What counts as a custom and where is the line drawn?

[DrivetrainADS]

With the plethora of aftermarket parts for motorcycles available to delivered to your door, and the boom in home built custom bikes shown on social media the number of people wanting to customize their motorcycles seems to have increased a lot.
However this trend has a few aspects that toy with me a bit. For example many people are changing the handlebars and seat then calling their bike a cafe racer/chopper/bobber or whatever by only changing those two things.

lets say you had a 'cruiser' stock bike, but in an accident you bent the bars and tore the stock seat, so picked up the cheapest parts you could find on ebay which may include a solo seat and a set of cheap ape hangers. Does this count as a 'bobber' the same way someone who swapped the parts out of choice would do so and then call their bike a 'bobber'.

I know there are historical classifications for these bikes which has been hijacked over the years, but what differentiates a bike from a 'custom bike' or a bike with modifications. Where is the line drawn?

[hillcat]

You are seventeen and keep talking in hypotheticals.
When you get a bike,post some pics.

[DrivetrainADS]

been riding on the street for 2 years already

[hillcat]

that's good

[rockman96]

I do not consider a bike with bolt-on parts/accessories a custom. Anyone can bolt on a part. Start making and modifying, and adapting things that weren’t meant to be... then it starts to become a custom. My opinion.

[metalheart28]

I do not consider a bike with bolt-on parts/accessories a custom. Anyone can bolt on a part. Start making and modifying, and adapting things that weren’t meant to be... then it starts to become a custom. My opinion.

Word

[Hubbard]

Instead of worryin about what it's called, why not ride the fuckin wheels off it?

[DrivetrainADS]

Instead of worryin about what it's called, why not ride the fuckin wheels off it?

personally I'm not a fan of the dilution of custom bikes

[AlbertaFarmer]

When you get older, you will no longer care what others are doing or thinking. It just doesn't matter man, enjoy your little part of the world and forget the rest. What harm has "the dilution of custom bikes" brought upon you personally?

[farmall]

Forget pedantry and go ride.

Ignore memes. Most popular conceptions are wrong.

If an opinion on motorcycling doesn't come from a very experienced mechanic (or racer if riding is the subject) I suggest ignoring it.

[Guest]

do what ya want to do,... you WILL fuck up and get laughed at, and cut ya fingers a lot,
You will feel like giving it all up for some Tart down the Nags Head who promises you a
knee trembler in between sets by the Nashville Teens, and when she cops off with ya best mate from Taplow whatever ya do DON'T sew a ''Loan Wolf'' patch on ya cut down as it ain't spelt like that,
( the obviously dumb is harder to live down than a slip of the tongue )
try not to follow Trends and fashions where bike building is concerned ...when every fuck has Apes,...go for drag bars,
when everyone has Harleys, get a Ducati and a Grinder, fuck up lots and ask questions ,...get books,...lots of them and learn
that way ya wont ask dumb ass questions, and spend half ya money on tools for at least the next 3 years and learn how to use them.

[Guest]

It is what it is cause it ain’t what it used to be.

[triumphbruce]

my 79 i tore it apart hard tailed it and made allot of the parts
my 73 is a re build tore it apart fixed or rebuilt everything
dont know what they should be called but a chop and a half assed stock one
is all i say.so who gives a fuck i just ride em and look good:
.
.
.
.ok i was trying to be a smart ass how did that work

[Revelator]

"Where is the Line drawn?" Line? the only Line is the one on the road, That's the only
Line You need to be concerned about, Well that & the beer line.

[Guest]

The line is that 99.9% of them ain’t the least bit special. Call em whatever makes you feel warm inside. They’re still fun to ride.