History of Bobbers

There's nothing cooler than a vintage bobber. But let's be honest -- vintage bikes are a pain in the rear. They break down, they leak oil, they need constant babying, and they don't actually perform all that well. What if you could get the cool look of a vintage bike, but with the comfort and convenience of a thoroughly modern motorcycle? This an intro written by about motorcycles to present the Harley Crossbones, sounds like a great pitch to me.

Back to basics
A lot of riders out there have zero notions of what is categorized  as  bobber and what's the big deal about them.

At the end of World War II, Army surplus motorcycles provided cheap transportation for many American veterans upon their return to US soil. The vets gathered together into motorcycle clubs, seeking the camaraderie of shared experience that they missed from their combat days. Former aviators applied some of the lessons they learned from keeping their planes in the air, and stripped their bikes of extraneous metal parts to lighten their loads, make them faster and more efficient. The resulting motorcycles are known as "bobbers" or "bob jobs," distinguished by their truncated rear and tiny front fenders, bucking the then-current trends. Bobbers evolved into choppers, which emphasize more styling elements like raked front forks and other extreme elements. The bobber was all about riding, and getting the most out of your bike by taking off everything extra. The cool looks were a bonus!

Enter Blitz Bomber
The Biltz Bomber builds on the concepts described above, with more power and less clutter. I was sold on the Crossbones, however my financial advisor (My Wife) asked why not build it! And that what I exactly did. Although Harley might provide customers with a so called Bobber look, the Crossbones remains an assembly line bike that will set me back a few thousand of dollars in extensive mods.

Muhannad's close call

Motorcycles are classified as dangerous, not due to the driver ability, but due to the lack of respect from other motor vehicles we share the road with. Adding insult to injury is that the rise in the number of intoxicated drivers on the streets of Kuwait is multiplying at an  alarming rate. Although a lot of efforts is being exerted by MOI to curb the number of drivers operating their cars under the influence, facts still remains that a lot of them are still out there and posing a threat to others. Night riding accentuates the level of danger when riding a bike, of course week ends are probably the worst. What really strikes me is that a major campaign was launched against the use of mobiles in cars, nearly forgotten by now. However the intoxication problem is never tackled as it is considered immoral and no one wants to admit that there is an alcohol and drug problem in Kuwait. So until someone wakes up and smell the coffee, here are some tips for night riding.

A bike is not a truck: a lot of us tend to think we own the road, due the nature of our physic or state of mind , well I got news for you . You are neither at best you are soft target that no one notices.

Reflectors: you need them, there are always blind bats out there, wear reflectors on the back, that will help tell others that you are a human.

Helmet & protective gear, yes you need them, if its too hot for you, don't go out, road rash can be very painful.

Stick to the middle lane, by far this is the best option, you are not obstructing so called Shumachers wanna be  on the left lane, nor are you a target for amateur Indian drivers on the right.

Use your mirrors at all times, check and double check, you never know when the phantom drivers are inches behind you, saving on their battery or trying to act cool.

Drive in groups, its always safer, driver tend to notice large number of bikes and steer away from trouble, as they think we will beat them up for no reason.

If you are on deserted dark strip of road use the flashers, although its against driving regulation, who cares your life is more important.

Keep it cool, don't pick arguments with cars, they are cars and one swerve can send you into a three month hospital stay.

Stay safe and read about Muhannads close call on his blog. Link

Ride 'em, cowboy!

The Muscle is primarily a styling exercise of the current V-ROD. Rather than the more rounded shapes of the other ‘Rods, super-smooth 60-degree liquid-cooled DOHC, eight-valve, Revolution 1250cc V-Twin that powers all ’Rods. The Muscle comes in a 121 hp/85 ft-lbs flavor.

Performance against the new V-MAX is yet to be tested, however at a similar price tag, my guess is, that the Muscle will have the upper hand purely on resale value.

Has Harley Davidson gone Loco?

One has to wonder what goes in the mind if the R&D people, off course HD has their marketing department with massive amount of Data about trends and customer feedback and wishes, but a trike is not what I call an assembly line bike! The Triglide might have a market out there, however the reasoning behind shelling out  19K for a trike leaves me perplexed. Is it a poor man roadster or is it targeted towards women and retiree? Beats me, but in my book its down tight Fugly.

Travertson V-Rex

And I quote "If Angelina Jolie strolled down Main Street naked, perhaps with her hair on fire, she might come close to attracting the amount of attention the Travertson V-REX does" OK this does not apply in Kuwait!!!.

Now that's an odd name and odd looking bike. But wait what is it really? For starter the power plant is the V-Rod, the frame is a pure state of art non conventional telescopic forks, which is replaced by a unique front swingarm damped by a single adjustable shock. at $43,990 the V-rex ain't cheap, however given the nature of the beast and the clientele its aiming to attract, the price is not that bad for a custom build eye catcher.

This said if you can't afford it , you can always rent it for $300 a day, cheaper than a date with Mrs Smith!

Picture gallery

First Ride on the V-MAX 2009

'The V-Max is laying down more than 100 pound-feet of torque at the rear tire before inline-fours like the ZX-14 and Hayabusa have finished clearing their throats. Here is a tip from MD to all new V-Max riders.

 

 

The first time you twist the throttle hard, make sure

(a) the bike is fully upright and pointing straight ahead,
(b) you have a warm rear tire, and
(c) there is plenty of room between you and the next vehicle. Oh, and one other thing . . . hold on tight!'
‘Assuming your rear tire is ready to grip (rolling burnouts are easy to do, and no clutch is required), the V-Max will quickly warp your sense of time and distance. Fortunately, the brakes are superb. Few sport bikes deliver the power and feel offered by the brakes on the new V-Max. They are outstanding, and probably better than anything available outside the sportsbike category.’

 For their full ride reports on the 2009 Yamaha V-Max, visit Motorcycle Daily and Motorcycle USA now!

Resurrection

After taking a three months break from blogging on this site and finalizing the Blitz Bomber project. I am back again with more news from the Kuwaiti & International motorcycling scene.