more besides.
“Each of them is challenging in its
own way, because to keep even the
less ambitious build somewhere close
to meeting road-legal regulations for
a new motorcycle is a real challenge
in itself. But the bike’s aesthetic is the
overriding factor — it has to be right,
look right and ride properly.”
That it does, as I found for myself when Michael let me loose
to cruise the streets of Melbourne on the prize-winning pro-
totype — a modern Aussie take using neo-vintage hardware
from India on a Yankee-style hot rod that’s capable and com-
petent, as well as dead cool-looking.
For those unfamiliar with this iconic
piece of two-wheeled Americana, the
Bobber was the forerunner of today’s
custom bikes, initially concocted in the late Forties and
early Fifties by GIs returning home from the battlefield with
accumulated war wages ready to be spent on a motorcycle.
To do so, they invariably used a Harley-Davidson or IndianThe 346cc air-cooled single can still
be started with the kickstarter (far
left). The low handlebar is held in
place by a brass clamp.