public: I use Booleans quite a bit as well. I got my start as a surface modeler in the auto industry in Detroit. Packages like catia, alias, inventor, solid works all rely heavily on Booleans. I agree if you understand them they can be very powerful.

I can understand why many fear them though as Maya's implementation has a lot of limitations and like NURB's they are scary to folks that come from a poly modeling background.

Clair: Thanks. I am finding that the Boolean method works pretty well but you have to be willing to retopologize a bit to get a proper edge flow. You can rig the deck to some extent by setting up the Boolean objects before joining. Also, by saving the originals it is not hard to delete hole sections of the mesh and then use the original shape (subdivided, and made live) to draw in the proper edge flow.

Jay:

Acid44: Actually I did not plan on modeling the entire bike and I started with that piece because it appeared to be the most difficult to model. If I did decide to do the entire bike everything else would be easy by comparison.

I do plan on modeling of the other complex shaped bits though.