Tag: motorcycle regrets

Once I had my vision in mind, I couldn’t wait to start tearing things apart. The very first thing I did? I yanked off the fenders, tank, seat, and wiring. It felt like momentum. I wanted to see that raw skeleton of a bike sitting in my garage. I wanted progress. But hindsight’s 20/20, and I now know I skipped a few key steps.

Here’s what I should’ve done:

• Photograph everything before disassembly. I thought I’d remember where wires ran or how brackets mounted. I didn’t.

• Label parts and bolts in separate baggies. I ended up reordering hardware I already had because I couldn’t find it.

• Mock up your plan first. I should have test-fitted my tank, bars, and seat before pulling everything apart. That would’ve saved time and let me visualize how things worked together.

It is important to note though, that so many of the biggest lessons learned from this build, happened during the build, and couldnt been forseen until the physical evidence was in front of me. Things like switching from rabbit ears to springer bars (due to the weight and width of my specific springer), wishing I had gotten a higher raked neck for more of a Frisco stance, rocking a skinnier springer (so I could thow on my rabbit ear bars without worrying about flopping all over the place on my gravel roads), and getting higher mids (a nod to my love and adoraation for Japaense style chops!).

Still, I don’t regret diving in headfirst. The key lesson was this: momentum matters more than perfection. If you wait to have every answer, you’ll never start. But also—slow down enough to make smart moves that save you time later.

Would I do it the same way again? Probably not. But I’m glad I started. That moment where the garage floor was covered in parts? That’s when the build really began.

Sources: Chop Cult Forum, TC Bros YouTube Channel, Cycle Source Tech Tips