SPORTSER BOBBER

PUNISHER-THEMED AND TRULY MARVEL-LOUS... SORRY

13 arl 'Charlie' Berry wanted a bobbed Sporty and had, in fact, got a chap lined up to build one but, for one reason or another, it didn't happen. Perusing eBay one evening, whilst having one or two polite libations, he spotted a very cool rigid Sportster, and bought it. It was only later, when he'd sobered up a little, did he realise that it was located 415 miles away in Scotland...

As some of you'll've already guessed, the Sportsterpowered machine you see here was originally built by Sledhead Bobbers, the Welsh custom bike builders who closed shop some years ago. It is, like all of their builds, based around an Evolution Sportster power-plant, with most (including this one) using the earlier rigid-mount

version ofthe Sporty engine, although there were some built with the later rubber-mounted variety shortly before Sledhead stopped trading.

The bike that he'd bought was built by the shop in the spec that you see here, albeit originally in an all-black livery, and with a rather humdrum plain black seat, too. That spec was fairly typical to the bikes built by Sledhead - goose-neck frame built to their spec to take DNA springers, 16" wheels with tall Avon tyres, no front mudguard, Sporty fuel tank, and a single seat gives the look that their bikes became known for, with styling cues clearly taken from the bikes built by Shinya Kimura at Zero Engineering in Japan.

After its commissioned build, it was sold to a second owner, who had it painted in the red and black Punisher paint scheme - a superb finish undertaken by an unknown painter - and this was how it was when it took the trip south to Karl's gaff. Shortly after, he replaced the seat with a red and black leather seat that he sourced from Germany, perfectly matching the paint scheme. He also has an alternative rear mudguard, with a stick-on 'pussy pad' for the option to ride two-up ifhe so chooses, hence the pillion pegs.

Having owned the Sporty for just over a year now, in which time he's picked up a number of trophies with it, he's keen to try something else, and it's up for sale. Interested parties should contact him through us at the magazine.