The ethos of the bobber motorcycle is simplicity. Paring down, cutting and trimming, undressing a bike and throwing out everything unnecessary, all at the owner’s discretion. The end result is a reflection on its builder, their priorities, something basic and telling. Now, one company is taking that same concept and applying it to the personal aircraft.
This is the Savage Bobber. It’s made by Zlin Aviation and has been around for a few years, and it’s now starting to pick up more morestream notoriety. And the concept, applying bobber-style customization to an go-anywhere, light sport aircraft, is seriously cool. The bones are simple: uncovered aluminum fuselage, 72-inch twin wood blade propeller, 80-horsepower Rotax engine, 18-gallon fuel tank. That lightweight combination means a minimum takeoff distances of 260 ft., and landing distances under 230 ft. Top speed is 109 mph; at 65 percent throttle, the effective range is around 400 miles.
Of course, the big sell here is the customizable modifications. Over 90 are available, from everything from the fuselage color to the seat, landing gear, luggage, propeller, and instrumentation. Engine upgrades go up to 120 hp. You chrome damn near any component. Best of all, this isn’t a kit, but a turnkey aircraft, with prices starting at $65,000.
Check out the Savage website, and get lost down the Bobber configurator rabbit hole.