Author Topic: What do you think of "period" additions to completely stock bikes? (Read 1793 times)

oberonspacefruit · « **on:** August 05, 2009, 12:22 PM »

Just wondering about this. Is a bike better left exactly as it came from the box, or is it enhanced by additional accesories?

What do you think?

pickle · « **Reply #1 on:** August 05, 2009, 12:24 PM »

always better with added parts IMHO..........who wants something thats the same as someone elses?

Stodgy · « **Reply #2 on:** August 05, 2009, 12:25 PM »

Depends on the bike and what you want to add to it...

oberonspacefruit · « **Reply #3 on:** August 05, 2009, 12:29 PM »

Thing is Rob, because people always added new pedals, grips etc, a completely stock bike wouldnt be the same as everyone elses, would it......

You wouldnt put tripple traps on a 70's goose, would you, and when you start out on that train of thought, is the best pedal not the pedal that the bike originally came with?

Just interested in opinions really.

rhino_mac · « **Reply #4 on:** August 05, 2009, 01:17 PM »

I did a completely stock Laserlite just because I always drooled at them in the shop and to me they're one of the best looking race bikes out of the box. I like the look of the standard bike (XC2's, 400's, Chrome 7X, Chrome f & f etc etc)

However, if I was to build another, provided the parts were the right era, and by that I mean within 5 or 6 years of the f & f, it's all good. My old BMX when I was a kid was right old mish mash of parts and from what I remember, so were my mates.

I don't like twin pinch flights on old school builds - I know it's a cost thing but you might as well save up a bit and wait. But an old one piece crank on something like a Laserlite nowadays - that's all good! Go with what looks good to you!

pickle · « **Reply #5 on:** August 05, 2009, 01:29 PM »

well i guess i was being a little simplistic in my answer.

so i guess as an old school build, the ultimate kudos is to build it stock......although there is the other case, BITD who the hell ever kept their bike that way? most of us swapped parts like no tomorrow!

there are also bikes that were only sold as f+f so era correct parts can be whatever floats your boat (i'm getting off topic a little with that one)

then there's new school bikes, lets face it......no complete NS bike comes with top end parts on every level, most have compromised on cranks or stem and bars?

for me (and i've never built a classic bike) i just go for what i like as long as i enjoy them thats all that counts for me

christ my next build will kill the era correct police!

stumpy · « **Reply #6 on:** August 05, 2009, 01:40 PM »

Quote from: Oberonspacefruit on August 05, 2009, 12:29 PM

is the best pedal not the pedal that the bike originally came with?

Just interested in opinions really.

Not always, i remember changing the rat traps on my mongoose 2 to DX's as soon as they came out, then the bars an stem got changed to GT PRO'S and a Redline Brute. However in terms of building a classic ( when i get round to it) My 'Goose will be the way i first saw it that Xmas morning, so completely std.
Each to their own really i guess, I suppose those that rode back in the day would be more inclined to build how they rode them bitd. Where as someone who builds now, but didn't have back then would be more likely to build as per std spec.

Stumpy

sweetbeats · « **Reply #7 on:** August 05, 2009, 01:42 PM »

Love Stock bikes and Mish mash bikes all good...most of my early bikes BITD where bought stock then all the swops ensued which was part of the fun...I even had TA forks on my ripper at 1 point and had all my aero pro burner parts on the MK1 pro burner as I swopped the frameset after 6 weeks preferring shorter geometry.

Got to respect the guys on here that take years over a build to get it exact...proper commendable especially high end builds.

mark 2 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 05, 2009, 01:47 PM »

If your building a show pony that came as a stock bike then getting it 100% to factory spec I suppose is the ultimate achievement you can have with it - even if that means at the expense of having some proper shit parts on it to keep it stock. For a bike that looks like a rider that you'd see being thrashed around they'd always get tweaked - tyres and grips would wear out and you'd try and improve on it , your birthday would come along and you'd bung a kashi, dc's or tuffs on etc. BITD it was cool to customise and improve, keeping it stock is just a recent credible thing really since collecting's kicked off - trying to get that box fresh look or recreating something from a pic. Different strokes for different bikes...

oberonspacefruit · « **Reply #9 on:** August 05, 2009, 02:14 PM »

Some good discussion points, BUT, I did mean accesories really, not changing the parts of an original stock bike.

IE does an original stock bike lose some of its purity, if it has ACCESSORIES on it that it didnt leave the factory with, like plates, pegs, brakeguards etc....

An inredibly anal question i know.........

WARDY · « **Reply #10 on:** August 05, 2009, 02:26 PM »

What about parts that aint changed but ya just took em off , falcon pro I had as a nipper , chainguard was straight off , wheel reflectors too , think most peeps changed parts on their bmx s , pedals especially

mark 2 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 05, 2009, 02:51 PM »

You have to lose the safety stuff - reflectors, chainguards etc, they're only shoved on to comply with the law, there's no point your bike looking a bit spazzy

Swivel · « **Reply #12 on:** August 05, 2009, 03:06 PM »

I had several bikes as a nipper also, raleighs mainly and a haro and changed or swapped nearly everything over on them. But looking at this original survivor below, if it came like that, I'd leave it just as it is...

Waxintaxin · « **Reply #13 on:** August 05, 2009, 07:47 PM »

Some great points indeed

but to you Phil I say this

stock bikes should be left stock imho

but nothing wrong with a nice plate

bobafett · « **Reply #14 on:** August 05, 2009, 07:48 PM »

Quote from: mark j. on August 05, 2009, 02:51 PM

You have to lose the safety stuff - reflectors, chainguards etc, they're only shoved on to comply with the law, there's no point your bike looking a bit spazzy

Hmm.... not totaly sure about that - as most on here know it's all about mongoose for me and mongoose bikes came with mongoose stamped reflectors, so on a stock gusseted mongoose build its the law

I think the rear seatclamp mounted reflector looks ace on gusseted geese and gives them that proper 'old' look

...........that said - I will never put a chainguard on any of my builds

mark 2 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 05, 2009, 08:40 PM »

There's no hard and fast rules - what's right for one bike may not be for another. As one example if a real high end race or freestyle machine was sold complete by law it'd still have to be supplied with the safety gear. You wouldn't show it like that , where on a lower end street bike it wouldn't look out of place and suit the bikes purpose. Some stuff will lend itself to some bikes where on another it'd detract from it looking its best. That's only my humble opinion....

Dark Diggler · « **Reply #16 on:** August 05, 2009, 10:19 PM »

If it makes it better, do it

boofy44 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 06, 2009, 01:40 AM »

how many US factory riders rode stock bikes back in the day.as for 83 lazerlites Clint Miller used GHP
forks and galindo bars with an ESP stem amongst many other changes.build it how you like it.

Del · « **Reply #18 on:** August 06, 2009, 08:06 AM »

I agree with the point that the ultimate build is getting one 100% part correct as it was stock from the factory... I've built loads of bikes and from them only one was done "100% factory correct"... and that cost me the most time, money and effort and its the one I'm most proud of. Now I just build a bike how I feel or how I imagine I would have had it BITD, like a lot of you have said... it's what we would have done as kids :-)

markyp · « **Reply #19 on:** August 06, 2009, 09:35 AM »

some bikes cry out to be built as stock such as the lazerite or harry leary turbo for example but i think most bikes allow to be custom built afterall bitd we all changed the parts our bikes came with to suit what we liked.ive built a stock kuwi kz but my gt was a custom build and my mongooose 2 that is nearly done is a total custom build.as long as the parts are era correct then its cool with me!!

oberonspacefruit · « **Reply #20 on:** August 06, 2009, 11:45 AM »

I kind of agree with the reflector thing, you would always take them off, but then they leave the remain s of the mounting points, IE tabs on skyways, holes and cutouts in pedals etc, but then again, even if you wanted them on, when do you ever see reflectors for sale......

Spen69 · « **Reply #21 on:** August 06, 2009, 07:19 PM »

I always build my bikes with the parts I would have bought BITD if I'd have had the cash. Let's face it, how many of us actually had a set of Flights in the early 80's? I had a Mongoose Cali and as soon as I could afford them, I bought a set of Tuffs and swapped the 165mm crank for a Supergoose 175mm, swapped the SR pedals for Graphite-X's and swapped the bars for a set of GT's. I never rode it anywhere with the pads on it so I lost them, and I'm pretty sure I changed the levers as well.

I suppose that's why I've never won BoTM or anything for my builds then