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A Bobber in a Box (read below) |
| I've always been a sucker for bobbers and until just recently if you
saw a bobber, nine chances out of ten it was a Harley... I don't have anything
against Harleys, in fact I have some Harley parts on MY bobber
(they make great "donor" bikes! (wink)... I focus on "alternative" (Japanese)
bobbers because while the Harley market has exploded with anything and
everything chrome plated or made of billet aluminum, building a Japanese
bobber still requires some thought and ingenuity to plan and build. The
metric cruiser market is definitely taking off, but in my opinion a bobber
(and even a chopper) should be less about bolting on shiny bits and pieces
and more about making things "work".
"Bobber in a Box" You know, you really CAN find it all on eBay! I like to peruse the eBay motorcycle classifieds while pretending I am a wealthy gynecologist, clicking on all of the different motorcycles I see and pretending they could be mine with just one click of the "Pay Now" button... While scanning the classifieds this evening, I came across what I call a "bobber in a box". Really.... Now check this out... You can order pretty decent looking 125 cc, semi automatic bobber delivered directly from the factory to your door in FOUR LARGE BOXES via UPS for only $1,999.00. shipping included! No shit! =) The company selling this cool little bobber has a website, so feel free to check them out directly... It's neat that bobbers have once again come into their own and are gaining popularity, but it's a drag, too... We Americans never cease to look for the easy way out and this is another example of mass merchandising sterilizing the gritty, greasy need for speed and the development of patience and ingenuity which goes with it. Instead, you can "Pay Now" and UPS will gladly drop off your "Bobber in a Box".
Click on the pic to supersize it... Each image will open into a new window. Feel free to zap me YOUR Japanese/ English bobber pix for inclusion. =) Squirts Copyright © 1998-2009 by Tom "Squirts" Clark. All rights reserved. Excerpts from this document may be quoted with proper reference to the URL, the author, and the modification date listed below.
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(As told to me by old bikers now gone)...
In the old days, back when the air was still fresh and gas was less then
thirty cents per gallon, any bike sporting all of the factory goodies such
as fenders, spotlights, saddlebags and all of the associated yee yaa was
considered a "Garbage Wagon" by those who participated in flat-track,
enduro, or street racing. To increase speed and performance, riders would
remove, or "bob" parts from their bikes which weren't absolutely necessary
for its operation. Fenders, saddlebags, spotlights and the assorted chrome
goodies were removed leaving essentially an engine, two wheels and a
frame... THIS is a "Bobber". Contrasting the bobber is the "chopper", a
movement which began as a bobber (with bits and pieces "chopped" off) but
over time experienced a metamorphosis from a more practical racing machine
to a less practical (and poorer performing) embodiment of a motorcycle
more bent on making a statement than winning a race (Apes and extended
forks make diving into a corner at speed just a little bit more hairy) =
). Both choppers and bobbers owe their history to those first riders who
knew that big engines and less weight equaled BIG
smiles.
