Minimalism and understatement do not always go hand in hand. In this case, it is the whole point of the design. Bringing the designs from their history books and fusing them with cues of early performance models, manufacturers catered to the ’bob-job’ from the 1930s through the 1990s custom scene.

Stripping excess bodywork from a motorcycle, shortening the fenders, and having a bob-tail, here is our list of the top five Bobbers coming in 2020. They run on massive engines yet harks back to a different time – ostensibly the post-WWII era when returning servicemen stripped their bikes of all unnecessary weight for the sake of going faster.

2020 Indian Scout Bobber Twenty

For the Scout’s 100th anniversary, Indian launched a new Bobber Twenty with styling inspirations from Scouts of yore. It gets wire wheels, a floating solo saddle, a mix of chrome and blacked-out finishes, and 10-inch ape hanger handlebars. The same liquid-cooled, 60-degree 1133 cc V-twin does the job here and puts out 94 ponies and 72 pound-feet of torque.

The seat height is also maintained at a low 25.3 inches to accommodate all sizes of riders and helps in achieving a light and responsive steering inputs. The suspension sees cartridge forks and dual hydraulic coil springs. For 2020, all Scouts receive improved braking components, including new master cylinders, calipers, and floating rotors. MSRP: $11,999 for non-ABS, and $12,899 for ABS.

2020 Triumph Bobber TFC

Calling it a “pure Bonneville hot rod” the British manufacturer captured the American way of the ‘30s with the original Bobber. With TFC short for Triumph Factory Custom, the new Bobber gets LED headlight, clip-on handlebars, carbon fiber bodywork, a billet top and bottom yoke, and more. Limited to just 750 units, each machine comes with a numbered plaque, model-specific banding, and a swag bag. The entire motorcycle will also be about 11 pounds lighter, and gets The Union Jack design on the knee pad is in silver foil, with a gold pinstripe on the tank.

The heart of this Bobber is the same category-leading, high-torque Bonneville 1200cc engine, which boasts more power and torque, a 500 rpm-higher redline, and an Arrow titanium muffler with carbon-fiber end caps. The crank, clutch, and counterbalancer are all lighter. Chassis updates see adjustable Öhlins at both ends, 310mm discs, Brembo M50 monoblock calipers, and a Brembo MCS radial master cylinder. The TFC now gets three riding modes, traction control, ABS. MSRP is $17,500.

2020 Yamaha Bolt and Bolt R

The Bolt from Yamaha’s Sport Heritage line is a neat little bobber-style bike with its high tank, short wheelbase, and solo seat. A modern LCD instrumentation, twelve-spoke cast alloy wheels, and LED taillight keep this Bobber fresh. Using the same engine as the V Star 950, the mill for the duo is the 942 cc, air-cooled, 60-degree V-twin punching 59 pound-feet of torque.

Telescopic forks and dual shocks handle the undulations on both the rides. Braking on both front and rear happens on 298 mm "wave" discs. The R spec Bolt additionally gets a set of twin piggyback rear shocks, contrast-stitched saddle, and more in-depth paint schemes. MSRP: Bolt - $7,999 in Raven and Bolt-R - $8,399 in Matte Silver.

2020 CCM Spitfire Bobber Stealth

Accentuating a stealth series outlook, CCM has unveiled a blacked-out version of their Spitfire range, including this Bobber. This is the mean-looking versions of the standard bikes with bronze frames, forks, and detail stripes to accent the gloss black paint jobs. It also comes with a black Alcantara leather saddle with yellow stitching. The spoked wheels get replaced with black alloys and they ditch the white-walled tires.

The powerplant on this Bobber makes use of the same Husqvarna TE630 fuel-injected, single-cylinder, four-stroke mill producing a healthy 55 hp and 43 lb-ft of max torque. Chassis updates see Bronze Marzocchi forks, and Brembo four-pot brakes biting a 320 mm disc. MSRP: $13,587.

2020 Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber Sport

Moto Guzzi always makes it a point to keep both retro and the modern fumbled into the same machine. The “Sport” features a lowered saddle, drag bar mounted on lower raisers, bold graphics, and a total black contrast of the mechanicals with an orange base. Chubby 130/90 and 150/80 – 16-inch tires distinguish it from its stablemate. The same 853cc longitudinally-mounted 90-degree twin produces 55 hp and 46 lb-ft of torque. Special megaphone-style slip-on muffler comes in for 2020.

Chassis updates see high-spec gas-charged Öhlins shocks. Pair of Brembo 4-pot 320mm disc and 2-pot 260mm disc provide predictable stopping power. Electronic rider aids include dual-channel ABS by Continental and standard Moto Guzzi traction control (MGTC) having two modes. MSRP: $ 10,690.

Bonus

2020 Harley-Davidson Street Bob

With the Street Bob, Harley Davidson is offering the customers a factory-built bobber with a Softail design. It gets mini-ape handlebars, spoked wheels, hidden digital instrumentation, and chopped fenders, keyless ignition, a USB charging port, and Signature LED forward lighting. The Mil-8 brings a massive 1,746 cc displacement to the table with no less than 110 pound-feet of torque on tap.

The frame retains the classic Softail lines a set of racing-style cartridge telescopic forks at the front and easily adjustable mono-shock at the rear. The Street Bob comes with a single disc brake at both front and rear, which is coupled with ABS. MSRP: Vivid Black $14,599, Color $14,999, Two-Tone $15,349, ABS Option $795 extra.