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bobbing a bike

15K views 26 replies 17 participants last post by  IMB4U 
#1 ·
I would like to make a bobber out of my 800, however I am not sure what all I need to do. is there some info out there I could get?
 
#2 ·
The idea is kind of subjective. It all depends on what you are looking for in a final look to your bike.

A good place to start is blue collar bobbers. They sell kits for the 800 that have a variety of mods you can do.

Also, do some google searching and look at some pictures and see what it is that you like or want to do and how you want to achieve the bobber look.

I personally am in the middle of doing a semi-bobber project on my 800. I say, "semi" because I want to be able to keep the rear fender struts and only modify the rear fender. Plus being on a pretty tight budget for motorcycle mods I need to keep things cheap. I find that a lot of the mods that they have on the blue collar site can be done with cheaper used parts but you need to have the patience to be able to get thing peicemeal or do a lot of looking for what you want.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Bobber: A motorcycle where any unnecessary parts have been cut ("bobbed") off.

Step one: cut off anything you don't need or want. Fender too long? Shorten it. Don't carry passengers? Replace the stock seat with a solo seat. Too many gauges cluttering up your bars? Unbolt whatever you don't need. Bars the wrong shape? Cut them down or replace them with whatever works for you and doesn't have extra swoops and swings in it.

Step two: add whatever you, personally, want. Need a bag to carry your beer? Add a bag. Like a p-pad for the occasional passenger? Bolt on one.

Step three: Finally, do what you want to make it look right- flat black and red wheels? Cammo green with leather accents? Candy apple red with white pinstripes? Have at.

A lot of people these days built "bobbers" that are highly stylized copies of each other, all of them based on the mid-1940's-50's Harley look- flat black, red "race" wheels, white-wall tires, etc. It's a good look, but it's not what a bobber is. Let form follow function, not vice versa, and your bobber will appear. Bobbers are never finished, they're only *more* finished. They take time. You may not want a speedo, but then find you miss it in a few months. Or maybe you realize you never use your right mirror- saw it off. Let it be organic. DOn't be afraid of the bike, and don't be afraid of what other people say about it. It's yours. Make it fit you.
 
#5 ·
I just picked up my first bike... i'm a new rider but didn't want to get a jap bike like all my friends because im too wreckles. speeds of 140mph + is no good for me.. or anyone but i liked the way "bobbed" bikes looked. i wound up with a vulcan 500 and immediatly started bobbin it. you pretty much remove as much of the bikes parts and accessories as possible an strip it down.. chop stuff up.. put a solo spring seat on... some crazy bars and nice rear fender with your own personality put into it within the blinkers mirrors.. foot pedals.. i'm going to be making a build thread if you want i can share some pictures of my progress over the past few days.
 
#6 ·
Yeah, definitely, do that! Be curious what you're doing- I'm looking at some similar stuff like that too.

Right now, I'm dealing with stuff like making the funky aftermarket seat a bit more comfortable- had the beast (another 500) some 500 miles a few weekends ago, and it ended up so uncomfortable that I cut up my camping mat and taped it to the seat! :p
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)




heres some pictures of the bob at this time.. I will get more work done to her as soon as I get to killa cali.. cant wait!!






in frisco where im from.. that's where it all started.. so the saying less is best... a stock bike with all the unnecessary things off of it.. no rake..(the first bike had a rake but hell it lol its a chopper) skinny as hell so splitting lanes was easier (skinny bars as well not long and all off to the side).. my bars im throwing on the vn8 are in cali so im riding back on Wednesday.. throw em on.. maybe go to LA from Washington.. and fast as hell.. ill give you more info if you want on the history.. but now days its all up to you kinda thing.. people call them frisco bobbers and don't even know what it means.. bobbers as dusty explained it was perfect.. now being friscoed.. that's a different story.. good luck and let me know if you need help or advice at least..
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
I know this thread is old, but this section of the forum didn't seem too active, so maybe I won't catch too much hell for digging this one up. haha

Anyway, just wanted to ask a couple questions about the VN8 bob. First off, it's sick. I love the hell out of it man. Secondly, is it hard tailed? It's sort of hard to tell with these bikes. People are using struts and lining the "soft tail" up with the rest of the frame, and it looks just like a hard tail before close inspection.

If It is hard tailed, did you do it yourself?

Did you have to change the orientation of the petcock for the sporty tank? How did you mount it? Any suggestions?

Sorry about hitting you with so many at once. I'm about to start chopping on mine, and yours is pretty close to the direction I plan on heading with it.

Thanks man.
 
#11 ·
I posted this question on the 900 forum,since thats what I ride.Why do ya'll like bobbers?because they look cool is a pretty common answer, but what is cool to me isnt cool to someone else.You chop your frame off, you put a springy seat on it,and a small tailight and plain fender.That is stripped down.I guess the minimalist appearance represents something, i haven figured it out yet.I have seen some bobbers well done.Spoke wheels,flat black paint,real tailights,but all have the same seat.its definitely a solo flight with one of those seats.For the record my custom is flat black and has a huge plastic rear fender.I am not crazy about that.The front plastic fender feesl like i could just grab hold of it and rip it off.I want to change a few things.
 
#12 ·
The theory behind the bobber is that it's the cruiser equivalent to a street fighter- any extra weight pulled off. Because cruisers are essentially based on bikes from the 50's, a lot of the inspiration comes from there- wheels painted red like the old race wheels, Ford tail lights like 50's hotrots used, flat black like the old-school primer, things like that.
 
#14 ·
Exactly. Same ideas from the same culture. And then, today, taken even further in a retro sorta way. I dunno, I'm kinda over bobbers. There's some really cool stuff there, but so much of it is mired in aesthetics from a time long past (and, in fact, may never have existed- I can find very few pics of bikes from the heyday of hotrods that look like modern bobbers). Be creative :)
 
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