Are OTPs approaching custom standards?

People are missing the whole point of custom anything if they choose it based solely on performance.
It isn't just about the performance...the paint...the features...the customisation.
People like to know that the product they have just bought, be it a frame, a bag, a suit, whatever, has been made just for them by somebody who lives and breathes what they do....somebody who is as passionate about what they create as you are about what you ride or wear.
It's nice to be able to picture somebody standing there covered in metal shavings or little bits of fluffy cotton....working with meticulous attention to detail...sipping tea inbetween welds or seams....it's nice to be able to talk one to one about what you want....nice to be able shake the persons hand when you pick the end result up from them.
You just don't get that same warm feeling inside from buying a bike or bag that has been made on some production line in some far off country.
Maybe i'm wrong and just get too caught up in the whole process....but i just love knowing that the thing i'm buying has been made from start to finish by a human being...just like me.
THAT is one of the biggest appeals of going custom for me...not just the performance of the finished product.

Have you read 'Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance'? ;)

This book certainly influenced my approach to bike building (amongst other things). I have tried to include as many handmade components as possible, on my bike. The best bit for me, was spending several hours stitching on the Elk-hide bar covering. It wont effect performance but it does (for me) illustrate the hand-made nature of the bike.

Its all about injecting some care.