Listen, I definitely don't have everything figured out. I'm still very much learning as I go, much like most of the truly awesome people I've met along the way. While I may not have all the answers, what I do instead have is a good working knowledge of where and how to find credible sources, as well as a seemingly endless curiosity to keep looking stuff up and learning new things.
That's really it. And you can, too! I'm hoping that if you're reading this, you also have that spark within you. But if you don't, if life has done its best (or its worst, depending) to snuff that spark out, I'm hoping you can stick with me a little longer and maybe find a way to rekindle it. That curiosity is worth way more than its weight in gold, because it will carry you through so many tough times.
I haven't met Craig or Dan from The Bearded Mechanic, but one of the things that's so appealing about their videos is that their entire channel is based around exploring and getting hands-on with that type of curiosity.
It's a passion for motorcycles, of course; you could even say that's the biggest part of it. But over and over again, the primary animating characteristic of their videos isn't that Craig knows everything; it's that he takes the time and has the patience to figure out whatever problems he's having. And if he doesn't know something, he'll take the time to find out. And then he'll have that knowledge tucked away inside his head for next time.
It's thinking through and problem-solving in real time. You know, instead of stringing together a series of 60-second 'hack' videos that don't work more than half the time, getting frustrated, and throwing yet another thing that you maybe could have fixed in the bin. And then, of course, just buying a new one. Yes, some things aren't meant to be fixed, and hoarding can be a problem; but if you can fix something by expending a little extra effort, why wouldn't you?
You need multiple key elements to do that, of course; usually, it's some combination of time, money, tools, and knowledge. If it's a larger item, like a motorcycle or a car, you also need space to work in. Ancillary things like good lighting so you can see what you're doing are also pretty helpful.
If you've never fixed something or made something yourself, I'm here to tell you that there's almost nothing that feels as good as basking in the moment when You Finally Figured It Out. Knowing that a thing is working because YOU took the time is an incredibly powerful thing. To my mind, it's not just about fixing your stuff (though that part is cool enough). Instead, it's about fixing yourself, because when you get those wins, it shifts something inside of you every single time.
This video, then, can be viewed on a couple of different levels. On the surface, it's about the Bearded Mechanic guys heading over to visit a couple of barns filled with all kinds of things, including multiple vintage motorcycles and mopeds. They then dig out a couple of old JDM bikes (a Honda CMX450 and a Kawasaki KZ400, specifically) to bring back to the shop and try to get up and running. Since they're just sitting abandoned in a barn somewhere, and it's not clear whether they run, they don't end up costing a whole lot of money.
All of that is cool enough; and if you're the type of person (as I am) who loves seeing vintage stuff get brought back to life instead of being thrown away, then you'll probably enjoy it very much for those reasons. But also, it's more than that.
The whole reason they do videos like this is to encourage you and me and everyone else to go do something like this ourselves. To have a wrenching adventure (wrenchventure?) with an old bike, where you learn as you go and because you're not in a panic to fix a bike that's your only means of transportation, you can take the time to find out about things you don't already have knowledge or experience in.
It's not just about staying on the sidelines, passively viewing videos on our phones and tablets and computers (and TVs, sometimes). It's about going out, getting in it, and getting your hands and heart dirty in the best way possible, as you learn new things.
You won't always succeed; no one does! But one philosophy I've held for a long time is that mistakes are only truly mistakes if you don't learn anything from them. If you take them as lessons, and you learn and grow from the mistakes you make along the way, then they're helping you. Most importantly, they're not a waste of time or effort; maybe they're what you needed to wedge that little piece of knowledge into your mind for good.
You don't need to be perfect at something the first time you do it; very few people are. But if you stick with it and keep going, chances are excellent that you will improve. You'll get good (or at least, better). When you do eventually succeed, the fact that you're the one who put in the work to get you there will be the kind of good, amazing feeling that pretty much nothing else can match.
That beats pushing a button and getting a piece of AI-generated nonsense out that you have zero connection to every time. Knowing your blood, sweat, tears, and firing neurons made this thing come to life is irreplaceable. Doing something real is the best way to keep your brain and body connected, as well as to connect with others.
So don't just touch grass; touch wrench. Or rolling pin. Or sewing machine. Or 3D printer. Or any other tactile thing that gets you making and creating and fixing and living. It may not be magic, but it often feels that way. You're integrating your whole self into it; all your senses, your brain, your heart, and your hands. Connection; no dis-.
That's how we do it; that's how we save ourselves from endless doomscrolling. That's how we live. Is it any coincidence that's also why most of us ride? I think it isn't, and I think that deep down, you already know that.
