It begins

I sit here contemplating where to start when it comes to making my first bike.  A few thoughts bounce around in this ole noggin of mine which include, but are not limited to: “Go buy a book!”, “Make a list of the things you want to get out of your bike”, “Pick a color and theme!”, “Make a list of parts you know you need to make a bike”.

Me being the cheapskate that I am, I’m going to avoid buying a book (for now).  Not because I’m too high and mighty to do so, on the contrary, they’re a great reference along with the internet.  No, I’m not going to buy a book yet because, well, I don’t have the money to.  So instead I will make a list, check it twice, forget some things that were supposed to go on the list until later when I figure out “Oh…” and make a list of things I want to get out of this bike.

A “vision” of the core attributes of this bike, for you game designers out there, what it should be and what it should accomplish at its most basic levels.  Some of these things may seem like no-brainers but trust me, in the depths of development they can be forgotten if not presented and laid out ahead of time.  If a decision comes down to “Should I do X or not” check the vision if unsure.

This bike should be:

• Comfortable
• Function will come before form in most cases.
• Reliable
• Ride smooth and without hitch.
• It’s known ahead of time that this could become a major headache later in the game but it’s a goal that would like to be attained.
• Something to be proud of
• Showing off the bike and turning heads should be a common occurrence
• Be done on a “budget”
• If I were made of money, well, I’m sure I wouldn’t have fixed my cars coolant leak with some RTV and zip ties.

Simple right?  Now, to get a couple things straight about this bike build.  It will take a while.  Since I’m going to be building this bike on a budget and little/no experience, it will take time to research, and save up the money for the parts.  I will be attempting to do as much of the work as I can myself.  My intent is to learn a good deal about metal working, welding, and hopefully painting as well.