Okay, somebody 'splain it to me

Bikegeezer · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:22 am Post subject: Okay, somebody 'splain it to me

I just don't get the chopper/bobber thing. I mean, why would someone take a good handling, comforftable, safe, reliable bike like a KZ550 and turn it into this monstrosity? Is it a Bad Dude image thing among the younger guys who watch too much OCC on TV? Maybe the thing was a total wreck, and the guy just cobbled it together with junk parts to have something to ride? Nah - he likely spent more making it into a hardtail and buying those junk parts than if he'd just fixed the original bike. And now he thinks someone else should be drooling and willing to pay $3,000 for this dangerous POS? Oh yeah - he does have a clear title Rolling Eyes

From Phoenix Craig's List

KirkN · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 7:08 am Post subject:

You and me both, brother... Rolling Eyes

I just don't get that fascination at all! The Orlando Craigslist is FILLED with abominations like that. Ugh! I'd rather have the nice runner out of whatever they started with than one of those any day of the week.

And the funny thing is, I NEVER see one out on the road! Not riding around, not commuting, not tooling along on sunny Sunday mornings, not even parked at bars on Friday nights. I wonder why not....

Sigh.

Kirk

yamasarus · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 7:40 am Post subject:

KirkN,
You don't see them on the road because once it's finished they ride it and say" what the Heck have I done!". Then they put it up for sell because someone must want "My work of art".
I am big into 650 Yamahas and they get butchered all the time.......

Rizingson · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:48 am Post subject:

I agree with you yamasarus, the XS650 is probably one of the most butchered bikes out there. This has really driven up the price on them as well, not the price of the chopped ones however, just the originals!

rdaystrom · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:51 am Post subject:

Some things probably sound like a great idea..... until that person runs out of weed.

jayel · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:07 am Post subject:

MR.CHocko · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 1:41 pm Post subject:

The thing is that these guys think it is all cool. Not to mention they all grew up watching OCC and Jesse James. Now here is the truth about the bobber. The Bobber started out in the 30's with the AMA's class C racing. The guys would race what they brought. What that usually intailed was taking a stock bike and stripping the lights,etc. off of it so it could be raced. The cut rear fender was done because most of the tracks were still dirt at the time, easy for it to go away. During the 40's and 50's these guys weren't really racing their bikes, as the manufacturers started making production class bikes for this class. So guys were then doing it for looks. This lasted until the chopper came about in the 60's. This motohistory moment was brought to you by Black Cat Garage. Sorry that was my bit of self promotion.
Anyways what it is with the rigid frame,etc. is that you have the OCC thing going on. It is like what Rick Fearless, said all of a sudden someone sees a cool bike on a TV show and everyone wants to copy it. That is what is going on. These guys are trying to copy something they know nothing about or its history. In the proccess you ruin a good bike.

fasterspider · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 3:24 pm Post subject:

I do not understand the abortions these guys "build" but, I do understand modifying an older bike like I did to my CBX into something that can come out of that last twisty not flexing like a rubberband while lifting the front wheel or stopping that 600lb bike on a dime and be owed 0.08Â¢ Twisted Evil

yamasarus · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:07 pm Post subject:

Uh,
I don't think I would even remotely call your CBX a bobber. And it sure isn't butchered.......

tbpmusic · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:33 pm Post subject:

I'm pretty tolerant - if it has two wheels it's ok with me, different strokes and all.
I wouldn't ride one, but that's just me.
I think it's more an issue of some people "wearing" their bikes more than riding them.......they'll all drop out of biking in a couple of years, most likely.
Witness the hordes of people who watched American Chopper, ran out and bought a bike, and are now selling their overpriced Harleys on CraigsList.
Same thing will happen with all the "cafe racers" that are showing up, just a recycled fad that got tired 40-50 years ago.

MR.CHocko · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:51 pm Post subject:

It is a fad that will die out. Trust me I know but until then I am going to make some money off of those guys. Thanks to those guys the price of certain types of gas tanks have gone way up! Once it crashes the prices of the tanks will go down to more acceptable levels. But still I do not get why people will butcher a bike like that. Personally I would rather take a XS650 and make a flat tracker out of it. It is more suited to be a flat tracker then be butchered into someone's impression of a bobber.

Russell · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 5:15 pm Post subject:

Bobbers?I'm just gob-smacked by the prices they ask for these bizarre efforts to take a safe and capable good looking motorcycle and turn it into an uncomfortable, evil handling, and ugly statement about I don't know what. Presumably some-one buys them at something close to the prices asked?

Hippykid · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 11:16 pm Post subject:

As long as you like what you ride-thats all that matters....

fxray · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 11:29 pm Post subject:

Not Japanese, but still the same genre of which you speak. Caution, may make you temporarily dizzy to look at the picture:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/650-Triumph-Chopper-/250786480638?pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item3a640a01fe#v4-44

MR.CHocko · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:48 am Post subject:

Now that is a chopper. From what the guys who survived the chopper era told me they would chop just about anything. From the items description, this obviously didn't think things through when he was building this bike. Some advice for the future, if you wife or girlfriend likes to ride on the back make sure that you either have a side car or a stock seat.