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Harley bobbers

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.

5 of the best bobber motorcycles for 2023

Less is more: 5 of the best bobber motorcycles for 2023

1 MONTH AGO / NO COMMENTS / SPECIAL FEATURES

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,…

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1976 Harley ironhead Sportster bobber

Sportster d’eleganza: A slick 70s Harley ironhead bobber

6 MONTHS AGO / NO COMMENTS / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

Copper Chopper wowed us earlier this month with an impossibly elegant SR400 bobber, built from scratch and laden with tasty handcrafted bits. It was Alexey and Igor’s first commissioned build since taking their shop from sideline gig to full-time business. Before that, they’d simply build a bike according to their own taste, sell it and…

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Harley knucklehead hill climber by CW Zon

Optical Illusion: CW Zon’s twin-carb Knucklehead racer

1 YEAR AGO / NO COMMENTS / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

When we first saw images of this bike from Custom Works Zon, we assumed it was a restoration job. And it looked like builder Yuichi Yoshizawa would have to use all his legendary skills to get the knucklehead roadworthy again. It turned out that we were wrong. This remarkable ‘vintage racer’ is actually a ground-up…

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Custom Buell Cyclone hardtail by MB Cycles

Heavy Wind: A gnarly Buell Cyclone from MB Cycles

2 YEARS AGO / NO COMMENTS / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

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 stance and proportions, and has a great eye for detail—making his builds far too good to be ignored. Martin’s track record is exactly why his client was happy to give him free rein.…

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1994 Harley-Davidson Sportster custom by Lucky Cat Garage

Glamster: Lucky Cat’s Sportster drips with Japanese style

Remember the Sultans of Sprint drag race series in Europe? The man behind this brilliant idea was Séb Lorentz, who runs the…

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S&S Cycle powered Softail by MB Cycles

Salt Flat Dreams: MB Cycles’ S&S-powered Softail

Over the past fifteen years, Martin Becker of MB Cycles has carved out a reputation as one of the best custom Harley…

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Dr. Skin: An S&S-powered bobber by MB Cycles

Dr. Skin: An S&S bobber built for a dermatologist

Like many accomplished customizers, Martin Becker has lived an eventful life. For almost twenty years he’s been building bikes in the beautiful…

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Kumram: A custom Heritage Softail Classic from Aoo Design of Bangkok

Kumram: A custom Heritage Softail Classic from Bangkok

The Heritage Softail Classic is the kind of bike most non-riders think of when they hear ‘Harley’—oodles of chrome, saddlebags, riveted leather…

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Thunder Chaser: Rough Crafts celebrates its 10th Anniversary with a Softail bobber

Thunder Chaser: Rough Crafts’ 10th Anniversary Softail

It’s been ten years since Winston Yeh launched Rough Crafts, less than a year after Bike EXIF started up. It didn’t take…

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Custom Harley Softail Deuce built by OneWayMachine

Shine On: The AMD-Winning custom Harley Softail Deuce

What does it take to rack up two wins and four podiums, in the Modified Harley-Davidson class at the AMD World Championships?…

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Harley 883 bobber by Canadian Nick Acosta of Augment Collective

Lo-fi Perfection: A Harley 883 Bobber from Canada

Technology moves at a relentless place—and the motorcycle industry can’t escape it. Just the other day I was riding an electric motorcycle…

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Cherry's Company custom Harley shovel

Marc and Christine shoot Japanese custom motorcycles

Japanese custom motorcycle culture can seem like a closed shop to Westerners. Granted, there’s the annual Mooneyes show, and a few builders…

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