Bertie Simmonds rides a characterful Moto Guzzi, but asks if this is just a fad too far?
Biking fads seem to be the way things areheading and one is the Bobber. In the sameway that café racers seem to pop up from time to time, these stripped-down machines hark back to an era that marketing people seem to think we really want to relive. A ‘Bobber’ itself was a ‘pared back’ American machine, more often than not a Harley-Davidson. When the men came back from the Second World War, they could pick up ex-War Department hogs and strip them back, make them look more aggressive and make them unique. Today ‘hipsters’ love them and make them from anything and everything.
That’s all well and good, but some bikes are more suited to this than others, so what on Earth is Europe’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer doing making an American Bobber anyways? Thankfully the look is very Guzzi – but then again, how can it not be with that trademark longitudinal V-twin proudly jutting out front?
Ahhh, that motor, I’ve always been a fan. For this creation (and its sibling, the Roamer – see boxout) much of it is new. The 853cc lump has new barrels (rounded ones, compared to the sharperedged V7s) new heads and pistons. Enigmatic and characterful are two words that could have been coined for this 90º Vee, after all it still has pushrods, two valves per-pot and is an air-cooled affair… Of course it has had to move with the (Euro 4 compliant) times, hell there’s even traction control so there is tech inside, but let’s fire her up and take her for a spin.
Denne historien er fra December 2018-utgaven av Classic Motorcycle Mechanics.
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Denne historien er fra December 2018-utgaven av Classic Motorcycle Mechanics.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Honda VFR750R - RC30
If there’s a more worshipped V4 out there, we’ve yet to see it: welcome to our reboot of the awesome VFR750R RC30…
Mountain tension!
Award-winning motorcycle engineer!
Fazer set to STUN!
What do you get when you mix CRK’s lovely café racer kit to Yamaha’s budget middleweight and the recently-retired Martin Fox? Well, one helluva foxy Fazer!
Project Suzuki 1984 RG250 part 4 BRUNO BARES ALL!
This month, while we wait for backorder engine parts, we strip the chassis back to the bare frame, assess what is needed and plan the reassembly…
Project Kawasaki Z900 Stocker part 2 Ralph has a blast!
For the best finish on his Z900’s motor Ralph wants the best, so he visits Stephen Smethurst Casting Renovation to find out how it’s done properly.
Project Suzuki TS400 Part 8 Loom with a view!
We’re getting down into the nitty-gritty this time with component testing and loom building. What could go wrong?
Project Yamaha TX750 Part 12 A question of balance…
Only The Beach Boys had good vibrations… so what’s Mark been up to, to sort out the bad ones coming from his TX750?
Splitting links
Ralph Ferrand works with tools all day long – he sells them too at bikerstoolbox.co.uk so he knows what works.
STAVROS: PRINCE OF PRANKSTERS!
It’s probably fair to say that Stephen JamesParrish’s persona and overall levity throughout his life have muddied the waters as to just how good a bike racer he was back in the day.
Metal magic!
Ralph Ferrand works with tools all day long – he sells them too at bikerstoolbox co uk so he knows what works.. .