Weird Bob

While we were in Redding, Jim and I visited Weird Bob. Let me first tell how I met Weird Bob (and Jim). A few years ago I posted a free CB450 frame on Craigslist. This guy Jim was picking it up for his friend Bob. Jim told me a little about Bob in an email and I eventually made a visit to Bob's house/shop in San Mateo. Old dude, Bonneville racer, and very obviously obsessed with 60's Honda road racers. Every single bike he made was a recreation of one, using 60's and 70's Hondas, few over 450cc. He made recreation tanks, seats, had front drums cast, and dabbled in many other things like models and scale motor powered cars. Also a few double-engined racers. In a word, his collection is overwhelming. Some might say an organized hoarder. And also simply amazing.

So Bob decided to pack up and move up to Redding area with his massive collection of bikes scattered around multiple properties. He picked all these up for free or very cheap. VERY hard to get any of these bikes nowadays for what he paid. There are more bikes, we're talking hundreds, than he'll ever know what to do with, but that's what happens when you're a collector. They are stashed in every nook and cranny on his properties. He sees them mostly as art; when he's done, if they don't run, he doesn't care, he just puts it aside and starts the next one. Some have wooden gas tanks. Some of the cars have fake carburetors. And he is too afraid to ride any of them. That's right, he doesn't even ride. The man is a pure, eccentric artist. He's 76... when he kicks the bucket, his wife is going to have a huge chore on her hand.







A few bikes in storage became rat dinners.


He gave me a set of (very hard to find) original Dream bars for Lori's bike.


Supercharged 550