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Where does the term Bobber come from ?

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  #1  
Old 06-01-2015, 04:41 PM
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Default Where does the term Bobber come from ?

How did it get that nick name ?
 
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Old 06-01-2015, 04:44 PM
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Bobbing the fenders comes to mind ... bobbing ( shortening ) the fenders
 
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Old 06-01-2015, 06:04 PM
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Could also be the bobbing the rider does when riding over bumps on a hard tail.
But I also agree, bobbing is shortened or cut down tins.
 

Last edited by upflying; 06-01-2015 at 06:06 PM.
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Old 06-01-2015, 06:23 PM
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Old 06-01-2015, 06:28 PM
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Back when the rear fender was hinged, riders would strip down anything that did not help the bike go faster. the lower part of the rear fender was easy prey and when removed the back of the bike looked bobbed off. the front fender, crash bars, mirrors, bags and anything else you could pull off the bike was next. bobbers are unlike choppers that have hard parts such as the frame cut. [chopped]
my 56 is a classic bobber, The rear fender is actually a front. Harley's have lots of iconic terms, can you spot the " pig snout"
 
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Last edited by sixguns; 06-01-2015 at 08:23 PM.
  #6  
Old 06-01-2015, 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by sixguns
Back when the rear fender was hinged, riders would strip down anything that did not help the bike go faster. the lower part of the rear fender was easy prey and when removed the back of the bike looked bobbed off. the front fender, crash bars, mirrors, bags and anything else you could pull off the bike was next. bobbers are unlike choppers that have hard parts such as the frame cut. [chopped]
my 56 is a classic bobber, The rear fender is actually a front.

Excellent. A true bobber. Here's a couple of bikes: A knuckle that a local rider built, and a "modern" bobber built around a shovel:







 
  #7  
Old 06-02-2015, 12:10 PM
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Sixguns I love that you used a front fender on the back. I always liked that look even though you don't see it much anymore. That bike is a beautiful bobber true to it's roots.
 
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Old 06-02-2015, 12:53 PM
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Originally Posted by sixguns
Back when the rear fender was hinged, riders would strip down anything that did not help the bike go faster. the lower part of the rear fender was easy prey and when removed the back of the bike looked bobbed off. the front fender, crash bars, mirrors, bags and anything else you could pull off the bike was next. bobbers are unlike choppers that have hard parts such as the frame cut. [chopped]
my 56 is a classic bobber, The rear fender is actually a front. Harley's have lots of iconic terms, can you spot the " pig snout"
Love this bike. What tires are those?
 
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Old 06-02-2015, 04:40 PM
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Thanks for all the kind words. The tires are "Firestone Deluxe Champions", 5.00 x 16 4ply they run with 12 and 14 psi of air.
 
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Old 06-02-2015, 06:07 PM
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[QUOTE=sixguns;14074907
my 56 is a classic bobber, The rear fender is actually a front. Harley's have lots of iconic terms, can you spot the " pig snout"[/QUOTE]

First time I've seen a front fender on the back, I like it.
Nice bike man!
 


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