All of you custom builders have probably run into this.
You have a project, for example, designing a seat or a fuel tank, maybe engine mounts, and you sit back and 'engineer' on the task and eventually you find that you've come up with more than one way to do the job. Each method will work, will look as good and perform as you want it to but............which one do you choose and what do you base your decision on?
Do you consider cost? Amount of labor necessary? Maybe what material you already have laying around that you can use? Do you consider what happens if the idea you go for doesn't pan out and the other plans need something that you might have cut off and discarded already? (that's sort of where I'm at right now)
I'm currently in the design phase for the seat on my newest chopper build. I know I want it as low as I can get it and it will curve up over the rear wheel and I have most of the materials I'll need but I have at least four different ideas for a seat frame and how it will mount to the bike. One of my ideas will incorporate springs from an old Schwinn saddle. If I go that route I'll have to cut the seat tube off almost flush with the seat stays which will negate going back to one of my other ideas unless I weld it back together.
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Maybe I spend way too much time 'engineering' and should just go with my first impulse.
How do you face these situations?
Tom
You have a project, for example, designing a seat or a fuel tank, maybe engine mounts, and you sit back and 'engineer' on the task and eventually you find that you've come up with more than one way to do the job. Each method will work, will look as good and perform as you want it to but............which one do you choose and what do you base your decision on?
Do you consider cost? Amount of labor necessary? Maybe what material you already have laying around that you can use? Do you consider what happens if the idea you go for doesn't pan out and the other plans need something that you might have cut off and discarded already? (that's sort of where I'm at right now)
I'm currently in the design phase for the seat on my newest chopper build. I know I want it as low as I can get it and it will curve up over the rear wheel and I have most of the materials I'll need but I have at least four different ideas for a seat frame and how it will mount to the bike. One of my ideas will incorporate springs from an old Schwinn saddle. If I go that route I'll have to cut the seat tube off almost flush with the seat stays which will negate going back to one of my other ideas unless I weld it back together.
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Maybe I spend way too much time 'engineering' and should just go with my first impulse.
How do you face these situations?
Tom
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