If you're like a lot of people, then chances are good that you're harder on yourself than everyone else will probably ever be.
You know what you're good at, and you know what you aren't. Maybe your assessments of those things are a little (or even a lot) out of line with reality, too. But are you willing to try new things, and push yourself outside your comfort zone? Because not everyone is.
While this charity (or chair-ity, depending, I guess) custom bike build-off with the Bearded Mechanic and Paul Sr./Orange County Choppers is undeniably a great charge for all three channels to get some sweet YouTube content, it's also helping Sean from Bikes and Beards to try something new.
And sure, like I said, he's getting YouTube content out of it, but that's still not always the easiest thing to do.
He's been on YouTube for a long time, bringing his own special blend of motorcycle enthusiasm to all who watch his videos for years. And he's never represented himself as being something he's not (such as, say, a mechanic). That's what Craig and his other mechanics at his shop have been for.
But this time around, even though he's clearly the dark horse in this three-way competition, owing to his distinct lack of wrenching and technical expertise, he's putting himself out there in a way he hasn't really done before. And sure, he might have made a really questionable choice with this fire-damaged Triumph Bonneville.
And sure, he may just have spent another $3,700 on a parts Bonnie (yes, that's on top of the $3K he forked over for the overcooked Triumph). And you, like me, may be wondering if that's really following the spirit of the rules all parties agreed to for this contest.
But at the same time, maybe it qualifies as a handicap in his case?
At any rate, you can almost see the panic he's trying to tamp down as he tries to get the thing running, has his mechanic come in and help him, and then realizes he doesn't have spark plugs or an ignition coil. No wonder he's washing his hands so often; I know when I feel like I'm really uncomfortable with something, I will find a million reasons to literally be anywhere else before I deal with it.
The real key, though, is that he does eventually deal with it. He does it in bite-size bits, and in his own time, with plenty of breaks. But he does it. And honestly, that's the hardest part. Struggling through it, allowing himself to take a more indirect path to get to where he's going, but still getting it done anyway.
Does it work? You tell me. Is the bike running by the end of the video?
As any rider can tell you, getting from point A to point B isn't always, well, the point. On a really good ride, it's about the journey, not the destination. Congrats to Sean on trying new things, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it might be.
