Too much BLING??

[cyclegod]

Is there too much bling these days?
Does your bike really need the latest cnc/carbon-fibre/titanium do-dad or do-hicky to perform better than stock?
Is it not enough to win a race but you have to look good doing it too?
Is your "RAD-RIDE" tricked out with this stuff or is it (as I beleive) a load of wallet emptying wank you won't buy into?

[500Fool]

As above 

[AjayVMX]

Actually, another tendancy in the Vintage scene is too much bling in Restos...

Highly polished fork legs seem to be a major culprit...

Thoughts anyone?

[Rosco400]

You can just never have to much bling, bling is good bling bling bling, gotta keep them bike shop boys in a job

[YZ250H]

I think I'm going to be one of those guys with too much polished alloy on my resto.  I just can't help it.  It's like a sickness .  I know it's not popular with most of the guys on here, but I like the polished alloy.  Other bling not so much - maybe some Magura levers and a GMC pipe if I can't find a nice original.

[yzhilly]

It looks good but does it make you quicker ??.There is some awesome gear around but it all comes back to how much you are prepared to pay . How much interest is a 20 year old kid with a brand new Hsv ute,bling bike and all the trick riding gear  paying and how long will it take him to pay it Off .

[crs-and-rms]

i love polished alloy. rims ,fork,legs ,tripple clamps ,levers  ,brake arms  started with a set of tripple clamps that were so badly damaged that i had to sand them and now i cant stop . :)i cant ride fast but i can polish fast

[vandy010]

what does it really matter anyway?
if the owner of the possesion is happy with his bike then hooray for them.
when i first decided to build up an old bike, the bike i had in mind was to be the one bike i'd always desired, in my mind i have a clear picture of what this bike will look like but sadly it still rests in pieces around the garage. it's day will come and yes, bling will be present but not too much.
what was that old status quo song?
whatever you want, {da dumt da dumt}
whatever you like ,{da dumt da dumt}
whatever you say, you pay the money you make your choice,{da dumt da dumt}
oops! got a little carried away there folks...

[mx250]

Each to their own  Motorcycling is all things to all people. Resto's are all things to all people.

Like in all things, some people take a good idea too far IMHO .

[DJRacing]

Are we talking today's bikes or yesteryear's bikes Cyclegod?
Bling has always been around; Fox airshox, Fox forx, DG pipes, Oakley grips, Webco heads and all manner of different things to empty the back pocket.
If we are talking resto, then it just depends on the owner and what they like(showroom orginal or tricked out bling). But if its modern stuff, do we look at their bikes with sticker kits, Pro circuit Ti Pipes etc with disgruntled, cant these new fan-dangled bikes win races stock (stupid young bugger waisting ya money), shrugging our shoulders and walking away thinking about buying that awesome looking DG head on ebay.

[yzhilly]

 Very Close to the mark DJR and i want one of them bling gauges,  I always loved bling but way to tight to spring for it.!!!

[cyclegod]

New bikes are my target, $10,000 to buy plus $10,000 of "bling" = a "pretty" big expense.

Most of this stems from being in a bike shop on the weekend where a guy and his 15yr old son were buying a bike and it was junior telling his dad that after he bought the thing what it "needed" to be a "proper" race bike.

Whatever happened to racing them stock?
In NZ in the 70's I barely ever saw one DG head or FMF pipe, they were simply too expensive to import and they were mainly used as a status symbol by the kids of rich parents who still got whipped by fast kids on stock bikes.

[DJRacing]

Back here in the 70's could we even import stuff like that let alone pay for it? To true about the younger set of MXers wanting the best of everything but didnt we too, or at least wished we had it? The old number 8 wire just doesnt cut it today . Most of the people I know (modern bikes) race them stock or maybe a pipe and thats about it. Maybe its the amount of choices we/they have with ride gear, safety gear and bling bits for the bike that makes people spend more money. Is it the kids fault for wanting it or is it the dads fault for buying it and not saying NO?(when ya can ride it WFO everywhere then maybe look at bling crap). Who is to blame, I dont know, or is it the parents saying 'look at the bike our kid rides, its so bling, its shit even shines'.
I think in our day, most would port their bike and try bigger carbs and stuff but todays bikes are beyond the average guy doing much to the motor himself, hence all the bling bolt on shite ya can buy for them now. Should we blame the marketing man..?

[cyclegod]

its so bling, its shit even shines'

My new mantra, thanks DJR 

[Lozza]

Yes mark me down for that bling o meter Graeme, bling was around back then just as it is now.There are/were some shite products there some good ones same as always. Best bit of bling gone wrong was a youngster who drilled a shirt load of holes in an exquisite carbon fibre heat shield...Why.....to make it 'lighter' and to get rid of the heat (that was his look at me)

  was my reponse