We feature a lot of “how to” videos and write-ups here at RideApart, but this one’s a bit different: we’re sharing this video that shows you how to build a whole motorcycle. Yeah, it’s a toy, and it’ll take you a bunch of time and no small amount of skill with tiny pieces and maybe some experience with crafting and an eye for artistry. Still, though, the video is super fun to watch.

You’ll need a bunch of supplies for this project if you’re going to tackle it yourself, not the least of which being ten (yes, ten) cheap, empty lighters.

Clear off your work bench and assemble:

  • Some super glue
  • Your hot glue gun
  • Some small wire cutters and/or your hand-held rotary cutter with a sanding point and small drill bit available
  • Some thin EVA foam (you can find this easily in craft stores)
  • Double-sided tape
  • Small needle-nose pliers
  • At least three large paper clips
  • Something to bend those paperclips with, with some measure of precision, like small round-end pliers
  • A small sheet of zinc thin enough to cut (you can find this in your local hardware store)
  • Something to round that zinc against, like a small socket
  • A pair of scissors you don’t care too much about
  • Some sandpaper or an emery board
  • A bunch of cheap cotton swabs: the kind with a plastic shaft
  • Two small lengths of perhaps 1-¼ inch PVC piping (for the wheels, you’ll see in the video)
  • A ruler that has at least one side in metric (centimeters) or, if you want to get really technical about it, a digital caliper that can measure outer diameters of things at least three centimeters long, and
  • Your wood burner or temperature-adjustable soldering iron.

Note that there is one piece for this project that you’ll need to cut out of that metal and is eight and a half centimeters long, but you can fake that one with your ruler, because your caliper won’t help you out there. In order to make cutting up the tiny plastic pieces of the lighter easier, you may want to employ your bench vise, but then again, how involved do you want to get here?

The video runs you through what you’ll need to make out of each part you’ve assembled, and it is extremely clever. Even if you don’t want to dedicate the significant time it will take you to do this yourself, sit back and watch the attention to detail in the video: how the artist (seriously) makes the engine, the swingarm, the gas tank, the seat, the taillights. It even has foot pegs! And a functional steering head! This entire assembly is impressive.

Source: YouTube

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