Article By: Xavier Muriel
Originally Published In The May 2016 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
Hello fellow lovers of the open road, here we are again at the begging of another riding season! For those of you who are still in the grips of old man winter fear not, it’s right around the corner. I’m not really sure if Southern California really has a winter to speak of, it gets chilly but not like the east coast. I guess that’s why people flock here yearly to enjoy 11 months of incredible riding weather. The band has been off for a few with each member doing what they do and enjoying family and home time. I’ve spent almost every waking hour in my garage trying to get my shovel build to a final mock up stage, so that I can rip it apart and get the frame to powder coat before we leave again. I’ve never attempted a full build all alone and I must say man did I learn a lot from my mistakes and not taking the time (IMPATIENT) to see things through the stages from where I was at the time, ya know “this won’t work until you do this or that” type of thing. I mean like a lot of you I’ve watched EVERY build off and have so many friends and builders that make a living at this that at one point I thought “How hard can it be” well the answer is as hard as you make it! I have a WHOLE new respect for the master builders that create these machines that grace the roads of our nation. I’ve realized how many hours and years that must have put into their craft to achieve such excellence. Well I for one will never take that for granted again.
There are so many back yard builders coming out now that have a true love for the art NOT the fame or fortune part. For me it’s a way of getting to a Zen like state of mind, no distractions and the outside world ends when the garage door shuts. One of the most valuable pieces of advice I got from a very dear friend who has revolutionized the industry for many years was simply “The only way to learn is to just DO IT” I encourage anyone who feels the drive deep in their gut to “Do it”! Trust me when I say that you will screw up more times than you can imagine but ultimately you will arrive at your goal. It just takes patience and practice!!! It’s now the Monday before the beginning of Daytona’s 75th Bike Week and Buckcherry will be kicking off at Destination Daytona, which marks the beginning of the touring season for us. The tour will be taking us to New Zealand, Australia and Japan in March and then full swing in the States in April. I’m excited to get back to playing and visiting some new shops across the country. I always love visiting shops that are mom and pop run because to me they are the life blood and heritage of what we have come to know. I think if more people sat with these old timers and got to really know them they would inevitably realize that they have more experience and knowledge than any book or institution does. I’m not knocking either of those but the only way to get the real stories is from a person who was there. It saddens me sometimes when I think how much we could learn from them instead of just thinking “ahh that grumpy old fart”. Try it sometime you’ll be amazed at the outcome. As always I hope to meet some of you in my travels and share some stories, until then stay true to yourself ride safe and God Bless…
