AMCA Live-blogging the Birth of a Bobber
Looking for something fun to follow on the Internet over the holidays? The Antique Motorcycle Club of America has the answer.
Right now, 18-year-old Ryan Mackey, the winner of the AMCA’s Youth Program Basket-Case Contest, is building the bike of his dreams, a custom bobber based on a 1942 Harley-Davidson WLA, from the ground up. And you can follow the entire project online.
Mackey was chosen as the winner in the AMCA contest, which attracted 90 entries from young antique-bike enthusiasts (aged 18 to 25) across the country. His prize was a collection of parts that could be turned into a authentic Harley bobber, the stripped-down style of custom motorcycles popular with servicemen returning home to America after World War II. Plus, Mackey won the opportunity to build that bike under the direction of some of the most knowledgeable experts in the field.
Right now, while Mackey is on winter break from paramedic school, he’s at Carl’s Cycle Supply in Aberdeen, South Dakota, tackling chassis and sheet-metal work under the guidance of Matt Olsen, the AMCA’s youth coordinator. And you can follow along in a special thread established to cover the project in the forum area of the AMCA website.
You’ll be able to see the entire process of restoring, refitting and reassembling the hundreds of parts that make up this classic machine, all through the eyes of a novice builder. Watch as he learns how to turn the pile of parts donated by AMCA members into a running motorcycle. And who knows? You might even learn a few bike-building tricks yourself.
The winter phase of the Bobber Build will continue through January 17, with updates daily (and sometimes more frequently). The next marathon work week will take place during Ryan's spring break, when he’ll travel to North Carolina to work on the engine and transmission at Dale Walksler’s famed Wheels Through Time Museum. Final assembly of the project bike will take place sometime in late July or early August.
You can follow the entire adventure at www.antiquemotorcycle.org! Just click on the “Birth of a Bobber” link on the home page.
Photo cutline: Ryan Mackey learns the first rule of building a ’42 Harley custom: Cut away anything that doesn’t look like a bobber.
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The Antique Motorcycle Club of America is the nation’s largest organization for vintage-bike enthusiasts. Its sister organization, the AMCA Foundation, is dedicated to preserving the history of motorcycles and educating the public about the heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.antiquemotorcycle.org.
