Bobbers are a part of the Harley-Davidson DNA: minimalist creations with solo seats that take the stripped-down, garage-built look as far as you can go.
These days, Harley bobbers are usually more better finished than the rough-and-ready bobbers of the mid 20th century. But the core of the style remains: a hardtail frame, minimal (if any) fenders, and a tractor-style seat.
A lot of modern Harley bobbers are based on the Sportster, thanks to its compact dimensions and ready availability. But custom builders also resurrect older ‘big twins’ such as shovelheads and panheads, and you occasionally even see builds based on knuckleheads and flatheads.
If your idea of a custom motorcycle is an engine, two wheels, a seat and a fuel tank and little more, a Harley-Davidson ‘bob job’ or ‘cutdown’ probably fits the bill.
Some custom motorcycle builders are drawn to the simplicity of vintage machines, while others favor the performance and reliability of modern motorcycles. The 2005-model Harley Softail Deuce sits somewhere in the middle. Officially named the Harley-Davidson Softail FXSTD, the mid-naughties Deuce featured Harley’s new (at the time) Twin Cam V-twin engine and disc brakes, but…
Read more »
Anyone who’s ever picked up a wrench has probably experienced the urge to create something from scratch; something that exudes craftsmanship and attention to detail. Few of us have what it takes, and pro builders must go even further to prove their mettle. While Josh Allison’s name was already established in the custom bike world,…
Read more »
Mecum’s Monterey 2024 sale is swiftly approaching, and the U.S. auction powerhouse has a field of 100 vintage motorcycles selling August 15-17. With everything from turn-of-the-century cycles to a 2023 Ducati Lamborghini Streetfighter on the docket, there’s plenty to choose from, but we feel the following three Lots deserve to have their stories told.
Read more »
Bobbers are pure motorcycling. They’re what happens when you take everything you can off a bike and strip it to its basics. These five 2023 factory-fresh bobber motorcycles prove that less can be more, by reducing motorcycling to just you, your bike, and the wind. The bobber movement traces its origins back to the 1930s,…
Read more »
Copper Chopper wowed us earlier this month with an impossibly elegant SR400 bobber, built from scratch and laden with tasty handcrafted bits.…
Read more »
When we first saw images of this bike from Custom Works Zon, we assumed it was a restoration job. And it looked…
Read more »
Hardtail choppers with fat rear tires aren’t typically our vibe, but we’re suckers for anything Martin Becker builds. He’s a Meister of…
Read more »
Remember the Sultans of Sprint drag race series in Europe? The man behind this brilliant idea was Séb Lorentz, who runs the…
Read more »
Over the past fifteen years, Martin Becker of MB Cycles has carved out a reputation as one of the best custom Harley…
Read more »
Like many accomplished customizers, Martin Becker has lived an eventful life. For almost twenty years he’s been building bikes in the beautiful…
Read more »
The Heritage Softail Classic is the kind of bike most non-riders think of when they hear ‘Harley’—oodles of chrome, saddlebags, riveted leather…
Read more »
It’s been ten years since Winston Yeh launched Rough Crafts, less than a year after Bike EXIF started up. It didn’t take…
Read more »