Daily Slideshow: Custom Harley Bobber Marks the End of an Era

1. Last Hurrah

If you're into the custom bike scene, you've probably already heard the name James Roper-Caldbeck. The purveyor of Jamesville Motorcycles has been building some pretty amazing machines for a number of years now, bikes that historically go against the grain. But after all those years of cranking out cool custom Harleys, the bike you see before you will be Roper-Caldbeck's very last one. Thankfully, he was kind enough to share this amazing ride (and his reasoning) with BikeEXIF.

2. Going out with a Bang

It isn't like Jamesville is going away completely, but its owner has decided to close the custom side of the business to focus on restorations and traditional bob-jobs instead. But this incredibly cool Harley is one heck of a way to go out, at least.

>>Join the conversation about James Roper-Caldbeck's Harley Bobber right here in HDForums.

3. A Real Basketcase

Like most of his projects, this Harley didn't exactly roll into the shop in very good shape, however. “This '42 Flathead came to me as an engine and transmission stuffed into a frame, rolling around on an old wooden dolly,” Roper-Caldbeck explained. “It was followed by ten boxes full of crappy old parts. I guess it was some kind of chopper back in the day.”

>>Join the conversation about James Roper-Caldbeck's Harley Bobber right here in HDForums.

4. Lots of Symbolism

His client, however, had a vision. He wanted a custom bobber fashioned after a 1942 WLC that was, in fact, Roper-Caldbeck's very first build. Not a bad way to cap things off, no? Making this even more symbolic is the fact that Jamesville is celebrating its 10th year in business, and this would be its 25th build in that time frame.

>>Join the conversation about James Roper-Caldbeck's Harley Bobber right here in HDForums.

5. Changing Plans

But despite having loads of parts to start with, Roper-Caldbeck chose to go a slightly different route. "Out of the ten boxes, I gave nine of them back to the client,” he said. “All I’ve used from the original basket case are the frame, forks, engine, transmission, wheel hubs and primary cover.”

>>Join the conversation about James Roper-Caldbeck's Harley Bobber right here in HDForums.

6. Changing Direction

Of course, that doesn't mean that the builder completely scrapped his client's vision. "The client wanted a bike with a Harley WR feel,” he said. “Light, sporty and slim. It was important to him that there was no battery box, which is not needed on a WR because they use a magneto.” Still, because of their complexity, he chose to forgo the magneto in favor of a small Antigravity battery.

>>Join the conversation about James Roper-Caldbeck's Harley Bobber right here in HDForums.

7. Making it Work

To make space for that battery, WR-style gas tanks were sourced. The pair were tied together with a custom aluminum strip, which also houses a piece of brass and an oil pressure light. It's surrounded by Speedster bars that have been chopped six inches and Parkerized like most firearms.

>>Join the conversation about James Roper-Caldbeck's Harley Bobber right here in HDForums.

8. Kicking it Old School

The custom bits continue with a rear fender fashioned by Cooper Smithing Co., to which the fender strut was welded directly to. New 18" wheels were fitted to the original hubs and wrapped in old school sawtooth-patterned Shinko 270 Super Classic tires.

>>Join the conversation about James Roper-Caldbeck's Harley Bobber right here in HDForums.

9. Custom, but Restored

The rest of this build? Well, it's pretty much original, believe it or not. But there are a few good reasons for that. At least in Europe, “people want to keep their bikes original,” he explains. “So this is as much a restoration as it is a custom build. ‘Investment’ is a word often used in the Harley world today.”

>>Join the conversation about James Roper-Caldbeck's Harley Bobber right here in HDForums.

10. Playing with Fire

Capped off with a unique red, white, and blue paint job, this old Harley is a home run in our book. But as Roper-Caldbeck explains, the custom bike world isn't always that simple. “Building custom bikes is always fun. It’s like playing Russian Roulette: you never know if you’re going to get the pay or the bullet.” And after hitting paydirt twenty-five consecutive times, we suppose you can't blame him for giving it up!

>>Join the conversation about James Roper-Caldbeck's Harley Bobber right here in HDForums.

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