Choppers, bobbers and other observations

acotrel said:
Does 'fun' include getting chucked on your head ? Riding any motorcycle is about risk management. In many countries motorcyclists pay insurance both when they race or ride on public roads. If you get killed, it costs me. In Australia, if your vehicle is modified, you need an engineer's certificate to get it registered. - Minimum cost $2,500. When I was a kid we used to build hot-rod cars, until one well=known guy wrote himself off in a very big way, after becoming famous. What do ape-hanger bars and the forward front wheel tell you about a motorcycle ? You don't have to be stupid. Most old British bikes will do somewhere near 100 MPH.
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Seriously Al, you need to get out of your fox hole mate…

Perhaps you don’t realise it, but if we add up all of your ‘contributions’ we get a very long list of all the people that are ‘wrong’. People who build race bikes different to yours… people who make race rules… manufacturers… anyone who rides anything faster than a 650 Bonnie on the road… anyone into custom bikes… etc, etc.

Time to learn a little more ‘live and let live’ mindset Al.

When it’s all boiled down, unless you’re an Uber Eats delivery rider, a Police motorcyclist or serious commuter, then there’s actually very little real PRACTICAL argument for motorcycle ownership these days.

Motorcycles are bought for pleasure, for enjoyment, for fun. And fortunately, ‘FUN’ has not been legally defined and sterilised into conformity.

Well, not yet at least.
 
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When I think about what we did on public roads when I was a kid, I know we should have been locked-up in jail. Everything was a road-race. Later I got smarter and confined my speeding to a race track. I remember those days back then when you could really wring a motorcycle's neck. They were great fun - but those days have gone forever. I have never ridden a motorcycle so I can look better. An early 60's 650 Triumph Bonneville on full scream is a real joy. How you look when you are riding it is irrelevant.
 
If you watch those Youtube videos when the guys ride road bikes, they always button-off early. Why would you live your life with such frustration ? Modern road bikes are ridiculous - what can you do on public roads with more than 100 BHP - fantasize ? I once rode a Heritage Softtail Harley - once was enough.
 
acotrel said:
When I think about what we did on public roads when I was a kid, I know we should have been locked-up in jail. Everything was a road-race. Later I got smarter and confined my speeding to a race track. I remember those days back then when you could really wring a motorcycle's neck. They were great fun - but those days have gone forever. I have never ridden a motorcycle so I can look better. An early 60's 650 Triumph Bonneville on full scream is a real joy. How you look when you are riding it is irrelevant.
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acotrel said:
If you watch those Youtube videos when the guys ride road bikes, they always button-off early. Why would you live your life with such frustration ? Modern road bikes are ridiculous - what can you do on public roads with more than 100 BHP - fantasize ? I once rode a Heritage Softtail Harley - once was enough.
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Nothing has changed for me in all the 49 years of riding on or off the road and still riding hard every time I go out on the bikes, just doing it in the right places, never in a build up area or on major roads, it not all about full throttle in top gear but using all that torque that is produced is what its all about, I just love the torque of my 1200 Thruxton its may not be the fastest 1200 on the road but all the torque that gets it up there is the fun bit and riding with mates I grew up with who have way more powerful bikes that handle better and I still show them up and when I get the chance they don't catch me, just got to out smart them, and my old Norton is showing its age but it still give some of these modern bikes a good run up in the ranges in the tight twisties, love playing games with them.

Ashley
 
ashman said:
Nothing has changed for me in all the 49 years of riding on or off the road and still riding hard every time I go out on the bikes, just doing it in the right places, never in a build up area or on major roads, it not all about full throttle in top gear but using all that torque that is produced is what its all about, I just love the torque of my 1200 Thruxton its may not be the fastest 1200 on the road but all the torque that gets it up there is the fun bit and riding with mates I grew up with who have way more powerful bikes that handle better and I still show them up and when I get the chance they don't catch me, just got to out smart them, and my old Norton is showing its age but it still give some of these modern bikes a good run up in the ranges in the tight twisties, love playing games with them.

Ashley
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I agree with you Ash it's pretty much what I do with mates over here
But Al dosent approve so I'd just leave it there mate
 
Get Real ! - Most choppers and bobbers are atrocious shit. But if they are like this bike - I approve of them :

 
grandpaul said:
Just "For What It's Worth", I have no quarrel with anyone who chops a bike, unless they first stole it.

I, personally, have NEVER chopped one. My biggest "horror" was de-tabbing an old Honda once; never done that to a Britbike.

I have personally rescued at least SIX choppers, and de-raked two formerly mutilated frames, one of which was a seriously bodged welding mash-up (literally, it involved a mashed section of galvanized pipe).

That's just me...
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Hi,
A quick observation, has the bike in your profile image not been chopped?.
 
outawack said:
Hi,
A quick observation, has the bike in your profile image not been chopped?.
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My Seeley 850 was built from parts. It is not a converted road bike. A lot of historic 'racers' are converted road bikes, they never quite get there.
The latest go is to build a Graeme Crosby XR69 Suzuki replica out of a GS1000, using a Katana engine which does not have race cams or the close ratio gearbox, and probably does not steer anyway.
The fastest bikes I have raced against have been methanol-fuelled 1100cc CB750 Hondas. They can blow me off in a straight line easily, but are hopeless around corners. They are much faster than the original CR750 which Tony Caccioti used to ride. He now rides the oversize CB750s and has got a bit of handling out of one of them, but they are still hopeless.
The Mk3 Seeley frame of my bike was brought into Australia by Grant McRitchie, who did not use it. He bought a KR750 Kawasaki. The Seeley frame was designed to take a Norton twin motor. My mate had it with a Leverda 750SF motor installed. I tried to buy the bike as a Seeley Laverda, but could not get the motor. So I made a set of engine plates and installed an 850 Commando motor and gearbox. It was a very easy build. I went straight to what it is, based upon 12 years of racing experience. None of it is rocket science
 
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In Australia, historic racing was supposed to save the old racing motorcycles. It has been responsible for destruction of many good motorcycles. If you had a genuine Manx or G50, would you race it against converted road bikes just for fun ?
A Molnar Manx is different - it has no intrinsic value.
 
acotrel said:
In Australia, historic racing was supposed to save the old racing motorcycles. It has been responsible for destruction of many good motorcycles. If you had a genuine Manx or G50, would you race it against converted road bikes just for fun ?
A Molnar Manx is different - it has no intrinsic value.
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Have you ever considered chopping your Seeley Al ? Or maybe a bobber so you could ride it on the road
I reckon it'd be great , you already have a 27° rake so a bit more offset on the yokes and a hardtail and you'd be there
Just need to refit a stock primary with the alternator etc
What do you reckon?
 
I have nether the technical skills nor the wherewithal to believe that I could improve on even the rudimentary suspension and handling characteristics of a classic bike. Most of what I have seen passes for "cool" looking without the slightest improvement. I do like the history of motorcycle development and realize that there is a classic line of the older bikes with solo seats and diamond frame straight bar construction. But times move on. I am not in the least bit interested in bike "builds" that bolt on a hard tail and try and turn back the clock to some vintage days of yore. Chopped bikes and just not my cup of tea.
 
Big_Jim59 said:
I have nether the technical skills nor the wherewithal to believe that I could improve on even the rudimentary suspension and handling characteristics of a classic bike. Most of what I have seen passes for "cool" looking without the slightest improvement. I do like the history of motorcycle development and realize that there is a classic line of the older bikes with solo seats and diamond frame straight bar construction. But times move on. I am not in the least bit interested in bike "builds" that bolt on a hard tail and try and turn back the clock to some vintage days of yore. Chopped bikes and just not my cup of tea.
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I can understand that you don't like custom bikes choppers etc that's your choice and opinion
Personally I love riding them as long as they are well built they are great fun but then I like all bikes
 
baz said:
Have you ever considered chopping your Seeley Al ? Or maybe a bobber so you could ride it on the road
I reckon it'd be great , you already have a 27° rake so a bit more offset on the yokes and a hardtail and you'd be there
Just need to refit a stock primary with the alternator etc
What do you reckon?
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My Seeley 850 would make the worst road bike you could imagine. It is absolutely useless at any speed under 50 MPH. When you ride it from a standstill, it lurches into action. When it idles, it actually rocks backwards and forwards. Unless you are using higher than 5000 RPM, it vibrates And the gearing it pulls is insanely high. You would lose your licence almost immediately. To turn it into a road bike would require a lot of detuning when I have spent a lifetime making it go faster. I would rather just buy a GSXR 750 and live sensibly.
 
Racing motorcycles are used to lure people who fantasize into buying fast road motorcycles. Road-racing a motorcycle is entirely different from riding on public roads. For one thing, it is actually safer. Those guys who buy Desmocedici Ducatis for use on public roads, have got rocks in their heads. What is the reality about that sort of power and handling ?
 
Read the title AL, Choppers and Bobbers, not cafe or race bikes, you never change you just think about racing and nothing else, but then when has the last time you been out on your bike, put a stock Norton gearbox in your bike AL and it be good on the road as you have told us many times over your motor is only stock except for running methanol.
You must be the only one on this forum that don't ride on the road or been on your bike for so long, you just don't have to keep telling us your likes or dislikes as we all ready know, and what ever you think about choppers or bobbers its just another thing people do with bikes, even Triumph make new Bobbers and they are very popular and are a good seller for Triumph with good power, handling and good brakes, its not all about riding all day around circles flat out.
 
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Around 1978 I bought a very cheap 1967 Atlas that was running for $250. When I pulled the tank off I was presented with a frame that had the outer rails cut out and replaced with a single tube on the center line. This may have been to mount a peanut or Sportster tank as was popular back in the day. It subsequently had the outer rails welded back in and the single tube was cut out. The thing is, neither job was done with any knowledge of welding whatsoever. It's up in my attic to this day, complete with a legal ownership. It would take a very talented craftsman to salvage it properly. For what it's worth, I rode the bike and it handled just fine so the geometry seems to have survived within reason. One day when I ever pull it down from the attic I should probably post some pictures, but there's every possibility some folks will get physically ill if they see it.
 
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