The Genesis

I never owned a bike, and the last time I road one was some 25 years ago in high school. But every once in awhile I wondered what it would be like to have one. Obviously it never progressed past that until now.

If I ever did get one, I didn't want it to be a generic metric bike or even a Harley. Harleys are just as corporate and mainstream as any other bike manufacturer. To me, bikes are an extension of the rider's personality. You're more directly connected to the machine than say an automobile, and you're exposed to the elements with the whole world to see you. I wanted a bike unique to me and my tastes. You can't get that from a mass producer.

Fast forward to a few months ago when I got hooked on the TV show Sons of Anarchy. As with motorcycles, I knew little of the motorcycle club culture and was intrigued with what the program portrayed: a tight knit group of men living free of societal norms. I don't believe in pure lawlessness, drug trafficking and killing. Nonetheless, the idea of breaking free from how we are supposed to live as directed by outside influences is something that always appealed to me.

So I began researching motorcycles and eventually came across this:

Holy sh*t. Now THIS is a bike for me. The hardtail bobber. Simple, unique, hand crafted and minimalistic by definition.

After another month of researching, I decided to go all in: a complete top to bottom custom hardtail bobber built by me (unless I reach a point where professional help is needed). As mentioned at the top of this blog, I don't know a thing about bikes or engines. But I'm gonna learn on the fly.