Starting a custom motorcycle build?
Follow the FRAME principle.
Your custom bike build will involve hundreds of little decisions - and every one of them will impact your budget and timeframe for completing the project. The FRAME principle will help you decide where to devote your resources to get the best result possible. FRAME stands for Fabricate, Rejuvenate, Add, Modify or Eliminate.
Starting a custom motorcycle build always brings a heady mix of emotions. First, there is the excitement. You can see the potential in an old bike and you’ve already begun to imagine yourself carving up canyons when it’s complete. Then, after the initial rush, the nervousness set in. You begin thinking about all the potential problems. What if the head’s cracked? What if I can’t source the parts I need? But you’re up for the challenge and you’re ready to begin. Hopefully, this article will help make your build a little easier by saving you some time, money and hassles along the way.
A great custom motorcycle build starts with FRAME.
FRAME. That’s pretty easy to remember. Every bike has one right? Yep. But in this case, it stands for Fabricate, Refresh, Add, Modify or Eliminate.
Basically, the theory goes like this. With every single part of your bike, you have five options. You can choose to Fabricate the part from scratch, you can Rejuvenate an old part, you can Add a new part, and you can Modify an existing part. Or, you can Eliminate the part altogether.
Whichever option you choose will greatly impact the cost of your build and the time the project takes to complete. So by working through these options, you can decide where to focus your energy and identify ways to make your budget go further. Let’s break it down for you.
Fabricate it.
Fabricating custom parts for your bike is a labour-intensive process. This can make it a time-consuming and sometimes pricey option if you need to hire a specialist to make a custom part for you.
That being said, the wonderful upside of fabricating parts is that you get to create a truly one-of-a-kind build that's unlike anything else out there. And it's often one of the most emotionally rewarding aspects of doing a custom build.
If you have some fabrication skills, you’re well ahead of the game. If you don’t, then getting a professional involved will cost dollars. It’s probably worth mentioning that where you live in the world may also affect your decision to fabricate or not. Many road authorities require engineering certificates for things like frame mods and this can sometimes cost more than the work itself. So before you go to town with that angle grinder, be sure to check your local laws.
There will be some situations where fabricating parts will be your best or only option. If your bike is rare and original parts are selling for a small fortune or simply no longer exist, then having a replacement part fabricated may turn out to be your best solution. 3D printing is also starting to emerge as a useful tool for manufacturing one-off parts. And this trend is only set to continue as this technology becomes more mainstream.
Rejuvenate it.
One of the easiest ways to make an old bike look better is to rejuvenate the existing parts. At its simplest, this could mean cleaning up a part with a wire brush, washing it in some diesel and then spray painting it with a rattle can. For many less visible parts, this is a perfectly acceptable option. It’s fast, cheap, can give a reasonable result and will protect the part from ongoing corrosion for years to come.
A level up from the DIY methods are the professional cleaning and finishing options. Professional cleaning options include things like vapour blasting, soda blasting and sandblasting. Which option you choose will depend on the underlying metal and the finish you require.
If you have heavy rust on a steel part, then sandblasting is probably a sensible choice. Sandblasting is usually too aggressive for aluminium parts, so soda blasting or vapour blasting are better options. If you’re not familiar with any of these processes, then jump on YouTube and watch a few videos. It's quite amazing the results you can achieve in minutes. The before and after results are quite incredible.
Professional finishing options are things like electroplating, powder coating and Cerakote. Electroplating allows for finishes including chrome, nickel and zinc. Automotive parts have long used these coatings because they're relatively inexpensive and provide excellent long-life corrosion protection.
Powder coating involves spraying a powder onto a part and then baking it in an oven until the powder dissolves to form a single cohesive layer. Powder coat is hard-wearing and creates a fantastic end result. In many cases, the part will look brand new. Best of all, you can choose from an endless range of colours. In terms of bang for your buck, you really can’t beat it.
Similar to powder coat, Cerakote is a ceramic polymer coating that is baked onto the part. Traditionally it's been used as a gun coating. When done right, Cerakote provides an extremely durable surface that allows for some amazing colours including vivid metallic finishes. Cerakote also has the added advantage of being thinner than powder coat which makes it ideal when part thickness is an issue. There is nothing worse than trying to refit a powder-coated part only to discover you need to sand the finish down to get it back on.
Regardless of the cleaning and finishing options you choose, rejuvenating old parts using any of the above methods is likely to be a cost-effective option compared to buying new ones - the visual results will far exceed your investment.
Add it.
There are going to be parts on your bike that are old and damaged. At some point, you’ll need to decide whether to fix them or replace them. In this situation, always think about the cost of your time. Is it worth spending an entire weekend trying to rejuvenate an old part if you can order a replacement on eBay for $10 bucks? In many cases, new or upgraded parts will have the additional benefit of improving the safety and reliability of the bike. This should be your priority when deciding where to invest your money.
Upgrading your brakes and suspension is the best investment you can ever make, as it will greatly improve your riding experience. Of course, there will be plenty of bling you’ll want to add to improve your bike’s visual appeal as well. And that’s fine too. Just remember to do plenty of research and shop wisely. A tip for first-time builders - always double-check the specs before ordering parts online. It’s an easy thing to get wrong and it can blow out your build time if you have to reorder.
Modify it.
Modifying existing parts on your bike is one of the easiest and most enjoyable aspects of any build. It allows you to put your stamp on your machine. Plus, it’s usually much cheaper than buying new off the shelf. Whether it’s something easy like shortening your front guard or something more challenging like reshaping a fuel tank, it’s always fun to push the limits of your skill and see what you can do - your bike will look better and your budget will go further.
One of the most appealing aspects of the custom bike scene is seeing guys take parts from other makes and models and adapt them to create a completely new look. So if you need a part for a bike, remember that modifying a part from a completely different bike is a real option. Go get creative. That’s what it’s all about.
If you’re nervous about modifying parts on your bike and fear you may get it wrong, a good tip is to buy an old, damaged part from a wrecker and practice on that part to hone your skills. It’s amazing how much you can learn from stuffing something up the first time.
Eliminate it.
Since the birth of the motorcycle, racers have known that less weight means more speed. The cafe racer concept is built on the idea of stripping a bike of all that's unessential to maximise performance and handling.
Possibly the world’s most eliminated part on a custom bike is the removal of the baffles from the exhaust. This delete not only gives the bike a better sound, it usually brings an instant performance boost as well. Just remember that your neighbours may not appreciate the extra horsepower as much as you do.
Removing a lot of the factory junk will go a long way to enhancing the overall look of your bike. When stripped to its bones, even an ugly duckling can suddenly look much more beautiful.
Along with the visual improvement, another advantage of removing excess gear from your bike is that you can sell the spare parts to fund other aspects of your build. And toward the end of your project, every extra dollar will make a difference.
So there you have it - FRAME. This smart approach is super easy to remember and will help you plan your build and prioritise the best places to invest your time and money. If your budget is tight, then rejuvenating and modifying existing parts is likely to be your focus. If you have a healthy budget for your build, then going all out on fabrication and brand-new parts will give you an amazingly individual look with the performance to match.
Of course, there is no right or wrong approach. And that’s the beauty of a custom build. It’s your bike and you get to do exactly what you want. So go out and start building that one-of-a-kind beast that’s currently stuck inside your head. And if you need any help along the way, remember you have a hundred friends at Machine Alley to help you get it right.
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