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Message started by IslandRoad on 05/16/18 at 00:31:35

Title: Form Vs Function
Post by IslandRoad on 05/16/18 at 00:31:35

Hey guys, so bare with me, I'm still recovering from my little accident with the lawnmower the other day: day two, with more time on my hands than I know what to do with, very sore fingers, and some really powerful pain-killers!

So, I'm just looking through some old photos, and thinking philomasophically!

I've been modding for form (style), but had to back off because the ride suffered. So I nudged back a little bit and got the 'right ride'.

Top image is stock (almost)
Middle Image is the ideal style (to me)
Bottom image is the ideal ride (to me)

All comments, and random thoughts are welcome.

Help a brother out ... say somethin'

http://https://i.imgur.com/ESm8GQah.jpg

Title: Re: Form Vs Function
Post by Serowbot on 05/16/18 at 11:02:18

I like the bars in pic 2... Too low?...

Title: Re: Form Vs Function
Post by jcstokes on 05/16/18 at 13:31:16

Stay with your ideal ride and forget what others think of its style.

Title: Re: Form Vs Function
Post by Ruttly on 05/16/18 at 15:11:01

Door #2 for me and always , screw what anybody else thinks !
They can go build their own bike.

Title: Re: Form Vs Function
Post by IslandRoad on 05/16/18 at 17:25:55

Thanks for the replies guys :)

I'm off work again today, and maybe tomorrow. I'm normally quite capable of keeping myself busy, but with the bandaged hand I can't do much physical (or even go for a ride), and the pain-killers kind of stop me doing anything too 'thinky' (like admin work) ... editing photos and chatting is possible though ;)

@Serowbot - Yeah, the Superbars were too low! I really loved the look of my bike in that iteration and would have made some concessions on handling and comfort to stick with it, but after a few long-ish rides I just found that I was concentrating as much on staying on the bike as I was riding it - With the 4" FCs my feet tended to want to slide down the pegs, and my knees tended to want to drop outward (I have short legs). I put the pegs back to stock position, which was better, but the clincher for the bars was the lean caused at my lower back. Either my arms were just a bit too extended, or my lower back was taking too much weight.

Oh, also, those bars were cheap (I didn't know that, when I paid $70 for them online!) They had a very thin wall, cheap chrome, and they vibrated at high speed to point where the ends of my fingers would go white and numb on the ends. In fact the wall was so thin I had to wrap tape, a few times, around the inserts of the 1" bar-end mirror mounts in order to tighten them up.

@jcstokes - The conflict was mostly between my own preference for looks, and the quality of the ride ;D 8-) #2 was the 'style' I had been chasing, and I really loved it. I did a lot of work on the seat, and went through three sets of bars, two style of clamps, and experimented with custom risers. As for what other people thought of it, well, I'm not exaggerating when I say someone would comment, or come over and chat with me about the bike, 3-4 times a week when it was in that iteration! - sometimes 3-4 times a day, when out on a long ride! That was great fun.

But, as you said 'stay with your ideal ride'. #3 is the current iteration - flatter seat, higher bars, and stock position for pegs. The very first ride I took with this setup, I knew this was it - it was such an uplifting experience!

... I'm just lamenting, having to let go of the 'vision come to fruition' that was #2 ;)

@Ruttly - It's good to hear from you Ruttly! I've appreciated your perspective on style in the past :) As I mentioned above, #2 was the 'vision' I was chasing for myself. I really liked the low curved lines. I even liked the way the FCs made the bike look a little more 'substantial', as a friend put it. I was delighted with the results (visually). I'm new to all of this, so it was my first 'project'. I know, by the amazing standard of projects on this site these are are relatively superficial mods that I've made. But for me the journey has been sheer joy! - from the learning to the tinkering, from the interactions on this site to the way friends have gotten involved, and from chasing my own vision to discovering that others appreciated my aesthetic choices.

However, I learned something about myself too. I love looking at the bike (and other bikes), and I also love riding! At the end of the day I had to choose one over the other ... and I chose the ride. #3 is the result of that choice. Not that I don't like the look of the bike now, in fact it's growing on me a lot! and the ride is just right ;)

I've just been thinking out loud here guys. I feel fortunate to be in a position to ponder such non-critical things.

So, next is to begin to learn about the engine. That will come when I embark on the project of swapping to a high-comp piston, and all that goes with that. Luckily I have a couple of good friends who know what they're doing, and they're keen to give me a hand :) :)

Title: Re: Form Vs Function
Post by Ruttly on 05/17/18 at 12:11:18

Personal comfort and complete control of your machine go hand in hand !
If you're riding a awkward bike nothing feels correct , it affects your riding
and control.

Title: Re: Form Vs Function
Post by Ruttly on 05/17/18 at 19:40:34

Put the bags back on ,it has that I'm going somewhere look. Yeah I haven't been spending so much time here. Work very busy , working on my bikes so I can ride , haven't ridden in seven months , it's making me crazy ! And another new hobby too. But I'm always lurking in the shadows , just short of time. #3 is cool too , I've seen super bars on low risers too. Totally understand that low bars and forward controls aren't a good mix , but it looks dam cool ! Cheers

Title: Re: Form Vs Function
Post by IslandRoad on 05/17/18 at 23:45:30

I worked out an alternative to the saddlebags:

http://https://i.imgur.com/ZP8HH83l.jpg

And mate ... you gotta get some riding in!!

Title: Re: Form Vs Function
Post by Ruttly on 05/18/18 at 10:17:50

Gonna work on the Sportster Saturday and hopefully be riding next weekend. Renew the soul and do a 2 to 3 hour ride and come back grinning and have a few beers [ch127867], Oh Yeah !