Bobbers for Cobbers

“It’s been in its roller state for the last year or so and I firmly believe that everyone (yes absolutely everyone) needs a bobber in their life”

There’s nothing quite like sitting in your garage or workshop and checking out your latest project. It might be a complete rebuild, nothing but a roller or even a stock standard bike you have big plans with. You can envision the raw pleasure of flying down the road on a bike that grown men faint at the sight of and as you get to your favourite ride destination other riders throw down their leathers like a black and tan ‘red carpet’ for you to roll up on. Unfortunately that’s the best case scenario and it doesn’t always go that way…

In my home workshop for instance, I have the start of an awesome little hardtail bobber. It’s going to be low, fast, clean lines and totally utilitarian. Every time I sit on it my mind swoons with all the great things that this bike and I will do together one day. The XS650 motor is the heart of my beast and yes the frame was made by hand. The wheels came off a shelf that has so many layers of parts on it it’s like counting the rings of a tree as I search for parts I put away in the 90’s. The tank was a new tank I bought years ago and now has so much rust on it, I’m sure it would be overlooked at the local tip.

Have there been haters? Absolutely. Many the casual observer has been known to use words like “trap” “waste” and the most hurtful of all “junk”. It’s been in its roller state for the last year or so and I firmly believe that everyone (yes absolutely everyone) needs a bobber in their life. Hardtailed and not necessarily complete. For me, it’s sitting in my garage, cracking a beverage, putting on some Moby or The Cult and taking great pleasure in putting on that part that I know is exactly right for THIS bike. I know it because it took me 2 months to make a decision on and the same time again to find.

There are other Hardtails out there. Maybe an early Triumph motor would fill another hole in my life or a little BSA. If I didn’t have the patience I could go with the best Triumph motor Triumph never made, the W650. Now that would be fun. On the opposite end of the scale to my bike I could go a stock production bike like the Heist, from Cleveland CycleWerks. We upgrade them with a 300cc motor now and these bikes are already engineered and on the road for just under $5k. Even with my never ending supply of second hand bits it’ll cost me easily twice that for my bike..

But then what would be my excuse for sitting like an idiot in my garage drinking bourbon and making vrooming noises…

“If I didn’t have the patience I could go with the best Triumph motor Triumph never made, the W650”