Chopper also refered to a stock bike frame which all of the mounting tabs were "chopped" off. (Gas tank tabs, sidecar tabs, etc). The next step was to "chop" into the neck of the frame to change the rake angle and add a longer front end......now they just use Extens and the girls are happy!
The term refers to bobbing the fender. Hardtails had to have a swing up section to remove the rear wheel. This was usually the first bit to go soon followed by the front fender and extraneous sheet metal. and parts. The result was a Bobber. Two wheels ,engine , brake(s), and minimal lights. Yes , a hot rod bike.
Bobber is the first job you get at McDonalds, It's the dude in the back with all the acne, that in return he gets from bobbin for fries........LOL
Here are pics of three bikes I owned/built in the seventies. I never heard the term "Bobber" til recently. Back then (60's-70's) what is now reffered to as a bobber was usually called a "Fat Bob", which I generally thought was a reference to the fat tanks, which no one wanted to run. Remember, back then everybody ran peanuts, sportster, coffin, or some other weird **** for tanks. Everybody was into Choppers, more like the maroon shovelhead. This bike had a 1" rake with a 15" front end (suicide shift with a 28 tooth countershaft sprocket....would cruise on the road at 100mph plus(if you were as stupid as i was back then)! The stocker is probably the closest to a bobber by the currant definition. The black pan (fatbob) would probably qualify as a bobber by the currant defination also. It had a 3/4" rake with a 6" front end. when the bike was upright the bottom tube was pretty close to level with the ground. All the guys I rode with thought I was nuts for to build this style of bike (1973). but it was the best ride I ever owned. '47 lower end, '48 barrels, '65 heads with big valves. 38mm SU carb, foot shift(got tired of the suicide). '57 straight leg frame. Last I heard this bike is still on the road in Las Vegas, looking basically the same. I think the tanks got changed to a sportster. Sorry about the grainy quality of the pics. Taking pictures wasn't my main priority then! http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/whitewalltires/Shovel.jpg http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/whitewalltires/Shovel001.jpg http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg179/whitewalltires/Pan.jpg
I'm pretty sure people refer to the 30s and 40s pickups as bobbers because people generally shorten or 'bob' the bed...
Is'nt it that red and white plastic float thingy that you put on a fish'n line to see if a fish likes the worm you're drowning?
It's the new catch fraise every one is using it. It's also a silly word no one should use to describe a truck or a bike. It belonged back in the old day and should stay there.
You mean section the bed.... you bob fenders, or you can bob the frame (remove the horns), but shortening a bed would be sectioning...
Being old sometimes helps in these discussions. Bobber is derived from describing a bobcat. A wild cat that has a very short tail. It then described anything that was cut short in the back. A woman would bob her hair, cut it short. A semi truck without a trailer was called a bobber or bobcat. (Also, dead header) On this forum, I think it applies to a pickup with a shortened bed. Think of a cat with a very short tail, that is a bobber. I disagree with Zman, A shortened bed would be bobbed and sectioning would be reducing the height, like sectioning a car.
I remember now. A bobber is that chick that went from back seat to back seat at the keg parties back in high school>>>>.
For those that only read the first page... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2603998&postcount=26 CC
If you cut the end off a fender, Its Bobbed ? If you cut the end off your Frame, Its Bobbed ? But if you cut the end off your bed, Its Sectioned ? I allways thought SECTIONING was when you cut a strip out of the MIDDLE and reduced the Hight of said body. SO... A shortened bed is a BOBBED BED... NOT Sectioned.
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