Art & Design Gary Inman Wants to Teach You How to Build a MotorcycleThe Sideburn co-founder's new book helps you design and build your own dream machine.

Words Iron & Air Staff

So you’ve decided to build a motorcycle and have begun the “research phase” of your journey — the part of the journey where, all too often, those dreams go to die. Your eyes glaze over from perusing thousands of forum threads; your brain goes numb from watching hours of shaky-cam YouTube videos of backyard mechanics espousing duct tape philosophy; and the shiny, near-factory finish on the beauties gracing Bike EXIF have you feeling inadequate.

Well, you’re not alone, and Gary Inman of Sideburn Magazine has gone and done something about it with his new book, How to Build a Motorcycle. The antidote to analysis paralysis is to learn to love being a beginner. You only get to do something for the first time once, and there’s beauty in that. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about being a beginner, and the first-timer’s perspective is a valuable one — ideally free from the baggage of knowing the rules. This 191-page overview wants you to learn a little bit about everything — enough to be dangerous — and to help you understand the fundamental processes of designing and building your dream machine.

We’ve worked with the publisher of How to Build a Motorcycle to bring you the sections on paint effects, home painting, and paint finishes. Whether you’re going for a rattle can rat look or that pristine mirror finish, this book will give you some colorful information about painting your motorcycle.

How to Build a Motorcycle