A pair of board trackers

as nice as those bikes look, it seems like the motor was almost an afterthought. stock tensioners, motor mounts, etc...

with all that fab work on the bikes themselves, ya think they woulda gone the extra mile and mounted the engines a little fancier.

Well somebody stepped up and bought the pair for five grand....

that's a good sign. it's nice to see someone paying good money for a custom bike. i still get people freaking out and saying "i could buy one just like that for 300 on craigslist..."

bairdco said:

that's a good sign. it's nice to see someone paying good money for a custom bike. i still get people freaking out and saying "i could buy one just like that for 300 on craigslist..."

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"Just like"? They may think so, but with good quality custom work there is no "just like". As a matter of fact, that's the whole point. With the first Tempus, I put almost a thousand into her to build her just the way I wanted. People would stare. People would compliment me. People would want one of their own. I would tell them what it cost me...instant turn off. What did they expect? You can't just go to Walmart and get a custom, one-off bike (yet).
There is no "just like" with this level of custom work. What you get for $300 on craigslist is usually not new. It is more often a well-worn, played-out, tired cast off that was assembled by the original owner. It will never be just like these bikes, or like your beautiful work, Bairdco. And when I'm done with the Higgins, there will certainly be nothing just like it either.

Nice patina work done to those two bikes.

i know what you mean, allen wrench. when ever someone tells me something like that (i've heard "my buddy has one just like it..." too) i feel like punching them right in the kisser.

some people just can't see the amount of thought, hardwork, creativity and blood that went into a bike...

Those were some sweet bikes, I'm glad to see they got $5K for those! The vintage helmets etc. in the auction were a nice added touch.

Those were very nicely done bikes! Obviously that wasn't their first rodeo building a bike or painting. I see what you mean about the motor mounts and chain adjusters. They went though the trouble of making an internal throttle and clutch but went totally off the shelf with the motor mounting.I didn't notice if they used rag joints or not.

If you can get a bike just like the ones built here at wally world show me which isle. Do they think these hand made gas tanks came from a yard sale or something? They must look like peanut tanks to people that haven't built a custom bike. On the other hand even I have a hard time digesting the money I have in my bikes.

yup, there's a picture of one with the rag joint.

i wanna add, though, they are really cool looking bikes. a lot of work went into those, obviously, and i don't mean to knock them at all. i guess i was kinda thinking out loud, about what i woulda done when it came to mounting the engines.

whats wrong with the way the motors are mounted? they reach the tubes. wow those were def the nicest motorized bikes i've ever seen. besides my own lol

The other day I was picking up a pair of tubes and a bottle of Slime from my LBS and I went out the door to find a guy staring at my bike.:

"You buy it like that or build it?" he says
"I built it, of course"
"My buddy has one kind of like it" he says
"Oh yeah? He use a 2-stroke or 4-stroke?"
"Ummm..I think it's a 1-stroke. The motor is much smaller"
"WTF..."

bairdco said:

i know what you mean, allen wrench. when ever someone tells me something like that (i've heard "my buddy has one just like it..." too) i feel like punching them right in the kisser.

some people just can't see the amount of thought, hardwork, creativity and blood that went into a bike...

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yup. I have been building for 4 years now and the same story- people saying they can get it cheaper on Craigslist or just do it themselves.. then within a month a get a call/email asking for help/advice on making their $100 craigslist bike work, and generally I politely tell them to call the person they bought it from.

Somewhere people lost track of the old adage "You get what you pay for"..

flybytaco said:

whats wrong with the way the motors are mounted? they reach the tubes. wow those were def the nicest motorized bikes i've ever seen. besides my own lol

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there's nothing wrong with the way the motors are mounted, i was just saying that with all the other modifications to the bikes, which was done with a lot of thought, care, and skill (including welding) i think the motors coulda been installed using more than just the factory mounts, chain tensioners and sprockets.

to me, it takes away from the well-worn, aged look they were going for.

but that's just my opinion.

if you used a motor mount wont that jack the already high motor even higher?

The_Aleman said:

..."Oh yeah? He use a 2-stroke or 4-stroke?"
"Ummm..I think it's a 1-stroke. The motor is much smaller"
"WTF..."

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A 1-stroke? Oh yeah, that's where the engine just goes "BANG" and dies, because some know-it-all B.S.er forgot to add the oil in the gas.

kojack said:

I confess to not keeping up on all the posts like I should, but I don't think anybody has brought these two bikes up yet. I don't know who they belong to but they look great.
Harley-Davidson : racer,antique,other - eBay (item 320662259744 end time Mar-03-11 10:39:14 PST)

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They might look great on first passing but it's pretty much smoke an mirrors imo...there isn't that much there that most in this group couldn't do for significantly less than what these are selling for. These bikes look better than mine but I only have about 750 each in mine but this pair is not 3500 better (imo) than my pair and they won't go any faster! Fiberglass tanks! I have nothing against fiberglass tanks (I think the ad says they are fiberglass) of course or tank covers but for that kind of money I would expect metal tanks. I mean they are going for more used than what some really good builders have done better ro just as good for less. The antiqued finish gives them eye appeal (until you tire of it), from an artsy/emotional status they do look good but 2500 each? IMO this is a case of eye appeal overriding logic...something ebay thrives on.
I do like the idea of a pedal starting rack...I might make one for my bikes. I Have those weak commercial rear stands but a robust stand for starting would make life easier, especially when the engines get cranky. The number on the front tire looks cool, again it is the look which is camoflaging the actual quality....now smoke and mirrors is great, but the idea of smoke and mirrors is that something looks good without having to be expensive. I am not degrading the bikes, just the price.
For those of you who don't think you can do these, you are wrong...get out there and get building. Don't overcomplicate it and skimp with a used bike or a cheap bike that you have to do a lot of extra work on....go with a new worksman as your basis and you will make a very nice tribute bike very, very fast and inexpensive. And you will turn heads with it with bright paint ( or antique it) and a little imagination. Of course if you want I will sell you two bikes for 2500 total which would give me the money to build 4 more.

Thanks for the compliments on our first build. All our work is custom and timely considered. If you think yours is better and some reason have a problem with what someone paid for them. I would like to see what your bike looks like. Thanks bros.

Awesome job - first bikes? I can't wait to see where you go with the next build.
Should get some pictures on this thread, so when the Ebay ad expires this will still make sense.