The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly... Wait, just the ugly.

[72XS2]

Finally, "the same old Sporty peanut tank/TC Bros weld-on hardtail combo" is not a bad idea, what do you think ? I prefer that someone reproduce something that looks good than trying to be original like that.

 

[jayel]

I wasn't worried. I was being facetious about my looks. On top of everything else, I'm damn good looking. :

you forgot modest

I like that some people feel it's necessary to try to justify where the bike ended up. This isn't kindergarten in a progressive state. We don't all get a gold star. Some people are capable, some people are not. That's life.

the ones I like are the half built/no title/pile of parts "should be easy to get ones" if it will be so damn easy why don't they do it?

 

[Teebs]

I am totally modest, that's true.

the ones I like are the half built/no title/pile of parts "should be easy to get ones" if it will be so damn easy why don't they do it?

I'm in one of those great states that just need a bill of sale for older bikes, so I really do love those sales... as long as the dude selling it doesn't expect to get what he paid for it.

An XS1100 for $200 because it needs a top end job? Hell yeah!

I saw an XS1100 on CL last year for $200 that had a 4" stretch to the drive shaft with struts to make it rigid, a battered old tank from a Husqvarna dirt bike, and the battery bungied to the backbone between the tank and trees... beautiful.

72, I prefer that people do both. I can't understand the mentality behind putting together a bike that looks like everyone else's.

 

[twinsarehot]

Wow, talk about custom; there is even a compartment under the seat for your dirty dishes/tupperware.

 

[matt81xs]

trust me im not taking this personally...youd know if i was...i have no problem saying the thing looks like shit, im just saying that the guy tried something, it failed horribly...so i say to the guy, eh nice try but it sucks....
the people that come on here and complain about everyone always doing the same tc bros and sporty tank. I simply suggest if they want to complain about it do something better, different, unique

 

[gggGary]

Hey I brought this home yesterday (really I did)

what kind of gas tank should I use? Whaddayah think??

 

[matt81xs]

i think thats cool, its clearly a project...a clean platform ( well sorta )to build something cool....goodluck with your build

 

[inxs]

- nice platform for a full resto, gary

 

[cruza]

hey teebs, id like that parked in my garage,someone gone to the bother of taking all the shit off brilliant

 

[Teebs]

the people that come on here and complain about everyone always doing the same tc bros and sporty tank. I simply suggest if they want to complain about it do something better, different, unique

Your complaining about the people who are complaining is different how, exactly? I am simply suggesting that people should try doing something original instead of doing exactly what everyone else is doing. If you're going to build a bike that looks just like everyone else's be prepared for a certain amount of criticism. Hell, if you're going to do anything be prepared for criticism. That too, is life.

Gary, definitely go with the Sporty peanut tank, it totally works. I have two other completely stripped down XS650s besides the one I'm working on now. I would have grabbed that up too, Gary. I bet you didn't pay $800 for it.

Cruza, you go ahead and pay $800 for that. Let me know how it turns out.

 

[matt81xs]

teebs im not complaining about it, im just saying and it seems you are as well that people should do something creative and unique and as you said not the same old thing, sporty and tc....i just find it annoying that people complain about other people doing the same old thing and never do anything creative themselves......

 

[Teebs]

Well, I am behind you on the part about people talking and not doing. The complaining doesn't annoy me in the slightest. If a person with no understanding of a thing complains about how that thing is done, why would their opinion matter in the slightest?

On the other hand, if someone is doing the "same old thing", by that very phrasing it isn't creative. Assembling parts that someone else made, into a configuration that lots of other people have already done, is hardly creative. It is duplication, assembling, building; not fabrication or creation.

I've seen guys on the chop forums talk about "seeing the flow" of their chops when they are taking an XS650 and putting a prefabbed hardtail and Sporty tank on it. Of course they see the fucking flow; so has everybody else, since it's been done a billion times already.

THIS is a creative, custom build: Dirka's Build Log

All that being said, if you take one of these old bikes and bring it back to life, and make it something you like, then you should feel good about your accomplishment. That doesn't mean anyone else will. It also means that if you put it out there for people to see, it's going to get all kinds of criticism.

In the candy-assed world we currently live in, concepts such as tough love, hard truth, constructive criticism or even unkind words are too much for the average guy to take. Apparently we are all supposed to pat each other on the ass and give man-hugs and tell each other how awesome we are, no matter how stupid, talentless, unskilled, or uninformed the person in question may be. Screw that... what are you gonna do, cry about it? (This is a general statement and not directed at you, Matt)

In the case of this particular "chop", I wouldn't have started this thread if the seller hadn't advertised it the way he did. Lots of people with no skill, ability, talent, or follow-through hack old bikes up every day. But describing that bike as custom is beyond ridiculous. It made me laugh. Still does.

 

[gggGary]

Lots of people with no skill, ability, talent, or follow-through hack old bikes up every day. But describing that bike as custom is beyond ridiculous. It made me laugh. Still does.

You mean like a bazillion harleys on craigslist that are "custom" because the dealer
Bolted some chrome crap on, in place of the black crap the bike came with?

 

[Travis]

I guess people have different ideas about the definition of custom. To me, anything that has been modified from the original form is custom to some extent. I guess you're not going to label a bike as a custom just becuase you changed the turn signals, but you can't argue that it hasn't been customized. How much does a bike need to be modified in order to call it a "custom"?

Also, isn't anything that's had the frame cut or chopped considered a chopper? Can you really have a custom chopper? Isn't anything that's been cut up (chopped) also customized?

 

[matt81xs]

i guess you and i wont end up coming to a conclusion to this...are views are different and def. of custom is diff.....were just different builders which is fine.... travis thanks for your input and i agree with you

 

[NoValidTitle]

I think two words here get tossed around and mixed up. Creative and custom. The bike linked by Teebs at the start of the thread IS a custom bike, but not very creative. I feel that any hard tailed XS should be considered a custom, but not all are creative. Custom also isn't synonymous with unique. My flat black hard tailed XS I'm working on has been done 1000 times over, it's not exactly creative or unique, but it's sure as shit a custom bike.

 

[royfisk]

ok children now; There all custom some just custom crap. What I think of as custom and beleive what teebs thinks is custom is actually hand built works of ones imagination. But that describes the hand built bike in question, not our fault it is one of a mans imagination on bad drugs. A good custom will not be seen on EVERY STREET CORNER. If it is then it to me is not a custom its a copycat.

 

[cruza]

Your complaining about the people who are complaining is different how, exactly? I am simply suggesting that people should try doing something original instead of doing exactly what everyone else is doing. If you're going to build a bike that looks just like everyone else's be prepared for a certain amount of criticism. Hell, if you're going to do anything be prepared for criticism. That too, is life.

Gary, definitely go with the Sporty peanut tank, it totally works. I have two other completely stripped down XS650s besides the one I'm working on now. I would have grabbed that up too, Gary. I bet you didn't pay $800 for it.

Cruza, you go ahead and pay $800 for that. Let me know how it turns out.

bloody bargain long as the mechanicals are good.theres a rolling frame for sale around here with papers, no motor,$1100.
8 hundy no matter how fugly, bargain