Can the past and present go hand in hand? That is what we will try to discover along these lines, analyzing firsthand the Bobber style and how it is again fully thanks to brands like Benda, which have fully opted for it. Without going any further, the new Napoleon Bob 500 is a mount that makes it clear, from the first moment, what has been the source of inspiration of its creators when shaping its striking and iconic forms.
But what really is the Bobber style? And above all, why is it fashionable again? To answer the first question we can turn to some experts in this of the transformations, and in particular those who wear a Bobber style: the boys of Lord Drake Kustoms.
As they explained in this detailed article, “The Bobber style is, next to the Cafe Racer and Scrabler, one of the most demanded when making a custom motorcycle. Born in the first half of the twentieth century, the Bobber motorcycles accompanied the beginnings of the Custom culture in North America.”
It is at the end of the 20s when the calls originally “Bob-Job”, make an appearance within the Custom world fans circles. The main idea was to remove the front fender, shorten the rear fender and eliminate excess body that was not really necessary when driving. Then the height of the seat was lowered and the wheelbase was shortened, turning the modified unit into a much more agile and manageable motorcycle.
But if there is something characteristic in a bobber that is, without a doubt, its cargoza seat, usually “in the air” or supported on a couple of docks. Other aspects to take into account in one of these preparations are the handlebar, fuel tank, tires or exhaust system.
Now, arriving at the present time, it is worth asking how a brand manages to build a Bobber and that, keeping style and philosophy unaltered, manages to be efficient, ergonomic and even the last technologically speaking.
Benda Napoleon Bob 500: The Bobber style is safe
There is no doubt that Benda has some predilection for the custom segment and, especially, by the Bobber style mounts. We have been able to verify it first hand in the Napoleon Bob 500 test, a motorcycle that treasures the timeless essence of the Bobber with a modern aesthetic and design details that break necks.
To do this, the Asian firm has worked accurately in all those aspects that make up the model. From the image, something essential in any motorcycle that is considered Bobber, to the technological section, implementing everything necessary so that, in addition to wearing a machine, we can enjoy a unique driving experience.
In fact, the new Napoleon Bob 500 has not been a surprise taking into account the rest of the models that the brand offers in our country within its current range. We talked about La Chinchilla 500 and the LFC700, two truly -loaded bonds and truly recurrent design details. However, the Napoleon Bob 500 is the first to embrace the Bobber style in a total way.
You just have to take an eye on your silhouette so that our imagination is associated, immediately, with custom models of the middle of the last century. If we add to this that it does not go unnoticed where it goes (Teo Romera confessed to us that during the test, countless people approached to ask what motorcycle was), success is practically assured.
To do this, Benda uses endless stylistic resources that, together, gives the Napoleon Bob 500 that image of Bobber “Old School” that segment fans like so much. In their minimalist and clean aesthetics, for example, the bars lined by two pods that emulate the exotic hossack -type forks. Also the low seat, located 695 mm from the ground, the “Flying Wing” style handlebar or details such as the tank paint and the satin black of the silent.
But like “Not only aesthetics lives man … or the woman«, This forceful feline (Napoleon refers to a cat race), integrates the latest technological advances into the two -wheeled segment. Among them the Bicilindrical engine in V with its golden tapas and details in gray titanium. A Modern Euro5+ 476 cc mechanics that offers 47 hp at 8,800 rpm and a torque of 42 nm at 6,700 rpm, and that is totally integrated into the overwhelming double crib chassis.
This is combined with a cycle part where its ball-style tires, with measures 150/80-16 in the front and 180/65-16 in the rear, contribute to the Bobber aesthetics and are striking. The braking uses, on the other hand, a radial anchor clamp of four pistons and a 320 mm disk in the front, assisted by a monopiston clamp and a 260 mm disk in the rear.
The icing of this Bobber cake in version 2.0 is put by the equipment that Benda has selected for the model: TFT instruments, ABS, traction control, Full-Led lighting or USB double shot (type A and type C). All this is integrated into the general philosophy of the motorcycle, without pretending to stand out above the “classical part.”
Because if they have been successful in Benda, it is precisely in that, in getting the past, present and future to be based on a single element: their new Napoleon Bob 500.
