Coker Tire Company for Bobbers & Old Skool Bikes

Coker's Beck Diamond Tread

If you're building an old skool bike, like a bobber, a vintage reproduction, or a boardtracker, be sure to check out the vintage reproduction tires from Coker Tire Company. My favorites are the Beck Diamond Tread pictured here, and the classic Firestone Deluxe Champion.

Dime City Cycles, Vintage Bobbers & Cafe Racers

Dime City Honda CB450 Bobber

Dime City Motorcycles, "Redefining the motorcycle, one rusty bolt at a time."

Great tagline for an outfit that transforms everything from classic Hondas, Kawis, Suzukis to modern Triumph twins into nicely crafted cafe racers and bobbers. Their work has gained them some recognition... Herm Narciso of Dime City has been featured on Cafe Racer TV.

In addition to complete bike builds, Dime City design and sells parts for the do-it-yourselfer. They also offer a lineup of parts from other small, boutique makers, such as Roccity Cafe Racers.

Dime City is located in Largo, FL, but is setup to take orders domestically and internationally.

Dime City Honda Shadow VT800 Cafe Racer

Dime City has a very extensive, well-designed and well-organized website with plenty of technical content. Their blog here is good place to start.

Update May 12: Dime City guys just tweeted about their interview at Cafe Racer Podcast. 

Cycle Source Magazine, Cafe Racers & Bobbers

 Cycle Source magazine is one of our favorite bike mags... real grassroots stuff, featuring daily-rider bikes built the little guy, usually the owner-rider, not just the big-name custom bike builders and the big corporations. We really like the down-to-earth attitude. Also, the design and photography is excellent.

Cycle Source got its start as a free publication in Pittsburgh, PA back in 1997. Eight years later, after expanding somewhat on the East Coast, editor Christopher Callen took it national. 

If you like retro and vintage stuff, you'll like what you see in each issue of Cycle Source... bobbers, cafe racers, board trackers, etc. They've also got a great website and blog where they showcase cool bikes, parts, and cycle news, so you don't have to wait by the mailbox each month to see the cool stuff they feature. They are on Facebook, too.

You can sign-up for a subscription here at their website. You can also pick-up a copy at your local Barnes & Noble bookstore if you want to check it out before subscribing.

Another cycle mag you might like: A few weeks ago we did a post about another favorite of ours, Cafe Racer magazine.

The Factory Metal Works Brit Bikes & Parts

The Factory Metal Works "True Vintage" Triumph Bobber

The Factory Metal Works specializes in vintage Brit custom bikes, especially bobbers, and the design and fabrication of parts for builders, including repops frames and complete hardtails for Triumph and BSA motors.

Their work has gotten plenty of notice over the years. For example, the "True Vintage" 1973 Triumph bobber you see here was featured on the cover of Cycle Source magazine's Dec. 2011 issue, and in the Jan. 2012 issue of Back Street Heroes mag in the UK.

They've got a great lineup of partners around the world who carry their parts. TFMW also has a lineup of apparel for men, women, and "the rest."  


              

Bitter End Old School Choppers Sportster Boardtracker Conversion Kit

BEOSC Leaf Spring Fork

Big Daddy at Bitter End Old School Chopper premieres BEOSC's Sportster boardtracker conversion kit in this video. We really like BEOSC designed and manufactured leaf spring fork.

BEOSC is a unique source for the home bike builder, too. They've got roller kits, like the boardtracker featured here, frame and frame components, springer fork kits and components, building jigs, and do-it-yourself books and DVDs for the builder.

Big Daddy also builds complete bikes for customers.

The Art of the Bobber

Billy Lane "Gangsta" Bobber

"Before choppers, there was the bobber."

The Art of the Bobber is a great "coffee table" photo book of bobbers that hit the market a few years ago. I've spent a lot of hours drooling over the awesome machines pictured in it. Unfortunately, it seems to have gone out of print now, though new and used copies are still available on Amazon.

Bikes from many of the great designer-builders, such as the late, great Indian Larry (of course!), and Von Dutch Kustoms are featured. Get a copy while you can.

Cool Triumph Bobbers Blog

Vintage Triumph Thunderbird Bobber

Just stumbled onto this great blog dedicated to Triumph bobbers and flattrackers. Lots of photos of cool customs. Check it out.

Darwin Motorcycles Brass Balls Bobbers

Brass Balls w. Indian Powerplus 100 Motor

Like Sucker Punch Sallys, Darwin Motors is another innovate, small custom cycle outfit that's made an international reputation designing and selling high-quality retro-styled bobbers based on Harley-Davidson style 45degree v-twin mills. Last year they branched out into another style theme and won the 2011 AMD championship with their RLX cafe racer based on the new S&S 56degree X-Wedge v-twin motor.

They've got a great Old Skool design sense. Visit their site if you love bobbers.