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.
Like many accomplished customizers, Martin Becker has lived an eventful life. For almost twenty years he’s been building bikes in the beautiful ancient city of Heidelberg—and petrol has been coursing through his veins since he got his first moped at the age of 13. At 16, he started an apprenticeship as a motorbike mechanic, but…
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The Heritage Softail Classic is the kind of bike most non-riders think of when they hear ‘Harley’—oodles of chrome, saddlebags, riveted leather and massive fenders. At over 700 pounds wet, it’s designed for long distance touring—and it isn’t the sort of machine you expect to find in a teeming metropolis in tropical Southeast Asia. So…
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We’ve never run a feature on a bike from South Korea before. The local custom scene is tiny, and builders are heavily restricted on the modifications they can make—with a legal system similar to the German TÜV. Frame mods are totally out, and it’s not even possible to register a new bike with a carburetor.…
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It’s been ten years since Winston Yeh launched Rough Crafts, less than a year after Bike EXIF started up. It didn’t take him very long to establish a signature style, and even though it’s evolved over the past decade, it’s still instantly recognizable in his work. This low-slung Harley-Davidson Softail Street Bob pays testament to…
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Read more »The next Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show is over ten months away, but many top-flight builders are already plotting their next entries.…
Read more »When Harley-Davidson celebrated its 115th anniversary with a party in Prague earlier this year, it invited a select few builders to present…
Read more »The great thing about flat track racing is that anyone can have a crack. You don’t need a rocket scientist crew chief,…
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