[Fate]

No need to read the article. The argument itself is what's bullshit. Seems anyone who's turned a wrench on a bike thinks this is the hot topic to talk about if you want to hang with the cool kids.

If it were the narration to a video there'd be nothing but Chuck Taylors, handlebar mustaches and people randomly grinding shit out of focus. That's cool now right?

Two of my three bikes are both all completely 'bolt on' modified because other people did it better and made stuff I liked and allowed me to 'put together' a unique ride. Just because you can afford to buy parts from others doesn't mean the bike will turn out nice. You can bolt a bunch of stuff on and still in end up with an ugly pile of shit. There still needs to be some vision and creative element for sure.

Somehow the phrase got twisted into shaming the little guy who can't afford to build or simply doesn't have the skills. Last I checked nobody seemed to give a fuck before that article was written.


...and I'm spent. Fuckin hipsters...

Thanks for making my point.

 

[Danbuc]

Clearly you have misinterpreted the meaning of my posts lol.


Here's a quote from the article...

"By making this the mantra of the day, we alienate two critical groups of people. The first is the builders, and the second is their would-be patrons. The problem with “built not bought” lies in the implied shame of anything “bought.” If I bought my bike instead of building it myself, it’s somehow less, no matter how unique or remarkable it happens to be. Somehow that motorcycle is not valid or “legit” unless I turned every nut and bolt with my own two hands. In that light, “built not bought” is a much deeper, much uglier sentiment than say “stock bikes suck.” Of course, this also has its caveats. The new Indian Scout comes to mind."


Built not Bought is a term to be used in the first person. Plain and Simple. It is a saying for those who wish to express their pride for what they themselves have built. This is the originally intended purpose of the saying. It was never meant as a derogatory comment towards the less skilled, or more affluent. If someone is offended by it then they should get off their ass and build some shit and stop being a bitch.

It is this fact which the author of the article misses that is the problem. It's not like the lot of us walk around bike meets going up to random people who purchased custom built bikes or have a few bolt on piece and yell, "Built not bought mother fucker!" in there face and then spit on their bike and walk off. I'm pretty sure that has never fucking happened.....ever.

So writing an article about a problem that doesn't actually exist just to make people feel better about the bikes you build to drum up business is a bogus sham. A week economy and general lack of interest is what's hurting the industry. Not shame.:nuts:

 

[MikeGyver]

"Built not bought mother fucker!" in there face

Although that would be hilarious to watch.

I agree with you that the Built not Bought saying is a first person statement that people who are proud of their own creation should be able to say without somebody getting butthurt. If you don't like the saying then you need to look within.

 

[shinyribs]

I took the article to be a backlash against the elitism which puts people down for buying a bike , I'm cool with people buying stuff. if I had the cash I'd go out and buy a fully built 1968 SS Camaro in flat black with a big motor and all the trimmings, and wouldn't feel one iota of shame over bought not built

Get a '67. Vent windows are sexy..

 

[Candyman]

Its a moto I've been living by building bikes for the past decade, to be honest I never even heard it used before it popped into my head years ago and its been my sig ever since. I had no idea it had turned into what some would call a "poser phrase". Anybody wants to give me flack about it, they can see my work and judge for themselves. Meanwhile, I'll keep finding happiness building what I want because I enjoy creating, more than simply obtaining.

 

[Koreanbaz]

Its a very difficult scene to have a one off bike that somebody doesn't copy if its a good idea.

My current Zeds not dead build is using part from different bikes but in a way that it looks like it was bought that way, its not radical, its thought inducing. But it was copied off other similar bikes, but hopefully done better than those before.

 

[Tony Nitrous]

I'd rather have a Bandit 1200 with a loud can and Renthals like a 1000 others than some super trick original idea'd bike that won shows and turned heads but didn't work well due to its poor design.

What killed Streetfighters glory days for me was the "must be original" train of thought.
Folk turned up their noses at anything that was popular or common.

Instead of tough useable bikes that really had some fight in them,
we ended up with shows and magazines with gay show ponys that couldn't fight their
way out of a paper bag.

To me a bike has to be good at something, if your modding it, it needs to be better at something.
The drags, wheelies, cornering, top speed, stunting, anything.
Sat outside a coffee shop looking pretty doesnt count. That's just an ornament.

I don't mind built or bought, but it needs to work well
Rather have a boring stock bike than get my arse kicked riding a modded one that doesn't cut it.

 

[RatFighter]

^^Good point.




No offense to the runners up behind WBRW when it was in the FOTM a few times, but seriously, I was second to bikes that looked like they had never seen a mile of asphalt on 1 wheel, and in front of bikes that looked rather pieced together. Mine was not only utilitarian in every way but it was as original as it gets being that not only the swinger was one that you never see on a 900RR (1st gen frame), but it also had a multitude of things done to it that made it powerful, reliable, and overall clean. It was about getting a job done, but it seemed due to a stock tail, the entire build was looked at as unfinished. :nuts:

Same happened with Zed too. Seems people vote for the pretty one rather than the bike I would call a true streetfighter... but we don't define that around here although FOTM makes it pretty damn clear that the factory appearing creations are the "right way" to do things and bikes you could actually hot lap a track with are just half arsed shit compared. The road dildo transformation is complete I guess. Even stating built not bought brings up a crucial debate around here now.

 

[DrJellyFingers]

Seems people vote for the pretty one rather than the bike I would call a true streetfighter... Even stating built not bought brings up a crucial debate around here now.

So what exactly is a streetfighter?

 

[Guest]

So what exactly is a streetfighter?

Depends on if you are thinking of the original meaning from when the phrase was coined in BSH way back or if you mean what its become ?

 

[DrJellyFingers]

Depends on if you are thinking of the original meaning from when the phrase was coined in BSH way back or if you mean what its become ?

I was being facetious

 

[eatabullet]

Depends on if you are thinking of the original meaning from when the phrase was coined in BSH way back or if you mean what its become ?

 

[eatabullet]

on the built not bought topic, having not been able to work on a bike for almost two years, I'd rather pay someone at this point.

 

[CK 187]

I like turning wrenches

 

[Fate]

I like riding.

 

[Racing Geek]

I like turning wrenches if I already have something to ride. If I have to turn wrenches to make my only bike/car usable again then it drives me nuts and I'll gladly pay someone to get it done faster/better than I could.

 

[CK 187]

I like riding.

You do???????????????

 

[Fate]

Just a little.

 

[RatFighter]

So what exactly is a streetfighter?

Exactly my point though, it's as subjective as this "built not bought" topic. Meaning to me, as facetious as your question is, it brings up the fact that there is no end to the debate about built, bought, fighter, naked, etc....






See, the big thing about the topic of this thread digs way deeper than motorcycles for me, it digs into the very core of the man that creates with his hands and mind. Hand made furniture, home reloaded ammo, remodeling a room in your house, doing your own oil changes, removing precarious tree limbs that pose a danger. I hate to say it but men (and women) that do those things tend to have a greater level of character and mental stamina than someone that goes to Ikea for a desk chair or the guy that hits the yellow pages the moment the sink begins draining slowly. Saying "built not bought is bullshit" is a pretty broad, all encompassing phrase.


I opened this thread expecting some cafe hipster bashing, a round of applause as we all agree we enjoy what we do in our garages, shops, apartments, living rooms, etc.. I didn't realize it was going to turn into a debate about who does what and what value it has to the culture as a whole. Hence why I posted the shit about FOTM, to be clear on how subjective this topic truly is and that it is indeed just as much of a can of worms as the age old "what is a street fighter".



I totally expected to see this posted here after seeing it elsewhere here. I guess this thread is just a passive aggressive verbal brawl instead of a healthy topic of discussion.

 

[CK 187]

FIRESTONE BALLOON TIRES ARE GORGEOUS, NOT STUPID

:fu: