Harley-Davidson Road Digger Is Pure Cruiser Custom, A Reloaded Street Bob

Not all, but some of these custom projects are worth a closer look, and that's exactly what we're going to give to the Road Digger.

Harley describes the Street Bob as a stripped-down ride for the streets. The model has been around for quite some time now, making the rounds as a softail machine with various degrees of success. Yet it managed to somehow stay true to the original recipe of keeping things simple and straightforward.

As it presents itself today as it rolls off the assembly lines, the motorcycle is the perfect base for customization work – a fact not only acknowledged, but also advertised by Harley-Davidson itself. After all, not even Milwaukee can ignore what’s being done to its products by talented crews around the world.

Offering a low stance, an upright riding position, and mid-foot controls, the stock ride is the closest one can get to a factory bobber. And, as any factory bobber, this one too is an open invitation to be customized.

There are a lot of custom garages that specialize in remaking the Street Bob in new shapes and forms, but few are as proficient at their job as the German crew we know as Thunderbike. During their 30+ years on the market, they've rolled out a significant number of bobbers, and a large portion of them were based on this particular model.

As mentioned above, the most recent Street Bob project to come out Thunderbike's doors is something called the Road Digger. Built to be tamed by a female rider, it is the perfect definition of a bob job well done.

It's not clear what model year Street Bob the Road Digger is based on, but given this is a custom project we're talking about, that technically matters little. After all, custom is not only unique, but also perrenial.

The work performed by Thunderbike is not their most extensive, quite the opposite. Yet the changes made are so effective it's like looking at a very complicated (and in no smaller measure beautiful) project.

One of the most significant changes made to the bike has to do with the handlebars. The original one, a piece that already allowed for an upright riding position, has been replaced by a custom aluminum piece that is an impressive 45 mm in thickness. That, combined with its height of ten inches (25 cm) and a riser kit to support the thing, makes the Road Digger look particularly imposing.

The riding position has changed not only on account of the new handlebar being fitted, but also thanks to the fact Thunderbike installed a forward control kit and new footpegs.

The wheels of the Street Bob, which usually come as factory (and, let’s face it, overall boring parts), have been replaced with hardware made in-house by Thunderbike. The wheel at the front comes in a diameter of 21 inches, while the one at the back is offered in 18 inches – the perfect offset in size between the two wheels to make the motorcycle proudly stand out in a crowd. Both wheels are housed under custom fenders and are brought to a halt by means of Thunderbike brake discs.

To make the Street Bob look sportier, the customizers installed a lowering kit on both ends. The bike’s original fuel tank has been replaced with a slimmer one that has the same „make it sporty” effect. The custom seat is made to match the new look and position requirements.

The German garage installed covers wherever they were needed, including on the timer, axles, and even on the brake calipers. All the lights on the motorcycle have been replaced as well, and over it all a unique paint job was imagined.

As usual, the Germans did not tamper with the bike’s original engine (the current version, Street Bob, is powered by a 114ci that delivers 94 horsepower), but they did give it a better breathing apparatus, and that comes in the form of a Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde exhaust system.

Despite the Road Digger being a relatively uncomplicated build, the cost of making it is by no means for the weak of heart. This little Breakout, as Thunderbike affectionately calls it because its „silhouette is reminiscent of our Breakout conversions” was put together with parts whose price alone goes well over 8,000 euros (that’s about 8,600 in American dollars).

That may not seem like much, but when you put things into perspective and remind yourself that Harley is asking $16,999 for a stock Street Bob, you realize you'll spend more than half that sum on customizations. Not including the impressive paint job, of course.