A Harley flathead bobber with a Kawasaki jet ski supercharger? That’s exactly what Kentucky builder Rick “Dozer” Dozer came up with for his friend and repeat customer, Mike “Smokie” Clark of Canada. Add a chromed Harley-Davidson VL frame, some serious fabrication, and plenty of creative freedom, and you’ve got a custom that looks like it belongs to another era.

Dozer walks us through the build, including how he took an oversized blower and made it work on a vintage-style flathead. And the story starts with another bobber altogether.

A Bobber at Cycle Showcase Started It All

Dozer and Smokie were walking around Cycle Showcase in St. Louis when they came across a bobber built by Mike Lang. They couldn’t quit looking at it. Dozer called the bike “absolute perfection,” and Smokie had an idea: they needed to build a bobber of their own.

It had been a while since Dozer had tackled that style of bike. The pair found a rolling chassis and got to work, but Dozer wasn’t interested in simply building another traditional bobber. He wanted something that would stop people in their tracks without losing that old-school feel.

Why the Chromed Harley VL Frame Matters

For Dozer, the Harley-Davidson VL frame is a work of art. He considers it one of the best-looking frames Harley ever produced, and rather than hiding those curves under paint, he sent this one out for chrome.

The result was almost too good. When the frame came back, Dozer joked that putting an engine in it felt nearly criminal. Still, this wasn’t meant to be a display-only piece. He added handmade trim and a seat that fit the bike’s stripped-down attitude, letting the frame’s lines do a lot of the talking.

But the frame wasn’t the wildest part of this Harley flathead bobber. That honor belongs to the blower hanging off the motor.

A Kawasaki Jet Ski Supercharger on a Harley Flathead

Old-School Looks From an Unexpected Donor

Dozer wanted the visual punch of a roots-style supercharger, not the modern appearance of a centrifugal setup. His solution came from a place most Harley builders wouldn’t think to look: an older Kawasaki jet ski.

The blower was roughly 20 years old when he found it, and its shape had just the vintage character he was after. The problem was size. In its original configuration, the unit was far too big for the flathead bobber.

Cutting the Blower Down to Fit

Rather than abandon the idea, Dozer reworked the supercharger. He fabricated new end plates and reduced the size of the assembly so it could fit the bike. It wasn’t a bolt-on trick or a cosmetic prop. This was a functioning adaptation built around the motorcycle.

Dozer says the finished Harley flathead runs and rides “really good.” He doesn’t offer horsepower, boost-pressure numbers, or track times in the interview, and we’re not going to invent any. What matters is that the unconventional setup works and has the vintage look he set out to capture.

Smokie Gave Dozer the Keys to the Whole Build

There’s another interesting piece of this story: Smokie didn’t micromanage a thing. He’s had Dozer build several motorcycles for him, and their arrangement is straightforward. They settle on a basic concept, then Smokie steps aside and gives Dozer room to create.

On this project, the direction was simply “build a bobber.” No approved color chart, no detailed parts list, no back-and-forth over every decision. Smokie trusts Dozer’s eye and fabrication skills, and Dozer gets to build the motorcycle he sees in his head.

In fact, when Cycle Source caught up with them, Smokie was seeing the finished machine for the first time. That chrome frame and supercharged flathead were every bit as much a reveal to him as they were to everyone standing around the bike.

Their partnership has turned out one motorcycle about every year to year and a half, and Smokie says Dozer has yet to disappoint him.

Watch Dozer’s Supercharged Harley Flathead Bobber

It’s one thing to read about a jet ski blower grafted onto a Harley flathead. It’s another to hear the builder explain what he did and see the motorcycle for yourself. Watch the full Outta Focus feature.

From a chance encounter with Mike Lang’s bobber in St. Louis to the modified Kawasaki supercharger and that gleaming VL frame, this build shows what can happen when a customer gives a talented builder one idea and the freedom to run with it.

Cycle Source’s Outta Focus is brought to you by Garage Build and powered by Dennis Kirk.