall into the boring and tired routine that is "the rule". It has always been a little bit outcast, but because of that, it has been great. Here's to many more years of that same way of life.

Thanks guys.
 
I think it's pretty awesome you took the time to write this, man. I understand your thoughts and agree, even tho I don't have the same depth as you do. I find that I get myself in to really cool niches of culture and when they blow up I constantly lament their new found popularity. Music, Movies, Artist... whenever I find something awesome that not too many people know about, I cling to them as my own and this site was no different. I remember when CRTV was first being advertised my fiance was so excited for me and when she looked over to see my reaction she was really confused as to why I was irritated. Although I watched every episode, I knew that it would blow this site up and bring forth a bunch of people who I felt weren't "worthy". Now that's completely fucked up to think in that exclusionary way and I'm sure there are going to be some amazing people and builds as a result of this popularity but that's my immediate emotionally immature reaction.

I guess the one thing we can do is appreciate all the awesome information and times we get as a result of the length of time you have been apart of this community and know that, as with all things, there will be an adjustment period and a new sense of normal to look forward to.

Keep rockin' hard, dude. You have some really amazing wheels under you. Keep your head up and know you aren't alone.
 
I completely agree.. I feel the same way, but didn't want to step on any ones toes.

I agree, maybe it is winter, or just feeling blah around the holidays, but I feel ya buddy..

I haven't been around much due to working full-time again, but the bit I have been here has just felt different. I can't explain how or why.. maybe because the site is getting bigger with more traffic? I can't answer that.

I too am a nostalgic kinda Guy, and I think about the old (a year or two ago) days a lot.

hopefully we will all get out of our funk once the sun shines and we are all out on 2 wheels again
 
"I knew that it would blow this site up and bring forth a bunch of people who I felt weren't "worthy". Now that's completely fucked up to think in that exclusionary way and I'm sure there are going to be some amazing people and builds as a result of this popularity but that's my immediate emotionally immature reaction."

I get that way too..its totally wrong, but I do.
 
I never really gave a rat's ass about BOTM hence my non-participation. Just an ego stroke if you ask me.
 
Thanks guys. Glad I'm not alone. I feel a lot like you guys do more often than not.

And J, I don't really give a rat's ass about it either. That is just a good visible example of the overall mentality that I sense around here sometimes, ya know? I mean, a lot of people here care a lot about other people on the site. In years past, I would have sent any random spare part across the globe to help another member out, because I could look on their build thread and see that they were working their hardest to get their project going, and if I could help them reach that goal, nothing else mattered. These days though, I wouldn't do that. I don't see enough of the input and comraderie that used to reside here to make me comfortable doing things like that. Used to, it didn't matter who you were, you were a DTTer and that was enough, I can't really say that anymore. Now it is just an image thing. Used to the bikes got voted because we saw them being created. These days the bikes get voted because a million other people that we don't know thought they looked like something awesome that we saw in a mag. Used to, people always lent a hand when they could to anyone here that was within reach, now, it just seems like people grasping for acceptance into a seemingly infantile fad. It isn't about that. I stuck around because I love the blue collar guy who makes his happiness by turning a wrench. I just hate to see the paradigm shift from love to trend. I'm just ornery about it I guess.

I really appreciate you guys posting back. There are still real folk in the fold, and that is what it's all about.
 
Kiley, I had only been on this site a couple of weeks and you opened your home to me. I am still grateful of that. I have met or at least spoken on the phone to several other member of this board since then. This is an amazing group of people. I don't bring much to the table as far as contributing due to my lack of motorcycle knowledge, however I am good with engines in general and have some fab background. So maybe there is hope for me yet. Thank you all for all of your help.
 
i would agree with ya bud... alot of it has to do with poeple popping on here for one or two posts and then vanishing...
the true builders stick around and we learn form eachother bud
 
I haven't been on DTT long enough to be considered part of the old guard, nor have I really met anyone from the site in person. However, I agree totally on the BOTM thing. In the December BOTM voting thread someone asked why votes were cast for one bike over another. This was my response:

As for some of the previous comments about budgets etc...

I probably wouldn't vote for a bike that the owner hired a professional to build. However, I wouldn't withhold a vote from a bike just because the builder has access to a budget, tools, or skills that I don't. Some guys are good with a welder, others have access to CNC equipment to use for their own projects. I haven't touched a welder in close to 15 years and while my employer has every piece of CNC equipment you'd need to build a motorcycle from scratch...I can't use it for my own projects. That's no reason to withhold a vote from someone who could CNC a triple clamp at work during their lunch break.

One rule I do hold out for myself is that a bike must have a build thread here on DTT to get my vote. New members are great and very much needed to keep a forum alive, but I won't vote for someone who shows up and says, "Hi, I'm new...and here's my finished bike". I mean no disrespect to those who fit that category, but we are here to learn from each other and from our builds. For my DTT BOTM vote, I need to see the build on DTT even if it's actually posted after the fact. I want to see the details of the build and not just the finished product.
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Kiley - I think we need another DTT get together, minus the Deilverance twins, to reinvigorate your faith in DTT and the family we've become :)

Yeah, there are a lot of new members, but they've been coming fast and furious for a while. The TV show added a few hundred members over and above what were joining on a regular basis anyhow, but growth is inevitable.

Imagine how I feel when I realize it's been 3 years and 11 months since the site was launched. Originally put online as a means to organize local rides in Toronto, the subsequent membership expansion has introduced me to some incredible people who I otherwise wouldn't have met, or have spent time with in Alabama!

Yes, thousands of new members joined in 2010 - more than doubling our membership in fact, but well beyond that are the 25,000 other unnamed unregistered visitors we get every month.

These readers find us through one Google search or another and value from the site, becoming enlightened by bikes like Gretta, which ooze nothing but style and substance and represent the best of what DTT is all about - uncompromising and relentless pursuit of personal expression on 2 wheels.

So don't loose heart -all your friends are still here, and I have no doubt we're going to get to know a few more incredible people as we continue to grow.


All of that being said, I'm more than open to some suggestions on tightening up the participatory rules for BOTM, to include bikes that have a documented history with DTT.

There are plenty of other opportunities on the site for people to post up pics of bikes they like from all over the world, but perhaps our banner should be reserved for bikes that have been with us for a while and have both provided inspiration and been inspired by our members.
 
I find that the site lacks honesty these days... "I'll stroke you, if you stroke me" I have been here for a couple yrs now. And have always tried to be honest in my opinion to my self and others. But I dont believe that that's what people are looking for when they post anymore. Everybody seems to be looking for a pat on the back. This site has become a place where people argue over opinion. Bring no facts or useful tech to the table. And when there is a useful post, it just gets buried by Which bars?, where to buy clubmans? seat hoop or no seat hoop? A place where we have "engineers" telling people it requires no engineering to modify and improve over stock.

Lame
 
Tim said:
There are plenty of other opportunities on the site for people to post up pics of bikes they like from all over the world, but perhaps our banner should be reserved for bikes that have been with us for a while and have both provided inspiration and been inspired by our members.
Click to expand...

That would be great!
 
I know exactly what you mean Kiley, and I feel bad now as I did promote the bike for BOTM. I realize now (in retrospect) that I loved that bike for the bike itself, and not the fact that it it was a bike built from the sweat of a member. I did check and see that it seemed to have been built by the owner and not some shop. I guess the allure of the bike is that it is my fantasy bike. Something that I have accepted that I will never own, but will always desire. I like for BOTM to represent a member’s hard work to forge out what he/she desired and build something that is theirs and theirs only. I think you know that! I know the site has grown, and it has its down side to some of us that have been here a while; however it also bring some good things to the table. I still will go the extra mile for my fellow DTT'ers that I know would do the same for me. I still feel the brotherhood that was here in the past, you just have to look through a bunch of other stuff too! Don't let the little things get you man. I am not happy that our little (once subculture) is going main stream, but let’s just hope that it never goes chopper status! I have decided regardless of how big the fad becomes, or what it’s like in the aftermath of the fad, I will still build what makes me happy and ride it like it was a 50 million dollar prize!
 
Maybe it's the optimistic side of me speaking, but I say come one come all. Because the knowledge pool can only get bigger. There will be people that think that what is going on around here is easy. They will be proven wrong and disappear. There will be people that show up and say" look at the cafe racer I bought" and they will get their oohs and aahs. And then they will leave.

Then there are those that will sleep, eat, and breathe motorcycles and the thrill of 2 wheels. The guys that chime in with "man, I've been in your shoes before and it sucks. But here's how to fix it". Those are the folks that will be here for a long time. We are stronger than a fad.
 
Awesome...

Does this mean the site gets to develop a rift between newer members and those "I was a member before _______" people?

I get wanting BOTM to go to someone who actually contributes to the site as opposed to someone just dropping some pics in the "Show and Shine" section and moving on to the next forum to shamelessly promote themself to. I do. But if the site seems like it's moving in the wrong direction, it's because members are allowing it to. If ManxNorvin never accepted the nomination, it's likely because he/she just posted the pics because they were proud of their build (rightfully so), and they shouldn't have been eligible. He/she may never be back to find out that they were nominated, let alone won.

I joined just before the whole "Cafe Racer TV" thing while trying to find answers on my 360. It pains me to say it, but the show isn't that good. If it wasn't the only thing on TV that featured old bikes and builders, I wouldn't watch it. It's not going to draw in throngs of posers, because the show just isn't very cool. And if it does, just imagine some of the deals that are going to come out on CL when those idiots realize they'd rather spend their time playing on their iPads than sourcing parts, adjusting point gap and timing, cleaning carbs, polishing, etc.

I prefer to spend my time learning from, and getting to know our active members, but maybe that's because I wasn't here for the "old days" of one or two years ago.

I went on a ride with new member XSonicXCB160 last weekend and am proud to say I've made a new friend. It's pretty easy to tell who is interested and enthusiastic, and who wants to look cool.
 
These are my fears too, I haven't been a member but a little over a year I think? You all welcomed me with open arms. I have had some great conversation with a lot of you and a lot of the founding members of this great site!
I think the 1st thread I read start to finish was Troys tranformation cafe to bobber build. At that point I knew I found "home" and immediately orderd 6 DTT patches.

I have sought help from bros like JRK when my life fell apart last summer and asked him to spread the word in chicago about my hotrod for sale and he was there for me. I've had "mindless silly pass the time" conversations with a lot of you too! And I've spend hours on end reading through the build threads. I've loved everything about this site from day one!

The DTT crew is a tight knit bunch,we will tough this out
This, as all other fads, will pass and the posers and wanna be's will die off and the true blue garage grease monkeys of this DTT family will stick together and continue doing what we do.

Sean
 
Well guys, I am sorry as Moderator of the BOTM board, I let you down. I will make sure from this point forward that all of the bikes put in the voting thread meets all of the rules criteria.

Also, if tim agrees, then maybe we will start a thread on what kind of rules we feel may need to be put in place to ensure BOTM highlights what we as a democracy feels is suiting?

How does that sound? please give us imput!
 
I've only been here since April, but I plan to stick around whether you palookas like me or not. :)
 
I enjoy this site. So many of the "ton up" sites seem to be composed of "tough guys" who's only contributions seem to be to tell anyone outside their select little circle who dares to post "thanks for the post !#@**^#@ now !##@@&^**# off and don't come back. Fortunately this site seems to be composed of motorcyclists as opposed to "bad ass bikers".

As for the BOTM I thought it was for the bikes of people here. I'll admit to not seeing the Norvin but I'm going to go have a look right now. I can only hope this site doesn't deteriorate to the level of the some of the other ton up forums.
 
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