“So who’s this Bob?” I hear you ask. Actually it’s not so much a name as a description; American GI’s returning from the Second World War stripped down Harley-Davidson military models (all they could get) to their bare bones to coax out a little more performance.

The process was called bobbing, after the practice of cropping the tail of a working horse, and the bikes were called bobbers, soon shortened to bobs.

And in a very real way the 2006 Street Bob is just that: it has the 1449cc, fuel-injected Dyna engine and updated 2006 chassis, one seat and very little else

A serious streetbike for the rider to whom the ride is more important than the destination.

It’s a Harley big twin pared down to its bare essence, either as the basis for a project bike based on Harley-Davidson’s monumental aftermarket parts catalogue (you don’t have much to take off before you start) or a serious street bike for the rider to whom the ride is more important than the destination.

The 88 cubic inch motor is unchanged, delivering a claimed 51kW at 5500rpm and 106Nm at 4000. The 45-degree V-twin’s ferocious vibration has been tamed by balance shafts and fuel-injection.

There’s just enough of a shake to remind you what you’re riding and a little mechanical clatter to punctuate the solid beat of the staggered shorty dual tailpipes.

It runs out of steam at about 180km/h – which is meaningless because at anything more than 140 you’re hanging onto the mini-apehangers for dear life anyway – but its strong suit is midrange acceleration

It pulls way from the lights with enough stomp to genuinely take your breath way.

The clutch goes home at walking pace and it pulls way from the lights with enough stomp to genuinely take your breath way.

What’s more, the power is right there under your hand, right now – there’s no need to build up the revs or slip the clutch; just twist and steer. I love riding red-hot little sports bikes but I’ll admit the Harley has them all beaten when it comes to explosive accelaration without warning.

All of which is applied via a new clutch mechanism – by some geometrical magic the pull at the ‘bars has been appreciably lightened without inducing slip – and Milwaukee’s first six-speed gearbox.

I’m not sure it’s necessary on a motor with so much torque and the shift action is not as crisp as the post-2000 five-speed transmissions but the lever movement is short and positive, if intimidatingly vocal on downshifts, and it makes short-shifting through the ‘box in traffic that much more fun.

The hammer goes down through the trademark Harley-Davidson belt drive and a 160/70 rear tyre – the biggest I’ve seen on a standard air-cooled Harley. All 2006 Dynas have the six-speed transmission and bigger rear tyre; the Street Bob just seems to benefit more from them than the other bikes in that range.

Updated suspension

The front suspension has been updated with 49mm stanchions, stiffer initial spring rates and firmer damping; this is the first “traditional” Harley I’ve ridden with a front end that’ll cope with heavy braking.

It has only a single disc brake at either end but these are served by four-pot, opposed-piston callipers and they haul the 290kg Street Bob down so hard that the limiting factor is the tyres, not the brakes or the suspension.

The rear suspension is standard Milwaukee fare: short travel, stiff springing and barely adequate damping. The back end of the bike is so solid, however, that all it has to do is hold that big gumball in line, which it does to good effect.

What we have, then, is a big Harley with all the basics of a decent street bike – and no extras. It’s easy to ride, thanks to a low centre of gravity and good balance; the steering is light and surprisingly accurate by the standards of the genre, enabling the rider to pick his (or her) line and hold it cleanly, within the parameters of the limited ground clearance common to Harleys.

The steering is surprisingly quick despite the trucklike 1630mm wheelbase and with the wide ‘bars for leverage you can throw the Street Bob around to considerable effect, just like those ex-GI’s did with their “bobbed” WLA’s.

The upgraded front end has improved, if not cured, the slow wallow on long sweep that used to afflict big Harleys and this one can be pushed beyond the comfort limits imposed by its ergonomics without protest from the chassis.

Mid-mounted pegs

The Street Bob has what Harley-Davison calls “mid-mounted” footpegs; that means they’re under the centre of the engine rather than on the frame’s downtube but they’re still well forward of the rider’s seat.

The advantage is that the gearlever is fitted directly to the end of the shiftshaft – no linkage – which always improves the gearshift.

The seating position is upright, arms and legs well away from the body. It says a lot about the Milwaukee philosophy: this pose is relaxed and comfortable below 90km/h (the old “double nickel” or 55mph) and hellish awkward above it.

Once I’d reset my mind to “cruise” mode the deeply dished single seat was comfortable and all the controls fell readily to hand; on the other hand senior test rider Jenni Peters, who is taller and skinnier than I am, reported that the seat became uncomfortable on long rides (more than two hours) because she was unable to move around.

There are, however, any number of aftermarket seats available from Corbin as well from Harley-Davidson’s formidable catalogue, so don’t let that stop you.

The side stand has been recessed as far as possible to improve ground clearance; unfortunately it’s not only out of sight from the saddle but also very difficut to get at with your foot; the easiest way to extend it is in fact to get off the bike and work from alongside, which is effective if uncool.

No frills

The bike’s styling reflects the “no frills” bobber ethos; the only instrument is the speedo, mounted in a new wrinkle-black console on top of the 17.8-litre fuel tank. The ignition switch has simplified and moved to the frame neck where it operates the steering lock directly.

It also needs the key to operate it, unlike earlier models that could be switched on and off – although not locked – just by turning the big knob on the tank. Be warned however, to take the key out as soon as you stop the bike – the familiar tubular key common to all Harleys has no detents and falls out of the lock almost automatically when moved to the “off” position.

The whole bike has a pared down, business-like feel, with all the good stuff and a minimum of pretty little sheet-metal covers over the real engineering; it’s all pure “mo-sickle” – about as unpretentious as a bike from Milwaukee ever gets.

Out of place

It’s the closest I’ve seen to the classic Sportster look in a “full-size” F-series machine; the only exception is the rear fender, which is broad and deeply valanced, unlike the slimline front mudguard. It may be true to the period but it looks a little out of place on this bike.

The switchgear is also common to all current “traditional” Milwaukee products, with an indicator switch on each side of the handlebars. This has two drawbacks: firstly indicating while braking and gearing down for a right turn is a trick best left to experts and second, the only way to check that the indicators are off after a turn is to look at a tiny repeater down in your lap, way off the sight line.

The switchgear is, however, very positive in operation, beautifully made and renowned for its durability, as are all Milwaukee components. Finish, as always from the Motor Company, is impeccable; the paint is deep and lustrous, the chrome without blemish.

Bottom line

The war veterans who created the name would recognise this Street Bob; they would’ve loved the immensely muscular midrange power and understood the lack of rear seat, footpegs, mainstand and instrumentation other than the obligatory speedometer.

Perhaps more than any other Hog this bike is about riding, rather than looking the part; perhaps that’s why I liked it.