I learn a lot from putting this magazine together each month. Sometimes about life, sometimes about publishing, but mostly I've learned a lot about what it really takes to build a motorcycle. I'm no mechanic; I'm a professional writer and a photographer first (with room to learn) and an amateur wrench slinger at best (with lots to learn). Every time I travel to a builder's shop, work on my build, or refer to a manual, I learn something new. What amazes me is how knowledgeable fabricators, builders, and mechanics truly are-especially the old guys.
It takes incredible insight to create a new design on an old theme, invent a way to do something better, or more efficiently-yet somehow customizers find a way. A person must understand the way a bike, brake reservoir, or piston works so well that they can look at the way it currently works and see the flaws. Not to say that the original design wasn't hindered by funding, or the technology didn't exist, but sometimes the only reason a bad design will dominate the market is because it had better marketing behind it. For instance, the '80s Beta cassettes were a superior product but everybody I knew had a VHS player, which actually proves that there's probably room for improvement regarding many parts on the market.
Every rider has had to make a phone call to get some information, usually it's to their local shop and their favorite mechanic. How many times have you had to call your mechanic buddy at the cycle shop to answer a question about your own bike? Or inquired about the proper tool, and then ended up borrowing it because it's not one of the tools you already own, and you'd have to order it from a catalog and it's going to be expensive and you'll have to wait a few weeks for it to come in and you want to ride the bike tomorrow.
Bike builders, fabricators, and mechanics on TV and in the magazines make their jobs look easy, but there's a good reason for it. These people have years of experience and hands-on knowledge of every part they touch. In some cases, they can even tell you how a part originated or what it evolved from. If motorcycle builders are getting a lot of attention lately, it's because they deserve it. So much work goes into building a truly custom bike, but people don't realize it until they try it themselves.
So next time you're at a show and see a builder's bike or a manufacturer's product that really catches your eye, let him/her know you appreciate the time and effort they spent on that bike or part.