This project turned five years old a few weeks back. A lot has happened in my life since I started this. I bought a Can-Am Spyder in 2013 and I enjoy it enough that I spend a more of my free time out riding than I ever did before, for a greater percentage of the year. Then, I bought the CL125S in ’14, which turned into its own (very unexpected) sinkhole of time and effort. I also started a motorcycle podcast that sucks up a lot of additional free time.
Reflecting on the anniversary last night, I totaled up all the money I spent on this project: $2950 so far. Back in 2011, I promised my wife I wouldn’t spend more than $50 a month on this; my average comes in a buck and change under that figure. That includes all sorts of dead-end parts purchases that turned out to be unsuitable: three pairs of forks, four rear shocks, etc., plus all my raw stock, hardware, consumables, special tools, etc. The only things not included are big durables that are useful for other stuff long-term: welders and the lathe, mostly.
So, for three grand I have a shelf full of mis-matched, used parts. There have been long stretches when I’ve had to stop progress when life got in the way, and a few stretches where I just lost enthusiasm for it. But I’m back to setting my alarm two hours early so I can get some work done before getting ready for work in the mornings. I’m beyond making promises, and the holidays are always busy with family obligations, but we’ll see how much I can accomplish this winter.
