Wednesday, January 21, 2009
What is a bobber?
Lucky asked a good question. Can a Sportster be a bobber? I have my thoughts and ideas on it and have gone round and round with Wes and others on the subject. I say a Sportie can be bobbed, but not really a Bobber. To me a bobber incorporates a style and a time period. When you get into the mid 1950's, especially with swing arm bikes, I feel you start getting into "customs." Not yet "choppers", but no longer bobbers. Bobbers were modified street bikes used for multi purpose. Stripped for class C racing and the like. By the 50's racers seemed to have more purpose built bikes for racing and street bikes for riding around town. The bobber era had ended. This is solely my opinion and would love to hear yours. So from me Lucky, a Sportster can't be a true bobber. Don't get me wrong. I love Sporties. I own a 1957 Sportster and it's a mild custom, but I don't consider it a bobber. So lets hear it people!
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5 comments:
I'll bite. A chopper has had the next raked, or front fork extended, etc. Hence the name chop or chopper. Custom would be hand made parts, moulding, etc. Bobjobs or bobs for short (84 year old George told me at Oley last year that bobber's are for fishing and it was always bobjob. He also said it's transmission and never trans too), were anything with bobbed front and rear fenders so the end didn't get torn up in hare and hounds, TT's, field games, etc. So bobjob's span alot of time and could be any machine with stock fender's that have been bobbed even though we pictue them from a certain moment in time. Rich
I wish I had an older sporty but alas mine is in the AMF years whitch some people think are junk it was a mess when I got it it wasnt stock ridgid frame six over narrow motor was not rebuilt! So im goin for a clean custom look as what Rich responded and what custom history has shown.
Still lookin for early frontend for it with drum brakes that arent a millon dollars! And thanx fer the input I do take it and use it I was raised as a rugrat bikers son so I know some but taught at a early age to respect the older generation and listen, learn!!!Thanks again!!!
Ok Rich you win. Bob Job it is. I've struggles with many names over the years and have settled in with bobber so people know what the hell I'm talking about, but bob job is better. Although I prefer "cut down." Lucky I hope you took no offense. I just love the custom styles of the 40s. Always have in both cars and bike, so I'm partial to the style.
Bobjob is good cause Bobber has been so "F"ed up to the point it means nothing. I'm gonna do a post on the subject called "Bobber not a Bobber". If you look at the old mags, what some now would call a bobber, were being called choppers. In the 80's and 90's people started calling old style short and tight choppers, "Bar Hoppers". That was cool until it too, got over used. For tight custom bikes maybe we should call them Chobbers. You heard it here first!
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