Customs built in the ‘bobber’ or hardtail style. On the typical bobber motorcycle, excess bodywork has been stripped away, and the fenders are usually removed or shortened.
All unnecessary hardware has been removed to cut weight—including the mufflers in many cases—and a single seat is usually fitted. Old-school handlebars are often installed too, with the wiring run inside for a clean look, along with classic ‘Bates’ style lighting.
For owners of bobber motorcycles, these custom bikes are the purest form of motorcycling.
Harley is the brand most commonly associated with the bobber style, but we’re also seeing many Triumph and Indian motorcycles—especially since those two brands have factory bobbers in their range.
Today’s custom motorcycle scene is a melting pot of old and new techniques. Traditional handcrafting methods coexist with software-based design and modern additive manufacturing processes. And sometimes—like in the case of this impossibly elegant Yamaha SR400—they collide. Moscow’s Copper Chopper built this hardtail bobber almost entirely from scratch, using a tube bender, lathe and welding…
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In the bicycle world, single-speed and ‘fixie’ bikes are enjoying an upsurge in popularity. Like the custom motorcycle scene, it’s an entire subculture—where style and individualization are as important as getting from A to B. But what happens when these two worlds bleed into each other? Kevin Bergeron has the answer with this unconventional bobber.…
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The Triumph Bobber is one of the most beautiful production bikes on the market right now. From its faux hardtail frame, to its solo seat and ribbed fenders, it’s an elegant motorcycle that oozes vintage appeal. But that’s not why Jens vom Brauck loves it. “I like the Triumph Bobber for its minimalism rather than…
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There’s something for everyone this week. We kick off with a pre-unit Triumph bobber, then cover two classic Kawasaki Zeds and a ground-up Norton bobber. Finishing things off: a Panhead chopper from Born Free’s first ever female invited builder.
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Building a decent custom motorcycle on a slim budget is a tall order. But you know what’s even harder? Doing it with…
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There’s usually a little trepidation when we hear from a custom builder that we don’t know. Is their work any good, or…
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The Buenos Aires-based custom shop STG Tracker has a very specific style. The clue’s in their name—builders Marcelo Obarrio and Germán Karp…
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You know you’ve been building custom motorcycles for a long time, when a bike you built two decades ago makes its way…
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A client in France left the door wide open for Walt Siegl when he asked the New Hampshire-based craftsman to build him…
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We often laud Winston Yeh for his ability to apply his signature Rough Crafts style to just about any type of motorcycle.…
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We’d love to take a peek inside Edi Buffon’s mind. The Sydney-based custom builder specializes in bobbers that deliberately eschew practicality in…
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Vintage motorcycles are charming, but they can be a real pain to live with. So what do you do if you want…
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