Kids are impressionable, especially when motorcycles are involved. That magical combination of sound, smell and danger has a way of imprinting itself on young minds. But Kyle Harvey didn’t just dream of bikes as a child?he practically grew up with them.
Kyle’s trade is tool and die making, but his passion is building bikes. His father, Garth Harvey, got Kyle and his brother into bikes at a young age; as soon as they could start their old man’s vintage motorcycles, they were riding them. Living in Edenvale in South Africa’s Gauteng province, the boys also had direct access to the local Classic Motorcycle Club.

The folks at the CMC made quite an impression on young Kyle?and taught him everything he knows about vintage bikes. After helping numerous friends work on their bikes, he went on to open his own shop, named simply ‘The Workshop.’ Kyle has been building and restoring classic motorcycles for over a decade now. This cheeky bobber is his latest build, and it’s immensely fascinating. The engine’s from a Triumph TR6 Trophy, the frame is from a Matchless, and the quirky handmade details on it are endless.

Kyle’s imagination was sparked when he stumbled across a 1946 Matchless G80 frame around five years ago. He wanted to build a bobber that shied away from the stretched-out hardtail look, and the short Matchless frame was exactly what he needed.
To prep the frame for the 1971 Triumph TR6 Trophy engine chosen for the ...