For a period of time spanning almost 50 years...

[walkin jack]

...I owned and rode motorcycles. From dirt to back road to super-slab. It was a life time passion I thought I'd always enjoy. But the time finally came, as I should have expected, when it was just time to get off.

It's been a few years now so I'm a little behind on some of the newer things coming out. I still love 'em but now as an observer only.

I was looking at some clips on Youtube and I see where a lot o the big bike makers are making some major design changes. Looking at some of the models and the term "Bobber" kept coming up.

Any body wanna help me out here. What in the wide wide world of sports is a Bobber?

Thank You

 

[Rustyt1953]

From Wiki:

"A bobber, originally called a 'bob-job' from the 1930s through 1990s, is a style of custom motorcycle. The typical construction includes stripping excess bodywork from a motorcycle; removing the front fender, and shortening the rear fender, which is "bobbed" (as in bob-tail), and all superfluous parts removed to reduce weight."

 

[lihpster]

A bobber is a bike with most of the unneeded parts taken off. It's been bobbed. Front fender? Don't need that. Rear seat? gone. Anything you don't need comes off to make it lighter. If you cut the frame to change the neck angle, it's a chopper, but if you just cut parts off and leave the frame alone it's a bobber.

 

[walkin jack]

Well, that didn't take long. Thanks guys.

 

[LVSteve]

Is that the same as a cafe racer? That's what we had in the UK.

 

[sjmjax]

Same here. Hanging up my helmet. Been riding motorcycles for 55 years. Never been without one. Occasionally owned as many a four at a time. Still love'm. But, it's just become too dangerous to ride at my age. Too much traffic, reckless driving, aggressive driving, lack of common courtesy and cell phone distraction. It's sad and I'll miss it.

But despite fading eyesight, I'll still enjoy my range time and boating. However, even boating is getting crazy.

 

[Imissedagain]

Is that the same as a cafe racer? That's what we had in the UK.

Here's a '66 Ducati Diana that might be considered a cafe racer.
Sadly, I could only afford their 350 Sebring as my second Ducati.
My '79 Yami XT500, when the mods are completed, will be a cross between a cafe, flat track and enduro.

 

[sophie]

...I owned and rode motorcycles. From dirt to back road to super-slab. It was a life time passion I thought I'd always enjoy. But the time finally came, as I should have expected, when it was just time to get off

Thank You

walkin jack, did you ever have a Cushman Eagle or a Mustang Motorcycle? I had them both in the 50's in junior high school. Went on to 650 BSA after I married and sold it when my wife became pregnant with our first son. Of course the dirt bike craze came along and both boys and I had dirt bikes. Lots of fun riding motorcycles. Those were fun days.

 

[lkabug]

...I owned and rode motorcycles. From dirt to back road to super-slab. It was a life time passion I thought I'd always enjoy. But the time finally came, as I should have expected, when it was just time to get off.

I too have ridden many motorcycle over the years. And age caught up with me also. I could no longer shift with my left foot. A year or so after I sold my Harlry, a friend visited on his Spyder.That's when the Cam-Am Spyder RTL made its appearance in my garage. You're right, it's not a "real" motorcycle, but I still get wind in my face.

 

[Narragansett]

Let's see, I have had 3 Hondas, 3 Yamahas, 4 Bultacos, 1 Qssa, 1 Husqvarna and 2 Harleys. The Harley's were the only road bikes.

I gave bikes up 20 years ago. I hit 2 geese, 1 duck and 4 deer with my truck while living in PA, and I said" How long before I do that on my motorcycle? "

Sold my Wide Glide and bought aa Boston Whaler

 

[chief38]

A Bobber (at least what it means to me) is a smaller sport type bike that is meant for short local trips. No bags, small tank, lighter in weight and sporty. Basically a plain bike.

After riding for many decades I sold my last Harley Ultra Classic about 2 years ago. I put over 100,000 miles on my bikes over the years and that does not include the 4 "fly & ride" trips we took riding Harley Davidson's bikes across the Country (12,000+ miles on those). At 67 (at the time) I figured I had beaten the odds, never went down, never had any accidents, and that was the way I wanted to end my riding career. I sold the bike, all my gear and never looked back. Every once in a while I get a twinge when seeing a similar bike go by, but that only lasts a few seconds. At 69 now I know I did the right thing (for me).

 

[zeke]

Just got back into it 3 yrs ago after health got good enough again. Enjoying it while i can, and calling this old man styling. First wash and wax since buying it. Lots of nice County hwy's up here around the lakes, and most tourpests are gone during the week.

 

[ameridaddy]

A bobber is a bike with most of the unneeded parts taken off. It's been bobbed. Front fender? Don't need that. Rear seat? gone. Anything you don't need comes off to make it lighter. If you cut the frame to change the neck angle, it's a chopper, but if you just cut parts off and leave the frame alone it's a bobber.

That thing on the left with no rear fender looks like a good way to get a bad butt burn.

 

[ameridaddy]

Here's a '66 Ducati Diana that might be considered a cafe racer.
Sadly, I could only afford their 350 Sebring as my second Ducati.
My '79 Yami XT500, when the mods are completed, will be a cross between a cafe, flat track and enduro.

Looks like a thumper. Is that a single cylinder? I thought BSA was the only one of those from that era.

 

[Farmer17]

My electrician rode up on an 800cc Ducati the other day, it looked like a stripped down crotch rocket but I sat on it and it was quite comfortable. I took it for a spin and it was very light and I felt like I was on a 250 dirt bike with a big Harley sound. I never had any desire to own a Ducati but I loved it, but no more motorcycles for me. Just playing 8 hours of pickle ball/week is brutal enough on my 64 year old body.

 

[dave1918a2]

I quit a few years back. When I saw a Matchless 500 single on Ebay a couple of weeks age I was sssoooooo close to starting over. Then I thought of My birthday and turning 78 and decided I needed a different present. Stilllll.

 

[walkin jack]

walkin jack, did you ever have a Cushman Eagle or a Mustang Motorcycle? I had them both in the 50's in junior high school. Went on to 650 BSA after I married and sold it when my wife became pregnant with our first son. Of course the dirt bike craze came along and both boys and I had dirt bikes. Lots of fun riding motorcycles. Those were fun days.

I was 15 years old

 

[ZGrand]

Think of a "Bobber" motorcycle as being similar to a bobbed hammer on a revolver. On the bike, things have been shortened, lightened, or removed in the interest of lighter weight and styling (although not my taste).

Here is a picture of one of my bikes - a stock Kawasaki W650.

Here is a picture of a bobbed W650. The differences are obvious.

 

[sophie]

I was 15 years old

Well I'll be, you had a Mustang too. Cool little motorcycles. Mine was pale yellow tank and fenders, and black frame. Had more fun on that Mustang in those years. My sister was the only one in our family that had a camera. I've only got one picture and it's partially covered with a tarp after a 26" snow and blizzard came through Amarillo in 1956. I was 15 years old also. In those years a beginner's license covered scooters and motorcycles and an Operators license covered cars and motorcycles. You probably know that being a Texan. I got my regular Operators license when I was 14 years old. Lots of fond memories.

 

[Imissedagain]

As parts fall off your Jeep, and it still runs, would it be considered a Bobber?

Age doesn't matter if you have great riding skills, although big heavy bikes may be an issue.
It's the others in cars, young and old, that are the problem.
My '79 XT500, when completed, will be under 300lbs wet.
Nice to be able to go from the road thru beach like sand when cars do stupid things.

 

[Inusuit]

Looks like a thumper. Is that a single cylinder? I thought BSA was the only one of those from that era.

I had a couple of 441 BSA thumpers, a Victor Special and a Shooting Star. Triumph, Matchless, AJS, Yamaha and others made single-cylinder bikes.

 

[Imissedagain]

The only two bike allowed at Castle AFB, in the mid '60s, were my older NCO buddies BSA and Triumph Thumpers.
When I made NCO the base Commander gave me permission to buy and bring a bike on base. He told me I must wear a helmet and no bell bottom pants.
What he didn't know was that I was building a Harley hard tail chopper with '54 K/KH parts and got a 61' XLCH engine from Modesto Harley that was geared tall.
One of my smallbore team mates, was OIC of the motor pool, so I had access to lotsa tools.

 

[Imissedagain]

Looks like a thumper. Is that a single cylinder? I thought BSA was the only one of those from that era.

IIRC the Diana was a 250cc.

 

[Eagle 477]

Been riding since the mid 60's Everything from Yamaha DT250 dirt bike to Harley Road King my current is a 2010 Harley FatBoy Lo designed for us short legged older people... Haven't ridden in several years due to the wife's medical condition and way TOOOO many close calls with younger people that think split the line / and crossing the yellow line driving is normal. Also Road rage is not a good thing while carrying My Tolerance level for stupid drivers is getting shorter daily

 

[chief38]

Back in the day we'd call them bar hoppers-lol

 

[walkin jack]

Some of my scooters:
Honda V-65 Magna
Honda 125-Dream (Had this one on Okinawa)
Hodaka 125 ( I'm on the Yellow
Kawasaki 500

 

[The Big D]

Sold my Harley yesterday.

Pardon the thread drift; sold my 2018 HD FXLR yesterday.

Five (5) problem free years with but simply did not ride enough lately. I believe one must ride regularly to maintain critical skills.

Sold it for $15K. Cost of ownership was a mere $4K for those years. (Cost of bike new plus pipes, bags, windshield, etc.)

Pretty good deal, I think.

Had $4K worth of fun certainly. That included the 9/11 ride from Shanksville to the Pentagon to WTC site in 2018.

To all of you, ride safely and have big fun!

Cheers!

 

[Rich Richardson]

Still riding at 72. I ride the Ducati in Arizona in the winter and the Suzuki in the Colorado mountains in the summer. I'll ride until I can't.