Art of the Bobber (Hardcover)

by Spencer Drate (Author), Judith Salavetz (Author), Jim Babchak (Introduction), Howard Kelly (Afterword), Gregg Sheridan (Afterword), Alex Mardikian (Foreword) "Cyril Huze has a simple and powerful motto: "I will never design and build a bad motorcycle, because somebody could buy it..." (more)
Key Phrases: motorcycle industry, foot clutch, primary drive, Klock Werks, Performance Machine, Detroit Bros (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Born to Ride, February 2007

“[Art of the Bobber] captures the rebel spirit of the ultimate custom bike as never before. Every bobber is beautifully photographed, emphasizing the smooth edges and geometric shapes, creating a whole new dimension and perception for the reader.”

American Cycle, April 2007

“Art of the Bobber traces the emergence of custom motorcycles and introduces us to the machines of today that are upholding the rebellious culture of the original Bobber. The pictures are the showcase of this book. Art of the Bobber is much like its subject matter, stripped down and raw with power and grit. Today the Bobber retains its original image, ‘short, low and fast,’ and Drate and Salavetz showcase these bikes with mastery.”

Product Description

Before choppers, there was the bobber. When American-brand motorcycle owners needed to change their rear tires decades ago, the rear fender featured a hinge near its center that would flip up to make room for the tire to be removed. At some point ,an enterprising rider decided to permanently remove the hinged rear portion of the fender - shortening the fender like the "bobbed" hair cuts popular during those days - or so the theory goes. The tradition of stripping down to a bike's bare essence and celebrating its simpler forms - making a bobber - was begun. As these lean, mean machines come roaring back onto the scene in a big way, this book offers a look at where the bobber came from, where it’s going, and what it’s about. With over 200 exclusive photographs of the most cutting-edge bobbers, biographies of the men and women who build them, and inside stories on top shops like Indian Larry, Von Dutch Kustoms, Orange County Choppers, Arlen Ness, Mitch Bergeron, and more. This book captures the rebel spirit of the ultimate custom bike as never before.

Publisher's Note: This edition includes a poster on the reverse of the book's jacket.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; 1st edition (November 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760325316
• ISBN-13: 978-0760325315
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 10.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #395,302 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #53 in	Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Motorcycles > Pictorial
  #64 in	Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Motorcycles > History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Bobber?, November 7, 2006

By	Lyle Landstrom (Moorhead, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Ok, Some books should be judged by their cover. This is one of them. By the books own definition, bobbers are "a machine that had things cut or bobbed off." It then goes on to explain using a stock machine as a starting point. The bike on the cover, like about 80% of the bikes in this book, does not use a stock frame or front end as a starting point. Many of them are aftermarket raked and stretched frames using overlength front ends and mag wheels. Clearly not bobbers. This book should be called Art of the Custom Motorcycle. It is a decent book about modern custom bikes, but if I had the opportunity of browse the book prior to purchasing, I wold not have purchased it. I would categorize this book as a book written by people who are taking advantage of the recent bobber craze without knowing the true definition of the term. On the flip side, the book is a good value for what Amazon charges and if you are into custom bikes perhaps you should consider it. But don't expect to see traditional bobbers.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Art of the Bobber , December 5, 2007

By	SD "SD" (FL) - See all my reviews

Not historically accurate. Items are in here that are not Bobbers. I would not recommend the book!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful photos, great design, lots of info..., March 2, 2007

By	SweePee (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This book has a ton of beauty shots of amazing bikes. The last reviewer was disappointed there weren't a lot of "old school" traditional bobbers, but that's not the point of the book really. There are a number of old school bobbers, a number of modern looking designs, but overall if you're a fan of awesome custom motorcycles, you'll dig this book.