Build or Ride? Which Do You Enjoy More?

2door

2door

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I enjoy riding the bikes I build but in all honesty I have to say that the build is more fun, for me. I like the engineering and design stages, the seeing my plans come to completion and realizing my dreams when the engine fires the first time and I ride my newest build and have it perform as I expected it to. Nevertheless, the build is more enjoyable, for me.

For some, I understand, that the build is a necessary evil and they would much rather be riding their creations.

What about you? Build or ride?

Tom
 
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It would have to be 50/50 for me. Although I haven't done much of either for a while. I did get my old boardtracker frame out that I started a couple of years ago. I think I'm about ready to start on it again....
 
in my line of work,building stuff is an everyday thing,whether its a bear trap,a footbridge
a latch or a prop rod or stand,i enjoy it.i spent very little time putting my bike together.
I do deeply enjoy riding it,and think about building another.i would like nothing more than to fill my garage with bikes and do custom building.
unfortunately i have grass to cut,cars to fix(my home business,side job)and my own vehicles to keep up with including a 76 firebird and a 27 studebaker to restore.

i almost forgot - i have fish to catch too.
and Tom,after seeing your work,i dont think i could ever achieve the level you are at.
 
For me it's all about the Ride Ride Ride Ride. I do enjoy the building but I do the building so I can do the Ride

.wee.
 
I am about 40/60 build/ride. I love building and fixing, but enjoy the ride a little more. Once I learn to weld, though... If I can get to the point of making my own frames, I have no doubt that I will be building more than riding! zpt
 
while I enjoy the challenge of the build,,,
it is ALL about the ride(s) :)
 

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I would have to say 60/40. I truly enjoy the build and the opportunity to design what I vision; have it come to life is rewarding. I just don't have enough time in the day to do it.

The ride is always good and the weather allows me to ride year round I just fear the day when I get pulled over and it ends the good times...
 
I enjoy riding but personally I live for the build. I find the challenge is in the build & design stages. I build and design most the bikes we produce at work, yet I test ride very few of them. With my home builds I test ride them all (100-150 miles) before they go off to their new homes. I always want to make sure they are safe, reliable and durable. If they hurt themselves on one of my rides, and they have, I want it to be from their stupidity not my oversite. Just my 2CW, Rick.
 
Every time I ride my bike I get like all jazzed and stuff. I love riding it. The problem I have is when I park it I feel compelled to change and or customize something. I'm a retired carpenter so getting all the tools and materials together on a fixed income is not a real fast thing. I'm going for the "old school bobber look on my latest bike. I just had to try going for the upsweep pipe look without a tubing bender. Peter Fonda would approve of the look but now I need a new pipe or cut weld grind and chrome the mess I made. I'm going with 40 for the build because of the expence and frustration and 60 for the ride. I just need to learn to leave well enough alone but I don't want to.
 
A fast ride against other builds is another plus gained from a successful build. That (fast ride) we call a race......and anything can and will happen. Build well. Ride with reckless abandon!

brnot .wee.
 
I love building and riding about the same. I have an obsession with making my bike better, faster, cooler looking, ect. I love to innovate. And I love how you forget about life when you ride, it's all about the moment. It's the best drug in the world. When my bike isn't running well, all I can think about is how I'm going to fix it and make it faster.
 
Ride. I've almost completely lost the motivation to work on things. My old Corolla has been sitting in my garage for over 5 years. I have a freshly rebuilt low-compression engine for it and a fresh twin-cam head but I can't seem to get the motivation up to put it all together. I'd rather just go enjoy the day riding.
 
When I started out with this motorbicycle craziness it was to ride. At the time I was pretty well crippled up withe Guillane Barre Syndrome (much like polio) and had trouble walking. A former runner and swimmer, I missed feeling the wind in my face. I tried riding a bike to see if I could balance... yes, but no power in my legs. Then I remembered the ads I used to read over and over as a kid for a motor you could put on your bicycle. So I started with an old bikebug friction drive... the went to a China girl and now four strokes.

In the beginning I didn't know what I was doing, so the building part was interesting, but often frustrating. When I got better at building I enjoyed it more and now I'm at a point where I don't need to build another bike as I have a couple of nice ones, but so much enjoy the planning, staring and actual building that I find myself wanting to build another one, different from anything before so that I learn more and have new challenges.

Riding under motor power was a rush, even if a slow rush with that first one. If anything the pleasure is greater now as the bikes run smoother with more power, better wheels,brakes and suspension. One thing that tips the scales toward building over riding is that most of the time I ride alone. Riding with a buddy is a lot of fun, but doesn't happen often. However, building is not solo with this forum to share experiences, ask questions and post photos and news of success.
SB
 
Well, when I first delved into this hobby I just wanted something to pull my old arse up the hills. lol It was all about riding but it wasn't long after that first build I knew I'd be building more. Seeing the look on my brothers face when he saw my first bike I knew he was gonna have to have one :D... and then there are my two sons 19 & 27 both wanted one. It's been almost a year since that first build... there are now six in my garage and there always seems to be one more in mind before i finish the one i'm working on LOL...
I have to agree with you Tom the building is a lotta fun. Seeing each one come together, trying things out on each that may or may not work, the whole design process... I truly enjoy it. I have to say that I probly would have never done it if not for this site. It gave me the confidence I needed to feel like if I got stuck on some part of the build I could get it figured out with the help of the fine people here. Still thou, I'm probly 50/50 as they are both a kind of therapy for me. After losing my wife to a long battle with cancer Nov 2010, I was a mess & wasn't sure I even wanted to go on... I feel like this hobby helped pull me out of a downward spiral. It brought my sons and I closer to each other as they hepled in the designs on most builds, as well as enjoying the rides we have all gone on together... it's been a wonderful thing for us all.

Can't thank all you guys that make this such a great place enough...

Peace & ride/design safe guys
 
This hobby is a lot of joy, sometimes a lot of work.
For me it is wonderful to create something and it works as it should.
Therefore, 50% of my trips are tests. And 99% of my free time is tinkering and fiddling. That keeps me fit in my head. Ask my wife: "You are doing nothing all day!" But she has her own motorized bicycle and she is proud of it when we have our yearly German forum meeting.

Multipaul
 
Hey Tom. I agree with ToolJunkie, your bikes are great. The Easy Rider bike would make Peter Fonda proud, but I like the Norton too. One question, I noticed you use Whizzer-type headlights which I assume are pulling an amp or more of current, but I don't see a battery pack or generator. How are you lighting up those puppies? Also, do you do your own painting?
 
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