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Hi my name is Bob I’m 19 years old and I love the look of custom choppers. I live in SoCal and see plenty of bikes around. I apologize in advance for sounding lame and I have no idea what I’m doing on this forum but I figured maybe somebody could help me out. I reaallyy want to get into bikes to learn some mechanical skills and to ride one.. seems like it would the best feeling ever, and hopefully get my own bike sooner or later. But I have zero knowledge about bikes/ where to look/ where to start. If anyone could give me some pointers on where to get started with buying/ building a motorcycle it would be much appreciated. Thanks!
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Damn son! OK...
I guess you need to start a list
1. Learn to ride (use yer helmet)
2. Drivers license
3. Purchase small displacement metric bike
4. Purchase basic hand tools
5. Register & insure
6. Ride and watch out for everyone who will try to kill you. So be smart.Comment
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Before you start caring about mechanical folk art, become a proficient motorcyclist!
Go metric and sample some modern tech before making any decision on customizing anything new or old.
READ, then read more, then even more.
If you can take an auto mechanics course at a local community college that pays off for life in many, many, many ways. It builds a base for you to work with. Other useful things to learn are welding and machine shop skills, and any of the above may get you a job so there's that.Comment
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All sagefull advice proffered gent, let the inner spirit guide you.
Buy a really inexpensive bike, then tear into it.Comment
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no impulse buys.Comment
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id start on a dirt bike. you can learn to ride with out so much worry about people killing you. get some cheap air cooled xr400.
its a good mechanical intro, monkey simple to work on.Comment
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get a bagger for your first bike, then ride 2 up and crash it into a telephone pole...tell everyone there was a branch in the road instead of admitting to target fixation.
Just kidding, but I used to work with this guy that did that. He always used to holler about how loud pipes saved lives and didn't even own a bike.
Don't be like him.
Also, A safety course will help you get your license and save on insurance. Do it.Comment
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I'm 58 and still doing the same things when I was 19: going to swap meets, bike shows, hanging out with builders and riders. Forums like this one and Chopper Underground have made a lot of information really accessible. Get a part-time job pushing a broom at a bike shop, absorb everything you can. Buy cheap bikes, modify them, sell them off for the next one. I have owned around 40 bikes in 45 years...Comment
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You "reaallyy want to get into bikes to learn some mechanical skills", and "have zero knowledge about bikes". As others here with extensive experience have said, lots to learn here.
For the absolute basics of what makes a motorcycle work, and how to work on them, this free on-line motorcycle repair course may be helpful: " Below is the Online Motorcycle Repair Course" (There are references to god and bible, but the info is good). "I will try to take you from knowing nothing about Motorcycle Repair to being able repair your own and others Motorcycles" http://www.dansmc.com/MC_repaircourse.htmLast edited by TriNortchopz; 12-24-2017, 10:34 AM.If buildin' old school choppers was easy, anyone could do it... ain't nobody said it's gonna be easy...Comment
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Another thing to keep in mind is that design, fabrication, and engineering skills are not motorcycle specific. You can get plenty of valuable knowledge and skill building steel (or even wood) furniture, working on custom autos, etc. I'm not much of a mechanic when it comes to engines & carbs, but I could probably build a decent frame from scratch (and did build front end) and do a scratch built wire harness, just based on general fabrication and electrical knowledge.Comment
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