- Sat Nov 01, 2014 1:44 pm
#4341
There are various degrees of involvement we may have with motorbikes. The most extreme being the total rebuild, where a bike is acquired, completely stripped down to the last nut and bolt, then meticulously reassembled with any suspect parts replaced. This is not for the inexperienced. Firstly, you need to possess an awful lot of mechanical know- how, and be able to fabricate no -longer available parts from a slab of steel. A comprehensively equipped workshop is a must have. You'll also need to be completely devoted to the project, not just keen, devoted. Oh, yes, and be absolutely organised and methodical. If any of these elements are absent you will end up with a shed/garage/spare bedroom full of motorcycle bric-a-brac.
Specials builders are an interesting bunch. These ingenious folk will typically put a Triumph engine into a Norton frame in a bid to create the perfect bike. Or perhaps try marrying a Triumph to a BSA if there's a shortage of Norton rolling chassis, thus creating a Tribsa. I wonder what happens to the left over frames and engines? I don't recall ever having seen an Umphton, even though it sounds like it should have plenty of grunt.
It's all a bit like crossbreeding dogs really. Mate two great marks of motorcycle and hope to get a two-wheeled lurcher.
Next rung down the ladder we have customisation. This involves trying to give the bike a personality transplant by replacing such parts as wheels, suspension units, handlebars etc. and bolting on any number of accessories. Crash bars, panniers,windscreen ,sat nav, to name just a few. Follow this up with a snazzy paint job, and you're well on the way to owning a customised bike. So long as you have reasonable mechanical skills and access to a socket set and loads of cash, success should be assured.
Moving to mid field we now have those who enjoy riding
and maintaining their bikes, those who want to keep their bikes in good shape so they will start easily, be economical to operate and pass the MOT each year. I don't really know what to call these chaps, except to say that they are closely related to what could be called the fettlers, who do all of the above, as well as to make innumerable minute improvements to their machines, taking them a step closer to perfection.
On now to the tinkerers. These lads tend to check plug gaps and front fork oil level on a random basis, just to satisfy a whom, even though they serviced the bike last week and everything was working perfectly when they last rode it. A harmless bunch, and each to their own.
After the tinkerers we find the meddlers. A sorry class who will never learn the lesson "if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it." These guys will strip a perfectly good, possibly complex engine without the foggiest idea of how they will ever get it back together again, just because they read about someone doing it in a magazine. I was afflicted by this condition many years ago when just a lad, but can thankfully say I am now cured, to the point of being reluctant to get the spanners out without being sure I can put everything back together again.
At the end of the day, I reckon there's room for all of us to enjoy our bikes any way we want to.
Happy Enfielding.
Specials builders are an interesting bunch. These ingenious folk will typically put a Triumph engine into a Norton frame in a bid to create the perfect bike. Or perhaps try marrying a Triumph to a BSA if there's a shortage of Norton rolling chassis, thus creating a Tribsa. I wonder what happens to the left over frames and engines? I don't recall ever having seen an Umphton, even though it sounds like it should have plenty of grunt.
It's all a bit like crossbreeding dogs really. Mate two great marks of motorcycle and hope to get a two-wheeled lurcher.
Next rung down the ladder we have customisation. This involves trying to give the bike a personality transplant by replacing such parts as wheels, suspension units, handlebars etc. and bolting on any number of accessories. Crash bars, panniers,windscreen ,sat nav, to name just a few. Follow this up with a snazzy paint job, and you're well on the way to owning a customised bike. So long as you have reasonable mechanical skills and access to a socket set and loads of cash, success should be assured.
Moving to mid field we now have those who enjoy riding
and maintaining their bikes, those who want to keep their bikes in good shape so they will start easily, be economical to operate and pass the MOT each year. I don't really know what to call these chaps, except to say that they are closely related to what could be called the fettlers, who do all of the above, as well as to make innumerable minute improvements to their machines, taking them a step closer to perfection.
On now to the tinkerers. These lads tend to check plug gaps and front fork oil level on a random basis, just to satisfy a whom, even though they serviced the bike last week and everything was working perfectly when they last rode it. A harmless bunch, and each to their own.
After the tinkerers we find the meddlers. A sorry class who will never learn the lesson "if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it." These guys will strip a perfectly good, possibly complex engine without the foggiest idea of how they will ever get it back together again, just because they read about someone doing it in a magazine. I was afflicted by this condition many years ago when just a lad, but can thankfully say I am now cured, to the point of being reluctant to get the spanners out without being sure I can put everything back together again.
At the end of the day, I reckon there's room for all of us to enjoy our bikes any way we want to.
Happy Enfielding.
