This is a great result - and I do concur with most of the chosen bikes, but I have to admit that I agree with Jim in liking a good build-thread as well as a pretty bike. I am certainly biased toward bikes owned and built by people who have contributed a lot to this forum - and to helping others who are not as far along with their skills (yes, people like Jim and gggGary but also GLJ, Lakeview, Skull, David Toll, SuperJet, Boog, Marty, Mailman, ThatXS650Guy, 5Twins, TwoMany, grizld1, Raymondo, Mr. Bultaco and
so many others).
When I look at the bike on the calendar, I think of the guy who built it or resurrected it from a rusted piece of junk and all the hard work he/she put into accumulating parts and learning how to do things -
and doing them - to make the best bike he/she could with what was available. If it isn't perfect - who cares? Anybody can drop on into the Barber Museum to see perfect bikes - I want to see runners and riders, dents, leaks and all - on my calendar. Some of them WILL be beautiful restorations worthy of a museum, and others will not.
Seeing someone win a place on the calendar after having dropped-in, self-nominated their bike
(regardless of how pretty it is) and then dropped back out never to be heard from again - having posted a grand total of seven times is, in my view,
not cool.
Who is that guy - and who cares about him and his bike? What did he ever do for anyone on XS650.com? Heck - I can just go to the bookstore and buy
any calendar full of custom bikes - or just go on the web and google
"cool motorcycles" or
"cool Yamaha XS650s" - and make my own danged calendar. The story behind it would be the same as Mr.
Seven-posts-and-gone-guy and it would be just as compelling.
I have been thinking about this for several years and while I sure wouldn't want to come across as a grumpy old f@rt
(like THAT might ever be the case), I really do feel that the calendar should reflect the
people of this forum and their
motorcycles - and not just how much money was spent, how much skill was expended or anything else. If what appears has a few flaws - well, tough titty in my book. I want to see what people have built and what they ride and the story behind the bike.
....just sayin'....
...bring on the flames...
Pete