Strip it back to the bare essentials, and make it lighter, faster and cooler. It?s a recipe for success that dates back nearly as far as the motorcycle itself, and it?s no surprise that bobber motorcycles are one of the longest-standing forms of custom bikes.
Accepted theories date the inception of the bobber back as far as the late 1920s and early 30s, when riders started stripping off standard road equipment to shed weight and stand out from the crowd. Emulating competition bikes of the day (predominantly AMA dirt track), road riders commonly stripped front fenders, exhaust silencers and other add-ons, and rear fenders were shortened drastically. In fact, the bobber terminology traces its origins back to this modification, as the bikes were originally called bob-jobs, as in bob-tail.
While trends come and go, bobber motorcycles have proven themselves to be a permanent piece of the motorcycle scene, and manufacturers worldwide have embraced the no-frills, stripped-back spirit. Factory bob-jobs come in all shapes and displacements these days, and the following machines are some of our favorite bobbers available for 2024.

Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114
Triumph Bonneville Bobber
CCM Bobber
Indian Chief Bobber
Indian Scout Bobber
BMW R12

Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114
At a glance 1,868 cc, 45° V-twin engine, 94 hp, 161 Nm, 19″ F / 16″ R wheels, 49 mm telescopic forks, hidden coilover rear shock?43 mm stroke, solo seat with pillion pad.
Part of the scene sin...