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As much as I dig my Dad's HD, I don't care for the Cult of Personality that HD has built. Yeah, it's wierd to talk about a motorcycle company as a Cult of Personality, but that is the best way I can describe it.
I decided to build a custom bike. I want a chopper. No, not the crazy wacko stuff that WCC or OCC builds, more like the stuff from the 70's that I grew up digging. My friends kept asking me when I was going to buy a Harley and how I was going to afford it. I found that funny.
About half the bikes I grew up lusting after were the very selfsame "Japcrap" that HD owners jack their jaws about so much. I went out and bought a '74 Honda CB750K4. From about 69-75 or so, the CB750 was the baddest bike on the road, period. Quite a number of texts on motorcycle history call it the most important bike built to that point. The important part for me was remembering all those cool-ass Honda chops from the 70's. Sure, your normal custom bike dink is going to go after that same HD style. I want my custom bike to be a real extension of me, and that means that I don't want what you have. I want what I want.
My favorite is the "cookie cutter" comment. You realize how "cookie-cutter" HD's are? The vast majority are stockers, and the ones that aren't are trailer queens, or bought bikes. I will build mine, I will ride mine, and I will maintain mine. You can have your purchased persona. I have one already.
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