racks, windshields, and scabbards discarded. Fenders
were shortened or in some cases removed. Some left
the paint alone, some chose to alter the standard
olive green. What resulted in the end was the start
of a new era, one that would change the world of
motorcycles for generations to come. And so history
was made again…probably in some dude’s garage…
the bobber is born. While the bobber will reign for
most of the decade, there is yet another change
on the horizon…the bobber’s flashy cousin…the
chopper comes to visit near the end of the fifties.
You may be asking, what exactly is a bobber? Is it
the same as a
chopper?
Well,
the answer is No…
While a chopper
could indeed also
be a bobber; they
are not one in the
same.
Webster’s
time is upon us…A
bobber is defined
as
a
stripped,
stock motorcycle
with a “bobbed”
or shortened fender and
only essential motorcycle parts remaining. It is
minimalistic and has had as much weight shed as
possible to increase speed and performance. On the
other end of the spectrum lies the chopper…The
chopper has also had non-essential items removed,
but it has a major difference…the frame is not stock,
it has been “chopped” and modified from its original
factory state and the rake of the front fork has also
been modified in order to move the front tire further
from the bike.
Now while the bobber maintained its minimalistic
approach and focus on function and speed, the
chopper presents riders with the option of being
fast, as well as eye
catching.
When
building choppers
first
became
a
“thing” most people
didn’t really know
exactly what they
were doing. Bikers
would
gather
in garages and/
or shops, enlisting the help of friends in order to
modify their frames and lighten their bikes.
Gas tanks, headlights, and blinkers were made
smaller. Some bikers removed their batteries
and replaced them with magnetos to further
reduce weight. Standard front
tires were replaced
with narrower tires,
and
handlebars
were
modified
to be taller to
compensate for the
rake of the front fork
(ape hangers). Bikers
noticed immediately
how much different it was to ride a motorcycle
with these modifications, but did that stop anyone
from pushing the envelope and creating bigger and
better choppers in the future? Of course not…I’ve
never met a biker who would back down from a
challenge, and this was no different.
I affectionately referred to the chopper as the “flashy
cousin” of the bobber….but let’s be honest here.
The Chopper is more like an attention whore, and
being in the limelight seems only fitting for such a
diva. Choppers are unique, they are individualistic,
and they deserve their own article. The chopper
era took the Unites States by storm, and produced
some pretty amazing names in the biker world. So,
although I have been told that I shouldn’t encourage
egocentrism…I am going to give in, just this once
and spend next month looking at all that is chopper,
and the extremes the chopper culture went to in the
1960’s.
Melanie Schwarte
[email protected]
www.thunderroadslams.com | April 2018 | Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana/Mississippi
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