Period Correct Bobbers

[Hollywood]

Here's another
39 WLD small.JPG

[Iacovos]

NICE bikes !! Thanks for the pics

[Hollywood]

'41 Hydra-Bob

DSCF1735cropped.jpg

[Iacovos]

[Iacovos]

[tomcat1]

one of my favorite bobbers

[Dkgoz]

Tomcat,

I saw that at Davenport last fall, and liked it a lot. Some cool details on it.

IMG_4844.jpgIMG_4845.jpg

Dave
AMCA9757

[Iacovos]

So is this like an unrestored bobber from the period?

[exeric]

I got interested in old bikes back in the early 70s, and I used to hang out at Puckett's shop in Orlando. Puckett's started in 1936 and they were close to a monopoly for that area, and THE Harley dealer in Central Florida. Puckett's influence went from Orlando to Tampa, and down to Sarasota. Certainly not Southern California but year-round riding, and an active motorcycle culture with participation at Daytona, and many sales to the 2 military bases in that area. I know customizing motorcycles goes back to 1901, and every biker personalizes their bikes but I have to say; I have never seen as many 'bobbers' as you see today. You would have thought a few would have been running around back in the 70s and 80s but I never saw a single one. Buddy Puckett showed me a lot of the good stuff back in the warehouses, and attics of their old dealerships but I never saw anything like the bobbers you see today. Believe me, old man Puckett didn't throw anything away and they did have some weird stuff. I'm not saying these bikes didn't exist because I have seen pictures of gypsy tours, and club runs from the late 40s thru early 60s and you see a few 'bobbers'. However, most of that is from California where the climate, and dry weather would have been kind to a rider on a street version of a Class C racer. I'm willing to take a beating for my comments if I'm proven wrong, but I think most of these bikes are a fantasy and may have genuine parts, but were put together yesterday. A good example is the picture Tomcat1 posted just above. The bike in the background has a known, and legitimate provenence and shows the common custom influence of it's day. the bike in the foreground looks like it could have been done last year. . . . Please, don't punch the face

[Hollywood]

Eric, You're probably right. With their popularity these days there are a lot of people building "bobbers" today. Just so you know that they were around in the 80's...here is a picture of my 47 U in 1985...

47 U 1980's at college (1).JPG

[Tom Lovejoy]

I am starting a bobber and mainly because I can no longer afford the correct parts for the machine.Think that's also a factor with all these Board Trackers being built today. Plus, it might be fun to have one machine that looks kind of wild instead of stock :-) Well put Eric, as usual.

[exeric]

This was my '41EL. The picture was taken around 1976-77. I did this after seeing vintage pictues in Easyriders and this was my half-assed attempt. . . I really like it now

[Slojo]

Let the builders build don't "cut them down" for their patina bikes or interpretation of what they want their bike to look like, at least they are building. Think of it as Art!

What ever a builder does typically can be undone by the next guy. Bobber builders are people gathering parts to build and ride their creations what is wrong with that? The next guy, if he chooses will have an easier job restoring a bobber than an pile of parts. If not setting up the next guy the builder of a bobber may be using old junk that just is not suitable for a proper restoration.

Me, I will modify a build from original as you all know but I go my own way, typically building what I want to see. Build a finished project and let the cards lie where they fall for others to criticize or commend I really don't care. I build bikes not to fit a theme but to fit a purpose, purpose built bikes provide the most enjoyment.


joe

[petri]

My42Harley3.jpgMy42Harley1.jpg

Well I posted these once before some years ago. This is a '42 Harley 45 I bought about 1967. It came bobbed, I just got the thing running. I had to replace the transmission and rewire it. I imagine it was bobbed in the late 40's or 50's, at any rate before I bought it. Of course I wish I still had it but I only held on to it a few years until life got in the way.

Howard

[rwm]

i did mine the cheap route also $40.00 for fenders. an english front and an itailian rear. on the 46 the guy pulled the pin from the rear hinge