If you're a DIY-type person, whether it's with bikes or anything else, what's your project completion style like? Me, I tend to operate in one of two modes. Either I go all out and bulldoze all the way through a project, frequently surprising even myself with how quickly I get it done—or else I get it between 70 to 80% done, set it aside, and then proceed to ignore it for months. Or years, sometimes.
This may be a bad habit, which I fully acknowledge. But it's mine, and I also acknowledge that fact as well.
I mean, if you like doing things yourself, and you frequently find yourself taking on new projects, it's easy enough to do. The shiniest project is the one in front of you, right? Or sometimes, the one you're fantasizing about working on next. I'm pretty sure this is relatable content for a lot of DIY-type individuals.
Luckily for the Bearded Mechanic (and for us), he had a hard deadline for his custom Harley V-Rod project build. The plan, as he spelled it out, was to ride it down to Daytona Bike Week 2025 to officially compete against Orange County Choppers and Bikes and Beards in their charity build-off. Deadlines have a way of making you finish things, even if you might otherwise be tempted to put them off indefinitely. Sometimes, they can be stressful, but also helpful at the same time.
As you can see from the thumbnail, the aesthetics of the V-Rod that TBM built are pretty great. The chosen paint and accessories look perfect, and that little smoked flyscreen is just exquisite. More importantly, as Craig remarks, a key modification he made was improving the front brakes so they actually work. That's a definite bonus!
There are a couple of other key points in this video that are really interesting as well. One is that Craig wants to try out his new (well, I think it's new-to-him, but either way) lathe in fabricating a custom spacer for the rear wheel of the V-Rod. However, because it's something he's never done before, he also wants to make sure that he has a backup plan so that the end product works correctly. So he has a backup plan in place involving an expert.
It's a smart move, because it gives him the latitude to try something new and learn by doing, but at the same time not feel the kind of unholy pressure that the project will live or die on that part. Since there's a backup, he can knock it out of the park, or only do an OK job, or even have it not work out this time. But even if it doesn't work out, he knows he'll have a working part that will do what he wants it to do. Not everyone always has that option, but if you do, it seems like the best way to learn.
The other cool thing in this video is that Craig talks about his truck. Yes, we're RideApart, but an important thing to note if you're about that powersports life is that at least sometimes, towing will be involved. Whether it's renting a U-Haul trailer to get your latest project bike home from somewhere, or taking a bike to the track, or taking your favorite ORV to your local trails, having a reliable vehicle that's capable of towing is often a necessity.
As Craig explains here, his old truck gave up the ghost and was beyond fixing, so he ended up switching from that Honda Ridgeline to a Ford F-150. In this video, he also spends some time modifying it a bit to get ready for the trip down to Daytona, and we also get to see how he gets on with prepping his tow vehicle.
All in all, it's a nice combination of insights into putting the finishing touches on this bike project, as well as getting ready for a big road trip. What your your favorite recommendations for doing either thing, if it's a thing that you've done? Let us know in the comments!
