Mods VS Rockers; a British Story From The 1960's:

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The story of the Mods and Rockers is a story of youth, rebellion, identity, and transition!

The story of the Rockers goes back to the late 1950's when post WWII young men were bored and had the money (though not much) to pursue speed.  The Rockers rode fast bikes, wore leather jackets with as many zippers as the jacket could have, and wore faded blue jeans.  They were also into the rock music of the day.  They were generally the kids of working class families who were the rebels of the day.  The trouble they got into was more from boredom or to show off rather than the desire to do bad things.   The Mods were from middle class families and followed fashion, jazz, and were perceived as snobish.  The Rockers thought of the Mods as geeks.  The Mods evolved in the early 1960's and were gone by 1969.  The Mods rode scooters which were usually customized. The battles between the two groups were largely embellished and not as frequent or serious as the media would make them out to be.  What makes this topic interesting is that it chronicles the culture of the day.  The two groups evolved into Hippies, skin heads, or in the case of the Mods, typically became fashionable middle class people.

The Mods rode Vespa or Lambretta scooters and typically customized them.

The Mods usually rode in groups and female Mods typically had "boyish" looks.  Mods were usually from London or close by.  Although many of the Mods did like Rock, their preferred music was Jazz or softer rock like music from the Yardbirds or The Who.  The Mods also liked to dance and talk their own lingo. 

The Rockers were more like the 1 percenters of the 1960's in the US.

 Black leather jackets, grungy blue jeans, rock music, boots, and aggression was their style.  The Rocker lived for the day and had to be tough.  The lived hard, rode hard, and died young.  Fast motorcycles were the primary mode of transportation, however, some did not necessarily ride.  The Cafe Racer was the style of motorcycle they preferred.  What they looked like, how they lived, and their fast paced life style continues today.  Their hatred for  popular culture and their rebellious attitude and actions were a part of their identity.

A picture of the Ace Cafe in more modern times!

The Cafe Racer did not originate with the Rockers but was the iconic form of transportation for this group.  The Cafe racer was somewhat parallel with the bobber in America.  In the US the bobber then chopper, after the mid 1960's, got the attention of the rebel motorcyclists.  There were similarities between the American "biker" gang and the Rockers, however, the differences were primarily related to our culture and national size.  The Cafe Racer has re-emerged as a popular form of custom motorcycle in the US.  The bobber has always been around, however, is having a renaissance today.  The chopper existed in England, but was never associated with the Rockers.

This Honda CB350 Cafe Racer is becomming a popular form of custom!

 The British Music invasion was significant in the US.  Within the development of the motorcycle, the Japaneese motorcycle invasion after 1963 was also very significant.  After the early 2000's, the collection and customizing of Japaneese motorcycles has grown exponentially.

Honda CB550 Bobber!

The original American Bobber was a stripped down street bike.  Parts were removed and rear fenders were cut to reduce weight and enhance performance.  Today, the Bobber is identified by it's larger front tire.  The "look" has become popular in the US today.  The modern chopper had it's renissance from 1999 to around 2009 and is still around, but few are ridden or seen today.  The early choppers were handmade while the new ones were made by expensive custom manufacturers like Big Dog and Texas Choppers!

Great looking BSA Bobber!

 In the US, the bobber and rat bikes are becomming popular.  The BSA above is part retro, part bobber, part rat, and part custom.  It has what could be termed the "cool" look.  This bike is a US styled bike, not british in influence. 

 The Mods VS Rocker, Scooters, Cafe Racer, and Bobber event will be the primary event for the VCME group in 2012.  It will be held at "The City Market" (20 E. 5th.,K.C.,Mo. 64106) and will be a part of the "Art Of The Machine" show series.  The event will be from 10 am till 2 pm. Sunday October 7, 2012.  All are welcome.  Please bring your bike or scooter to show.

www.thecitymarket.org

If anyone chooses to attend any VCME activity, their involvement is voluntary.  VCME assumes no liability for any accident or claims of any type which may occur.  To participate in any VCME activity, the participant must understand that there could be the potential for some form of danger, hazard, or some type of accident to occur.  The participant must assume their own liability and must attend the event at their own risk .  If there are any questions, the participant must discuss any questions with leaders prior to attending.  It must also be understood that at any event, there will be other parties involved in whom VCME has no control and in which VCME has no liability at any level.