Building a bike

This week I was talking to a close friend of mine about his most recent project – rebuilding a motorbike which has been sat in boxes in his garage for the past year. This got me thinking about each of the steps required and things to be considered.

Now if you are a true motorcycle enthusiast, then you probably spend a lot of time working on your ride. Whether it’s buying and installing cheap motorcycle parts or scouring the internet for OEM materials, the more you invest in your bike, the better it will be overall.

But what if you built your own bike from scratch? Instead of trying to swap out parts on an existing model, why not start with the motorcycle tires and work your way up? If that sounds like too much work, then you aren’t thinking creatively enough.

Here are five tips to help your bike build go smoothly.

Start With a Kit

Sure, it may not seem as glamorous or “authentic” as building a bike from scratch, but if it’s your first time, then a kit will help you learn the ins and outs. Most importantly, a kit will help make sure that the final result won’t kill you.

Learn Before You Start

If you’re still trying to figure out how to install aftermarket parts, then you may not be ready for a full project build. Before you take the plunge, be sure that you know everything you can about bikes, so you aren’t stuck in the first phase.

Pace Yourself

Building a bike will take time and effort. You won’t be able to get it done in a weekend. Plan out at least a few hours a week, and don’t get discouraged if it takes longer than you expect. This is a passion project, not a speed test.

Ask for Help

It may seem like admitting defeat to ask your buddies for help, but if you are stuck with a problem that you can’t fix, don’t let your pride get in the way of you finishing. Plus, there are tons of online forums and chat rooms you can use for that exact purpose.

Get it Checked Before You Ride

Once you do finally get it finished, you may be tempted to hop on and peel out of your garage. However, unless this is your tenth bike build, be sure to get it inspected by a mechanic, so you don’t have to worry about something breaking or exploding as soon as you start the throttle.

Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to start a project such as this building a bike from scratch however I think I’m a few years away yet! If you’re looking for a great website to source OEM parts from, I scoured the internet and found Bike Bandit which sells everything you could need from Kawasaki parts to motorcycle tyres.

Good luck with your next project!

By Nick

Nick is the founder of Life of Man with a passion for trying out the latest technology, eating out at the best local restaurants, trying the latest IPAs hitting the craft beer scene travelling the world. As a parent Nick loves to spend time with his family and write about days out as dad blogger.

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