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Bobber

Speed Meets Style: State Farm’s New Bobber

By General Posts

by Prince Najar with photos by Jeff the flunky

State Farm’s New Bobber Produced by Roys Toys Customs

Roy Martin of Roys Toys Customs recently headed up Build Team 13, comprising an elite group of veterans and first responders to build a ground-up custom bobber.

Crystal Hess’s Motorcycle Missions is a 501(c)3 non-profit focused to help Veterans and First Responders with PTS(D). Roy donated his shop and provided mentorship to build a one-of-a-kind Roys Toys Customs bobber.

The sponsor for the build is State Farm Insurance. Jake from State Farm came by to be fitted. It turned out he was too short for the controls. He looks bigger on TV… Naw, I’m kidding about that. The fellas said if Jake came by, they would be happy to get a quote, though.

Click Here to read this Photo Feature on Bikernet.com

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Little Red Chopper : Part 2

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All the Players Step Forward
By Kent Weeks and Tom Young with photos by RFR and Sil

EDITOR’S NOTE: This gets more bizarre by the week, or year, maybe decade. We published Part 1 not long ago, but perhaps this is part 1. Although, if you read the first episode, you will encounter the long back story behind a brother, a veteran who had a chopper dream through many stages and years. Then there’s the story behind the builders, models and photographers involved in this process. It’s all good, fun, and Chopper Nirvana. Enjoy.
–Bandit

Click here to read this delightful Photo Feature on Custom Build Chopper

Are you curious to know more about this bike and the successful builders involved?
Well here is a start….
You gotta see the first story for some of the details Tom mentioned in this story….
Click Here for the Part 1

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Want to see lot more on custom building your own Choppers and Bobbers ? Check out the BIKE FEATURES Page only on Bikernet.com

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The UL File Is Now Open: Episode 1

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Artistic rendering of my lovely-self from my first Bike Feature in Easyriders in 1971 – Bandit

Purchase, Pegs and Paint
By Bandit with photos from the Redhead

It all started in the center of an odd South Dakota winter, 2022 and a hunt for a running Knucklehead engine. I found myself talking to several knowledgeable brothers in the industry and the price for Knucklehead engines climbed spectacularly. Hell, shit, piss, way beyond spectacular.

Steve Massicot at Paughco mentioned an old employee who needed funds and had a UL for sale. A complete bobber, although the running aspect was in question.

I remembered George Christie’s classic flathead with fatbobs. We rode to the Yuma River run in the early ‘70s.

As you know, I’m nuts and believe I can fix anything. Most bikers can, so I cut a deal, but UL Steve wanted cash….

READ This Tech & Rebuild Adventure – Step by Step – with Photos on Bikernet.com – Click Here as the Newest Feature Article on Custom Build Series comes Alive!!!

CHECK OUT over 22 Motorcycle Building Projects in this Series at Bikernet.com BIKE BUILDS Section
https://www.bikernet.com/pages/bike_builds.aspx

Indian Motorcycle introduces 2022 Lineup

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  • Indian Motorcycle introduces 2022 Lineup featuring Updated Technology.
  • New Ride Command Update, Adaptive Headlight for Scout.
  • All-New Accessories for Cruiser, Bagger & Touring.
  • Prices, Paint and Specs announced.

“Rider feedback continues to be at the forefront of what drives refinements and enhancements for our model year offerings, and that is once again the case for 2022. With the help of customer feedback, we aim to consistently enhance and improve the lineup with new technology and wider-ranging accessory options like these for 2022.” – Mike Dougherty, President for Indian Motorcycle

CLICK HERE To See the Full 2022 Indian Motorcycle Lineup Info and Photos.

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Wishing You All New Adventures this Halloween

By General Posts

Of course Frankenstein rides a chopper…

from Lowbrow Customs

When it comes to motorcycles, there is a lot of tacky stuff out there.

We wanted to create some motorcycle-related Halloween photos that weren’t hokey and share them with you all.

Several of us donned some classic movie monster costumes and enjoyed some time in a local graveyard…

Frankenstein (Tyler), Bride of Frankenstein (Amanda) with a 1975 Harley Shovelhead chopper and and a Werewolf (Todd) on his Triumph bobber.

We hope you enjoy them!

PS – We’ve been putting small posters of one of these photos (as well as some candy) in Lowbrow Customs orders all month, and will keep doing so until we run out!

Lowbrow Customs Website: https://www.lowbrowcustoms.com/

Rare 1901 Triumph Motor Bicycle to Make First Public Appearance in 84 Years

By General Posts

by Florina Spînu from https://www.autoevolution.com

Salon Privé Week, now in its 16th year, will once again highlight the best of the automotive and motorcycle worlds. Any car enthusiast and motorcycle aficionado will drool at the most incredible supercars and classics and alongside the rarest motorcycles.

Triumph will also take part in this year’s series of events and will create a buzz with a rare sight: its first motorcycle ever built. What began in 1886 as the Triumph Cycle Company has become one of the most recognizable of all motorcycle brands, with iconic models including the Speed Twin, Bonneville, and the famous Thunderbird 6T ridden by Marlon Brando in “The Wild One.”

Siegfried Bettmann and Moritz Schulte, the company’s founders, started out making Triumph-branded bicycles, but they gradually extended production to include motorcycles as well. That’s how the company’s first “motorcycle” was born.

It was a bicycle fitted with a 3/4hp 172cc Belgian Minerva engine. The machine had no clutch or gearbox, and the rider could adjust the rear chain with the use of a rear band brake and an eccentric crank. The Triumph motor bicycle was introduced in September 1901 for the 1902 season. The brand’s reputation for quality and durability was well established by the outbreak of WWI, which eventually led to substantial orders for military use.

The rare exemplary will be on display at on the South Lawn at Blenheim Palace as part of the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance. Its appearance represents a unique opportunity for visitors to see this historic motor bicycle ( which is the forerunner of all subsequent Triumphs) in public for the first time since 1937.

On September 1st, Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance will include two classes: Exceptional Motorcycles and Exceptional Competition Motorcycles. Allen Millyard, a well-known motorcycle builder, will be back this year with his Kawasaki Z1 Super Six, a masterfully crafted bike based on the Z1’s double-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder engine.

World-class bespoke motorcycle builders Thornton Hundred will be among the ones showing their latest designs on the South Lawn. The 202 hp ‘World’s Fastest Bobber’ and a 2021 Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black, both debuting at Salon Privé, will be among the British company’s offerings.

PRESS RELEASE
Salon Privé Week is renowned as being a celebration of two-wheeled machinery as well as four, and this year Blenheim Palace will host the world debut of a unique and hugely significant motor bicycle. Over the course of its long and illustrious history, Triumph became one of the most recognisable of all marques thanks to legendary models such as the Speed Twin and Bonneville, while screen icon Marlon Brando famously rode a Thunderbird 6T in The Wild One.

Having been producing bicycles at its Coventry factory since 1889, Triumph moved into the world of motor bicycles at the turn of the 20th century and was a pioneering force in the burgeoning British motorcycle industry. Siegfried Bettmann and Moritz Schulte were responsible for the design, which used a 3/4hp 172cc Minerva engine from Belgium. A rear band brake was employed, and an eccentric crank to enable the rider to adjust the rear chain. The Triumph motor bicycle was launched in September 1901 for the 1902 season. By the outbreak of The Great War the marque’s reputation for quality and reliability was well established, leading to substantial orders for military use.

The example that will be on display at Blenheim Palace as part of the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance is the very first Triumph motor bicycle ever made and actually dates from 1901. Its appearance represents a unique opportunity to see this historic motor bicycle – the forerunner of all subsequent Triumphs – in public for the first time since 1937.

The prestigious Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva takes place on Wednesday 1 September, and will feature two classes – Exceptional Motorcycles and Exceptional Competition Motorcycles. Previous class winners have included renowned motorcycle builder Allen Millyard, who has claimed multiple Salon Privé awards. His exquisite Honda SS100 V-twin is a previous Best in Show winner, and in 2019 his Velocette MAC V-Twin received the Most Spectacular Motorbike award from the event host, the Duke of Marlborough.

Millyard will return this year with his Kawasaki Z1 Super Six. This beautifully engineered machine uses a six-cylinder engine that is based on the standard Z1’s double-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder unit, and uses original Kawasaki parts. Everything else on the motorcycle is standard, giving a subtle end result that looks like something the factory itself could have produced.

The judging panel for the Concours d’Elégance includes some of the most respected experts in the motorcycle world. Writer and consultant Somer Hooker will be joined by broadcaster Henry Cole, historians Dennis Frost and Mike Jackson, along with former racer Steve Parrish. The Motorcycle Awards Ceremony will take place at noon on Thursday 2 September with judges, owners and the Duke of Marlborough present.

A new addition for 2021 is the introduction of a motorcycle parade to open the event on the mornings of Wednesday 1 September and Thursday 2 September. Entrants will start outside the show field, then parade through the grounds of Blenheim Palace and into place on the elegant South Lawn.

There will also be the opportunity for motorcycle entrants to take part in Tour Privé for the first time, on Tuesday 31 August. The 100-mile route will depart from the Great Court at Blenheim Palace and travel through the spectacular Cotswold countryside, with a luncheon stop at Grittleton House in the picturesque village of Grittleton, Wiltshire.

Elsewhere on the South Lawn, Thornton Hundred will be among the brands showcasing their latest designs. The British company’s line-up will include the ‘World’s Fastest Bobber’ – a 202bhp technological tour de force – and a 2021 Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black, both are a Salon Privé debut.

‘We’re thrilled to be welcoming the first-ever Triumph motor bicycle to Blenheim Palace,’ said Salon Privé Concours Chairman Andrew Bagley, ‘and there will be a real buzz around it considering that it hasn’t been seen in public for more than 80 years. With more exceptional motorcycles already being entered into the Concours d’Elégance, this year’s event is shaping up to be a memorable celebration of motoring in all its forms.’

Some of the world’s most famous brands have chosen Salon Privé as the perfect location for a global, European or UK debut, while a brand-new element for 2021 – Salon Privé TIME – will feature the world’s leading watchmakers.

With a programme that includes Ladies’ Day presented by Boodles on Friday, the Salon Privé Club Trophy presented by Lockton on Saturday, and Sunday’s Classic and Supercar event, all the elements are in place for another unmissable Salon Privé Week.

Vintage bike as authentic as possible in a discreet bobber look

By General Posts

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

“A vintage bike as authentic as possible in a discreet bobber look.” These are the words used by German custom motorcycle shop Thunderbike to describe one of its more complex projects. Officially titled Bel-Air, it pairs some original and old Harley-Davidson parts with the benefits of more modern hardware in a unique, pure-European custom package.

Thunderbike has been modifying Harley-Davidsons for close to three decades now, and its work has oftentimes been recognized by the American company itself. Most of the time, the shop goes about transforming production bikes to customer specification, but every now and then it sets out to create something a bit more special.

That is the case with the build we have here, which started life as a Harley from 1954. It went through Thunderbike’s doors in 2016 and came out the other way looking like it does now.

The bike’s frame was molded into supporting an S&S shovelhead engine 92ci (1.5L) in displacement and rocking a Super E carburetor and an air cleaner from the same make. The entire thing was then tied to a Paughco Shotgun exhaust system.

Visually, the motorcycle sets itself apart first and foremost through the choice of colors used on the body parts. We’re dealing with a combination of red and white that was allegedly inspired by the Harley-Davidson Duo Glide and looks perfectly in sync with the Chevrolet Bel Air used as prop during the photoshoot and as inspiration for the name.

A 3.5-gallon (13-liter) fuel tank, a shortened rear fender, a Fat Boy front end, and 16-inch wheels wrapped in Avon Gangster tires complete the look of this two-wheeled machine.

Sadly, we are unable to determine how much the build cost to make. With the exception of the exhaust, endcaps and tires, which are still being sold by Thunderbike, all the other elements are custom made or adapted for this project.

Honda CMX500 Rebel reviewed

By General Posts

Rebels Without a Pause: Since Hondas rarely break down

by Geoff Hill from https://www.mirror.co.uk

The original looked a bit wimpish, but a macho makeover has made this cruiser version of the hugely popular CBR500 a nice alternative for bikers clutching their brand new A2 licences in their gloves

A Honda Rebel is a bit of an oxymoron, like Boris Johnson’s hair stylist or Vladimir Putin’s sense of humour.

You see, Hondas aren’t really bikes for rebels. They’re bikes for chaps and chapesses who want to get from A to B efficiently and safely on machines which never break down and have fewer vices than Audrey Hepburn in A Nun’s Story.

Even their Fireblade superbike has always been a pussycat to ride, although in the hands of 23-times TT winner John McGuinness, a pussycat with very sharp claws.

Their cars are the same, as I found doing a lap of Silverstone in a Civic R with British Touring Car champion Gordon Shedden.

I thought it was going to be terrifying, but he and the car were so fast and flawless that it was a hoot going around corners sideways at 100mph while he chatted about the weather.

The one time Honda took a walk on the wild side was with the 1300cc Fury chopper in 2010.

It looked fabulous, but when MCN compared it to the Harley Rocker C, they said the Harley shook and rattled, and engaging first gear was like dropping a hammer in a bucket, but the Fury was too perfect, so they preferred the character of the Rocker.

You could just see the row of heartbroken designers at Honda HQ trudging out to the car park to commit seppuku.

So I rolled up at Belfast Honda on the Africa Twin with some doubts; particularly since when the Rebel came out in 2017 as a bobber cruiser version of the CBR500 which is hugely popular with bikers who’ve just got their lovely new A2 licence and are limited to 47bhp for a bit, it looked, well, a bit wimpish.

Bobbers, as those of you who have studied Dr Furtwangler’s A-Z of Motorcycles will know, were originally 1930s bikes with everything superfluous removed and the mudguards cut back or bobbed for a lean, mean, moody masculine look.

The original Rebel, though, looked about as masculine as Julian Clary in a frock.

All hail, then, to the chaps at Honda who’ve turned Julian into John Wayne, with a much more rugged appearance, not to mention new LED headlight and indicators and a slipper clutch to stop the back wheel locking during aggressive downshifting.

Climb aboard, and it’s still fairly compact for anyone over 6ft, although I was getting vertigo compared to the Monkey Bike I’d been on the week before, joining some lunatics riding them from Land’s End to John O’Groats for charity.

The mirrors are as useful as before, and the minimalist circular speedo now has, as well as the previous time, fuel gauge and mileage on the 2017 version, a gear indicator, a handy addition for newbies.

Start up, the air filled with a civilised purr, and I set off feeling suitably rebellious and looking for some grannies on scooters to beat up.

Progress is surprisingly perky, helped by the fact that the CBR500 engine has been tweaked to deliver maximum torque 500rpm lower. Peak power comes in 100rpm lower as well, not that you’d notice.

Like all Hondas, you can thrash the bulletproof engine to death without fear of disintegration, but the bike’s perky enough without needing to, and that civilised purr never becomes more than a civilised growl anyway.

Handling, with the bike weighing only 190kg fully fuelled and 16in wheels, is a hoot, allowing even new bikers to fling it around corners as if they’ve been riding all their lives, and the suspension damping is better than on the original model as well, leading to a surprisingly plush ride on a smallish budget bike.

There’s only one brake disc up front, but on a bike this light, that’s all you need, with nicely progressive bit and feel from the rear on the rare occasions you might need to go near it.

For an even meaner look, you can detach the pillion seat, which looks about as big and comfortable as a carefully folded napkin, and for another 400 quid, the Special Edition version has a quilted seat, flyscreen for a bit more wind protection at motorway speeds and black fork gaiters for extra moodiness.

The Facts: Honda CMX500 Rebel

Engine: 471cc liquid-cooled parallel twin

Power: 46bhp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 32 lb ft @ 6,000rpm

Colours: Grey; blue; black

Price: From £5,799

A Brother’s Decade-Long Seat Search

By General Posts

From Los Angeles to Vegas and Back
By Gearhead with photos by Wrench

Story line started about ten years ago, during the bare bobber era. I was looking for a seat to go with an old school flat-tracker look. I had a pair of Flanders flat tracker bars, but it did not look right with the King/Queen seat. Remember, choppers were dead, done, caput.

I was looking around for that solo look, so when the wife didn’t want to ride with me, I had a solo way to go.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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2007 Harley-Davidson Custom Bike Is a Throwback to the Bobbers of Old

By General Posts

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

There are few things the name Harley-Davidson cannot be associated with in the world of motorcycles. From road-going bikes to custom builds, the name is present all across the board in the industry, and it has been so for a great number of years now.

There’s good reason for that, as there are few types of motorcycles today that don’t have a trace of Harley in them. Back in the 1920s, for instance, J-series Harleys gave birth to what today are known as bobbers. Seen by most as the less bling cousins of the choppers that have flooded the streets in times closer to our own, bobbers have been seen across the ages as signature builds of shops around the world.

Because there are so many Harley-based bobbers out there, it’s nearly impossible to say which is the best. Yet from time to time one really stands out, and it is worth a closer look.

Waiting on the list of vehicles that will sell at the end of the month at an auction in Salt Lake City is exactly such a build, simply titled 2007 Harley-Davidson bobber.

Built in the same city where the auction is set to take place, the motorcycle was designed in such a way as to bring back memories of the bobbers build back in the 1960s and 1970s: there is no front fender, the rear one is significantly shorter, and there are literally no other body part elements standing in the way of the exposed V-twin or the black frame.

Offsetting the metal look of the engine and exhaust and the blue tone of the limited bodywork is hand-crafted, brown leatherwork spread throughout.

The ones selling the bike say the entire build cost over $20,000 back when it was made, but there’s no estimate as to how much it is expected to fetch during the auction.