Rocketeer Bobber

A new model from Darwin Motorcycles introduced last August in Sturgis during the 2010 AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building. It’s a classic New Bobber style with the lines and features made so popular during these last 5 years. But of course, each builder has his own way to mix and match parts to make the bike both attractive and performant without calling China to make it reasonably priced. 

So, what do you get with the “Rocketeer”. A rigid frame from Racing Innovations (Sam Wills) with 40-degree rake and 1″ backbone stretch, a Crazy Horse 100″ engine, a beautiful 41 mm Meanstreet front end, a set of 16 x 3″ (front) and 16 x 4″ (rear) Ride Wright spoke wheels wrapped with Metzeler MME 880 tires, front & rear Excel 4-piston brakes pinching Wilwood rotors, a BDL open belt drive system, a black ceramic coated performance exhaust. Inverted MotoX bars with MotoX Leroy Thompson grips and a Wire Plus gauge machined into trees. Gas tank was specifically designed and fabricated for this model.

And if like me you wonder about the name and paint job theme (you can request another one), Dar Holdsworth will explain to you that it is inspired by the illustrations of the comic character Rocketeer that Dave Stevens created in 1982. Darwin Motorcycles. (pictures Horst Roesler)

31 Responses to “Rocketeer Bobber”


  1. 1 Mike Sep 22nd, 2010 at 1:43 pm

    Looks pretty cool. But for me not with this paint job.

  2. 2 Justin Moss Sep 22nd, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    Like it but a Crazy Horse engine?!? I guess many people will hesitate just because of the motor. I think it’s a big mistake.

  3. 3 Shifter Sep 22nd, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    Transmission from who?

  4. 4 T Sep 22nd, 2010 at 1:57 pm

    is that a Crazy Horse 100″ engine or a HOKA HEY 100″ engine?

  5. 5 Brandon Sep 22nd, 2010 at 2:09 pm

    T. Hoka Hey Motor. Ha, ha, ha.

  6. 6 m switzer Sep 22nd, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    Is a “crazy horse” motor the old Indian “power-plus” bottlecap motor

  7. 7 Feather Sep 22nd, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    Switzer. Answer is yes. Very few leftovers, I hear, if any. So you can wonder about warranty

  8. 8 Cortez Sep 22nd, 2010 at 2:50 pm

    What Dar was thinking of? Would prefer an S&S, even a stock Harley Evo..

  9. 9 Fausto Simoes Sep 22nd, 2010 at 8:11 pm

    The bike looks cool.

    The motor is a great looking motor, keep up the great work Dar!

    It is infinitely easier to criticize someones work than actually making something and showing the world what you have created with your mind and your hands.

  10. 10 Dave Blevins Sep 22nd, 2010 at 8:16 pm

    Good lookin’ cycle, tastefully done.

  11. 11 Woody Sep 22nd, 2010 at 8:47 pm

    Fausto, I don’t believe folks are diss’n the bike-with all the recent Hoka Hey snafu and related engine stuff, well, do a little search and make up your own conclusions. Great bike BTW, love the big front tire and clean forks.

  12. 12 Dar - Brass Balls Bobbers & Choppers Sep 22nd, 2010 at 10:23 pm

    For the record, the Rocketeer is a new model for us for 2011. It is a modern interpretation on our bobbers with a host of great American components. Like most of our bikes, the customer can pick and choose the component mix on their Rocketeer including the motors. Yes we use S&S motors, but we debuted this model with the Crazy Horse motor due to its uniqueness and great retro styling that complimented the bike theme. We have featured them in several high profile bikes over the years and customers love them. The Rocketeer comes standard with S&S 96″, (Crazy Horse is an optional upgrade) Baker 5 speed, BDL primary, Wilwood brakes, Ridewright wheels, ME 880 tires, Wireplus gauge, custom sheetmetal, Excel hand and foot controls, Racing Innovations frame, custom leather seat and more… to see examples of how customers can design and outfit their Brass Balls Bobbers and Choppers, go to the bikes page of our site http://www.brassballsbobbers.com/bikes.aspx
    The programming for the Rocketeer will be complete by the end of the week so customers can start configuring them and submitting order inquiries.
    Thank you to Cyril and everyone else for your support.

  13. 13 Rick Lossner Sep 23rd, 2010 at 7:22 am

    Awesome Bike.. .. Especially like engine option; the PowerPlus’s look cool, and keep the HD boyz at bay and whining…

    Looks like a winner from where I’m sitting!

  14. 14 Tattooed43 Sep 23rd, 2010 at 8:51 am

    I sat on this pretty little bike when I was in Sturgis. Bad ass is all I got to say. Love the paint too…

  15. 15 Victor Saez Sep 23rd, 2010 at 9:07 am

    Great looks.

  16. 16 Doc Robinson Sep 23rd, 2010 at 9:11 am

    Sweet. Dar builds great bikes and is in tune with the likes of the younger generations, who are the future of biking.

  17. 17 Woody Sep 23rd, 2010 at 10:04 am

    Like Doc sez! 😉

  18. 18 Angry Inch Sep 23rd, 2010 at 10:48 am

    Reminds me of an Exile cycle, count me as a fan.

  19. 19 Jeff Nicklus Sep 23rd, 2010 at 1:11 pm

    Dar stopped by our spot in the Black Hills, during the rally, to say hello … he was riding this bike … believe me when I say, the Black & White pictures shown herein do not do this bike justice.

    Over & Out,

    Jeff

  20. 20 Greg Sep 23rd, 2010 at 1:14 pm

    Jeff. They are color pictures! Not B&W.

  21. 21 Larry R Sep 23rd, 2010 at 3:57 pm

    Great job, Dar. Great job.

  22. 22 Jeff Nicklus Sep 23rd, 2010 at 4:22 pm

    Greg,

    They are showing in B&W on my computer(s) … actually on all three computers. ??????? Still looks good.

    Over & Out,

    Jeff

  23. 23 My Bikers World Sep 24th, 2010 at 4:56 am

    This bobber seems to be as simple as a billet! But the speed of this piece of machinery is also great. Just excellent combination for the real men. Nothing worthless.

  24. 24 alan Sep 24th, 2010 at 3:30 pm

    VERY NICE THIS CAN BE A CYRIL HUZE BIKE
    A LOT OF DETAILS

  25. 25 Roadside Marty Sep 24th, 2010 at 3:56 pm

    For the record Dar and his dedicated crew build some incredible bikes so this one is no exception..as for the the motor there is a company here in Florida by the name of Black Hawk MotorWorks (hopefully got that name right) who produce the upgraded solution for this engine’s problems, of which I’m sure Dar has corrected..can’t wait to see what these guy’s come up with next!!!! In closing all I have to say is…Turn the gas on brother!!!!! Roadside Marty

  26. 26 IronHorse Sep 24th, 2010 at 11:53 pm

    Love the bike…it just got added to the wish list of gotta haves. The Crazy Horse (Indian PowerPlus) motor not only looks good, but after the factory problems are addressed, should be pretty reliable and bullet-proof, all the while making good power.

  27. 27 R. Alan Sep 27th, 2010 at 8:10 am

    Nice bike Dar…

    Some of you guys need to get out more. The Crazy Horse engines are not left over PP100’s from Indian. They are NEW engines with all problems engineered out of them and have been renamed V-PLUS 100.

    At some point I intend to replace the 88″ S&S Superstock on my ’01 Chief with this engine.
    Blackhawk Motorworks in Florida does have some of the rebuilt PP100’s but they are not the same engine internally as the V-Plus engine as far as I understand. The old PP100 had some serious issues with crank bearing failure and/or bearing walk or seizing due to some poor engineering/machining and mis-matched parts. There was also a static compression ratio problem that added to the low end problem and these engine were also blowing head gaskets and burning up starters. Also: from what I’ve read Blackhawk offers a 110″ stroker that sounds pretty potent. Might be worth looking into at some point. There was also a gentleman named Joe Malfa I believe, that was doing some serious overhauling and upgrading of the PP100 engines and from what little testimony I’ve read of his work and these engines after, the work is top notch and the engines are real brutes.

    Do a little research guys, you might be pleasanty suprised at what you find out. See ya.

    R.

  28. 28 Marc Mazerolle Sep 27th, 2010 at 8:11 am

    Saw this bike in Sturgis, to me, it is one of the coolest bikes I have ever seen. It embodies all the features I would want in a cool bobber. Dar has his finger on the pulse baby!! My chopper class kids always get a good briefing on what Brass Balls Bobbers is doing. So much so, that we recently partnered up with our Canadian Military Veterans Group and the BMHS Bike Klub and the Veterans Canadian Military Group are working together to send postcards to soldiers currently stationed in hot spots around the world. Canadian soldiers are out there in harms way too and we want them to know we are thinking and thanking them. Dar has a good influence beyond building bikes, thanks for the inspiration Dar and keep up the good work!!

    Mazz.

  29. 29 nuno maroco Sep 28th, 2010 at 4:27 pm

    The bike have all what the bikers needs, style, power and quallity.
    Good luck for the manufacture.

  30. 30 Steve Nov 3rd, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    I have an 03 Indian Chief and have had no issues with my engine. I just got off the phone with Dar, we have been talking about building a bike. At first I was going with one of his cool Diggers but after we met in Las Vegas I changed my mind and have ordered one of these beautiful Rocketeer’s. Can’t wait to get it, one of the nicest bikes I have seen and I’ve seen many. Dar has a great eye for design, his whole line up is worth checking out.

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