What is a bobber motorcycle?
A bobber motorcycle is a minimalist custom style with a shortened, or bobbed, rear end, a solo seat and bodywork stripped back to the essentials.
The bobber began after the Second World War, when riders coming home found war-surplus motorcycles cheap and plentiful and started cutting weight off them for speed and looks. The rear fender was shortened, or bobbed, down to a stub, the front fender was often removed entirely, and anything chrome that did not help the bike run was left off. What's left is mostly silhouette: frame, tank, engine and a single seat, with almost nothing to distract from the shape underneath. That's the whole idea. Unlike a chopper, a bobber usually keeps the standard frame geometry, so the changes are subtraction rather than reshaping. Don't expect a rulebook, though. There isn't one, and the types of motorcycle page explains why that's true of every style name here.
Our bobber art page draws that hardtail silhouette in heavy black ink, or upload a photo of yours for the same treatment. The chopper takes the idea further, reshaping the frame rather than just trimming it.
If you're buying for the person who built it, motorbike gift ideas is a better start than a catalogue.
Written by Craig Fearn, Throttlefolio. Last updated .
Workshop notes
Questions, answered
What is the difference between a bobber and a chopper?
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A bobber keeps the stock frame and strips weight off it. A chopper changes the frame itself, usually with raked-out, extended forks.
Why is it called bobbed?
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From bobbing the rear fender - cutting it down short, much like a bobbed haircut - a term that stuck to the whole style.