1st of The Bobber posts….

Ok so as I’ve said before – I f*ckin love these things! Stripped down, raw bones old motorbikes. Simple lines. No fuss. No shit… Something about how much they look like a pushy appeals to me. Stand outs to get an idea what it’s all about are – Billy Whiz from the UK. ChopperDaves, Knucklebuster Inc, etc in the U.S. The Japs have their own take on the scene – using, not surprisingly, rice burners to make sick looking, nippy (no pun intended…) little machines for hacking round Tokyo. Numero uno in the Japanese scene seems to be the BratStyle shop. For me the best source of inspiration is the Trump post on the Jockey Journal…. There’s a whole fracas about what qualifies as a bobber but there’ll be none of that here. I couldn’t give two shits as long as it looks right.

I’ve been skirting the scene for years now and waiting for the right time to start builing one… Mortgage? – check! 4 month old son? – check! Garage to fiddle in? – check! On the way to a mid lifer? – check! So, after finishing the little lady’s goddang 61 Vespa I’ve had sitting around for about 7 years now…. it’s time to get started propper on my own project – a 1952 triumph pre unit. So far I have a frame, an engine, a 21 front rim, 18 rear, some hubs – stock pre unit rear and a twin leading front from a later model, forks to match – made from two sets of shit ones passed off as accepable by the usual chancers on Fleabay. I took the first big step yesterday and went over to R&R Engineering in West Tanfield for powder coating on the hubs and rims. Turns out the fella who runs the gaff is big into Triumphs and has a load of parts going. Bingo! Some days the gods are with you.. Most days they just want to fuck with you.

Now the ball is rolling I’ll be updating with progress on the latest venture…