Honda motorcycles have long been popular donor platforms for bobber builds because of their mechanical reliability, clean engineering, and sheer availability across decades of production. Models like the Rebel 250/300/500, Shadow series, CB750, CX500, and even smaller-displacement standards have provided builders with solid, forgiving foundations that can be stripped down and reshaped without compromising rideability. Honda frames are typically well-proportioned and structurally sound, engines are famously durable, and the bikes tolerate cosmetic modification better than many high-strung or exotic machines.
Another reason Hondas work so well as bobber donors is practicality. Parts availability is excellent, costs are relatively low, and there’s extensive aftermarket and community knowledge around common conversions. Many Honda platforms use shaft or simple chain drives, air- or lightly liquid-cooled engines, and uncomplicated electrical systems, making them approachable for first-time builders as well as experienced fabricators. The result is a bobber that keeps the stripped-down, rebellious aesthetic of the style while retaining Honda’s hallmark traits: ease of ownership, everyday usability, and long-term dependability.
Hachimaan: Honda GB350 Chopper - Garage Dreams: MAAN-built Chopper from Sardinia! The new Honda GB350S is making positive waves among riders and reviewers. The retro single-cylinder thumper offers classic style, simplicity of design, and costs less than £4000 new. It […]
Obsidian Rawline 400: Honda CM400 Bobber - Clean, Raw, and Light: 400cc Bobber from JasinTom Motorcycles… One thing we don’t see as much as we’d like are small, lightweight bobbers perfect for blasting around town or city. In fact, we were just […]
Mint Chip: Honda CB350 Custom - CB350 Bobber from MacVittie Motorcycles… Last week, we featured a gorgeous Honda CB550 café racer from Matt MacVittie of MacVittie Motorcycles. Matt is an engineer, family man, and garage-builder who’s been turning out some very […]
Speedway Cowboy: Honda CM400 Bobber - Speedway-inspired Bobber from Poland’s JasinTom Motorcycles… Introduced in 1979, the Honda CM400 was the forerunner to the long-running, highly successful Honda Rebel series. Powered by a 395cc air-cooled parallel-twin, the CM models shared many parts […]
Light Urban Bobber: Honda Shadow 600 - The “VP” from Blackout Custom Designs: Built for a Star… There’s nothing quite like riding a big V-twin cruiser on the open highway. It’s easy to imagine you’re saddled on some mythical iron horse, thundering […]
Bantamweight Bobber: Honda Rebel 250 “Toshiko” - Joseph Friday (Friday’s The Bomb) builds one agile 250 bobber… The Honda Rebel 250 (aka CMX250C) first appeared in 1984 — a lightweight 234cc parallel-twin cruiser that would remain in production until 2016! A common […]
“Lil Sebastian” Honda XL175 Bobber - The Honda XL175, built from 1973-1978, was a lightweight dual-sport with a 2-valve SOHC wet sump engine and 6-volt electronics. The 4-storke engine was lauded for its wide powerband, low pulling power, and ability to […]
“Kage” Honda Shadow 500 by One-Up Moto Garage - In 1983, Honda introduced their Shadow series of V-twin cruisers, including the VT500C. Better known as the “Shadow 500,” the bike featured a liquid-cooled, three-valve, 52-degree V-twin engine that made 54 horsepower — mated to […]
All Squared Away: Honda CB450DX by JM Customs - The Honda CB450DX was available from 1989-1992, a popular beginner’s bike powered by a 43-hp air-cooled parallel-twin derived from the Superdream engine. The bike was affordable, reliable, easy to handle, and offered retro 70s styling. […]
Flat-Six Brat: Honda Valkyrie by Basan Metalworks - The Honda Valkyrie, first introduced in 1996, was intended to be the world’s ultimate cruiser, a six-cylinder brute that was bigger, badder, and more powerful than traditional V-twins. Said one Honda VP: “The [flat-six] motor […]
Honda CB125 Bobber / Tracker by David Zobouyan - If someone put together a Venn diagram of the world’s motorcycle and car enthusiasts, there would be some serious overlap between the two worlds. In fact, some of our favorite builders, such as Bryan Fuller […]
“Mad Bob” Honda Rebel 500 Bobber by Tokwa Party Garage - A badder, madder Honda Rebel… In 2017, Honda released their completely redesigned Rebel 300/500 with great fanfare. Cycle World named the Rebel 300 the “Best Lightweight Streetbike” of 2017, while Cruiser named the bike their […]
Honda CX500 Cafe / Bobber by Magnum Opus Custom Bikes - “Nothing is plug and play once you put down the grinder…” These are the words of Ezio Covelli, the man behind Magnum Opus Custom Bikes, describing the transformation of this Honda CX500 and any custom […]
Honda CG125 Bobber by FNG Works - Custom culture is alive and well in Malaysia, where we see a great many small displacement bikes with big personality. Such was this Honda XL125 scrambler by Irwann Cheng, formerly of Kemeh Fabrications. Irwann […]
Honda CL350 Bobber by JMS Customs - Jan M. Sallings — the man behind JMS Customs of Arkansas — has had a love of motorcycles since an early age. He still remembers the thrill and music of twisting the throttle on a […]
Honda GoldWing Bobber by Retro Bikes Croatia - The Honda GoldWing is one of our favorite platforms for a custom build, particularly the earlier four-cylinder models. These bikes are built like trains, with loads of torque and bulletproof vitals. That said, they are […]
Honda CB750 Bratstyle by Mark Alderfer - We love featuring bikes from big, well-known shops, but there’s something truly special about customs crafted by individual builders in their personal garages or sheds. This the essence of the #builtnotbought mentality, and if you […]
