Custom Harley-Davidson Dyna Bobber Looks so Sinister it Might Keep You Up at Night

Built back in 2023, the murdered-out bobber shown in these photos does a fantastic job at exemplifying what this Aussie can pull off. It started out as a Harley-Davidson Dyna from the model-year 2011, owned by a guy named Rory and looking a bit worn out. The story of this build is very much intertwined with that of another project, an Ironhead conversion previously commissioned by the same client.

As there was a lot to be done on this Ironhead-based endeavor, Rory needed a temporary ride to get him around while that bike was being built. He scored this 2011 Dyna after browsing the classifieds around the web, but it wasn’t long before things got flipped on their heads. The guy had a pretty nasty mountain biking accident, which left him unable to ride at all for a good few months.

His Dyna was now sitting around without a purpose, so it was handed over to Justin for a custom makeover while Rory was recovering. The Ironhead project was put on pause, and the mastermind at PopBang turned his full attention to the modern Harley. It was only meant to get tidied up and treated to a few custom touches at first, but things quickly snowballed and the bike was due for a complete overhaul.

From a cosmetic standpoint, Justin’s source of inspiration was a Rough Crafts build also based on the Dyna platform. It was, in fact, Rory who’d initially pitched this idea, but the end result is far from a mere copy of Winston Yeh’s work. With the motorcycle taken apart and ready to enter the custom realm, Justin tackled the footwear department to set the tone for the rest of the project.

Wide wheels and fat tires were on the client’s wish list, so the OEM hoops got ditched to make way for beefier alloy units at both ends. Their rims are embraced by chunky Allstate Dirtman tires, which look seriously imposing to say the least. As you can imagine, getting the new shoes to fit the Dyna was no plug-and-play affair, requiring the fabrication of bespoke hubs, spacers, and triple clamps before it could be done successfully.

Moving on to the suspension sector, we find a pair of enclosed aftermarket shock absorbers supporting the bike’s rear end. The front end had to be lowered considerably in order to achieve the correct posture, so the forks were shortened by 120 millimeters (4.7 inches) and then fitted with stiffer springs. PopBang Classics’ customization process clearly started with a bang (no pun intended), and it continued to work wonders when it came to the bodywork.

Gone is the Harley’s original fuel tank, replaced with a mesmerizing off-the-shelf part sourced from Lowbrow Customs. Once again, installing this item onto its new host wasn’t exactly straightforward, because its underside had to be adapted for the Dyna frame. A digital Motogadget speedometer was recessed into the tank up top, together with five LED warning lights.

That rear fender may appear to be a custom part at first glance, but it is actually a trimmed-down version of the stock mudguard. Right in front of it lies a stylish handmade saddle, neatly upholstered in black leather by Jamo at Timeless Auto Trim. A small license plate bracket is attached to the fender’s rearmost tip, complete with multi-function LED taillights from Kellermann’s inventory.

The same brand supplied the front-end turn signals, which live on tailor-made upper fork covers on each side of a new headlamp. Speaking of which, that grilled LED headlight goes to great lengths in giving this machine a truly menacing look, while the updated cockpit area is all about minimalism. There we spot a low-profile handlebar outfitted with Motogadget switches and Kustom Tech control levers.

Justin and Rory decided not to add any mirrors here, so as to keep the clutter in the cockpit at a bare minimum. PopBang Classics’ powertrain mods didn’t have to go any further than the intake and exhaust, with the former receiving a top-shelf aftermarket air cleaner. On the other hand, the new exhaust system is a genuine Rough Crafts piece modified to work with the Dyna’s anatomy.

Oftentimes, all-black paint jobs can end up looking rather bland and uninspiring, but our protagonist obviously knew what he was doing here. He used a tasteful blend of gloss and matte finishes to bring about some visual depth, and the whole shebang is incredibly well executed from head to toe. For a build that was only meant to involve a few touch-ups at first, this bobbed Harley Dyna really knocks it out of the ballpark!