Post by Pug}{maN on Nov 8, 2010 14:03:41 GMT -5
A "Bobber" is a stock motorcycle without major modifications, except that most or all of the parts which do not contribute to speed and/or performance have been removed or shortened (i.e. "bobbed").
If you take a stock motorcycle and remove most of the parts which do not contribute to speed and/or performance, and replace the handlebars by road racing clip-ons and you replace the seat by a streamlined road racing seat, you end up with a Cafe Racer instead of a Bobber.
Not that we have anything against Cafe Racers (to the contrary - we embrace them and love to show them!), but they are not Bobbers.
The thing is, for a bike to become a Bobber, is also a matter of style. To illuminate this we have to go back in time.
The "bobbing" of motorcycles goes back to the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's, to the days of classic Dirt Track Racing, Road Racing and Hill Climbing events.
During those days there was no big after sales market like we got right now, and the most effective way to increase performance was to shed as much weight as possible.
So it was that during those days guys would ride their bike to work during the week, and during the weekend they would ride it to a motorsports event, open the tool box, strip off all ballast from the bike, and participate in the race!
After the race the owner would put all parts back on again to make the bike street legal. That is, if the bike had not been crashed too bad during the race...
If you take a stock motorcycle and remove most of the parts which do not contribute to speed and/or performance, and replace the handlebars by road racing clip-ons and you replace the seat by a streamlined road racing seat, you end up with a Cafe Racer instead of a Bobber.
Not that we have anything against Cafe Racers (to the contrary - we embrace them and love to show them!), but they are not Bobbers.
The thing is, for a bike to become a Bobber, is also a matter of style. To illuminate this we have to go back in time.
The "bobbing" of motorcycles goes back to the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's, to the days of classic Dirt Track Racing, Road Racing and Hill Climbing events.
During those days there was no big after sales market like we got right now, and the most effective way to increase performance was to shed as much weight as possible.
So it was that during those days guys would ride their bike to work during the week, and during the weekend they would ride it to a motorsports event, open the tool box, strip off all ballast from the bike, and participate in the race!
After the race the owner would put all parts back on again to make the bike street legal. That is, if the bike had not been crashed too bad during the race...
