Biker Truth!

[Tinman13]

We moved this weekend and I was looking at all the parts I had boxed up for one reason or another then tonight I saw this posted on another site. Got a pretty good chuckle out of it and thought you folks might too:

UNCLE MONKEY RESEARCHING THE CODE OF THE WEST-- Bikers are a peculiar bunch. We take perfectly good, complete running motorcycles and replace half the parts. Imagine buying a new car and replacing the steering wheel, seats, instruments, sheet metal, paint, wheels and motor before we even leave the showroom floor. We like our bikes to reflect ourselves, our personalities, our beliefs. That means factory drag bars are swapped out for ape hangers. If it had apes we will want drag bars and so it goes.

Fat tire kits, different bars, tanks, and sheet metal. Sometime we even delve into the heart of the beast with big bore kits, heads, even flywheels and gear sets. It is all in the pursuit of making the bike our own, making it faster, making it unique, just like everyone else.

There usually is nothing wrong with these parts. We carefully wrap each part to prevent scratches, to prevent damage. They find their ways into milk crates and under workbenches. Machine after machine, part after part. Sometimes we forget what we have and buy new again. Sure I got apes.

We hit the swap meets looking for deals only to find the right part in a box of junk. We know what it is worth and pray that the guy behind the table doesn't. $5 for the whole box and out the door we go with our prize -- the part and a box of useless parts to be mentally cataloged with the rest of our stuff.

I rarely throw parts out. They are relegated to milk crates and toolboxes. I've made tach mounts out of signal light arms, rebuilt a Speedo out of four different ones spanning 50 years of motorcycles. Even the badly mangled gas tank from a softail waits under the bench 'cause I never know when I'll need a good petcock bung.

My friend Bandit has been fortunate enough to be in this industry long enough to have collected parts from near and far. We all have to a certain extent. It is not until we start shuffling through that Rolodex of our minds, out of boredom, out of restlessness that we realize that we have a complete bike, or mostly a complete bike stashed away in the rafters waiting for us. Often they are a collection of parts for an odd ball or out of the norm bike, a peashooter frame, an Indian dirt bike motor. Those of us lucky enough know we can rely on our friends and their parts drawers for the rest.

-bad Uncle Monkey

[chopper]

Welcome back Brother. Long time no see.

[Tinman13]

Originally Posted by chopper

Welcome back Brother. Long time no see.

The state thought I needed some continued education at one of their finest facilities (at their expense). I thought about it and decided it would be in my best interest to comply. I took the advanced class, got my law degree and graduated early. I did this to help one of my brothers. He flunked out the last time and would have had to take an extremely long course.

Believe me, it's good to be back.

Tinman
aka 2400747

[mes]

sounds like we took the same classes. welcome back

[WaBiker]

Welcome Back Tinman..!