Chopper (motorcycle)

Chopper refers to a particular type of motorcycle that was radically d to meet the owner's needs and desires, archetypical examples of which being the Harley-Davidsons as seen in the 1969 movie Easy Rider.

Related Topics:
Motorcycle - Archetypical - Harley-Davidson - 1969 - Movie - Easy Rider

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In California and Florida of the 1950s and 1960s, some motorcycle enthusiasts removed (or chopped) all parts which were deemed too big, too heavy, too ugly and/or not absolutely essential to the basic functionality of the machine. Typical elements fitting these criteria would be fenders, turn indicators, and even front brakes. As well, almost certainly the large, spring-suspended saddle was removed in order to sit as low as possible on the motorcycle's frame, which in most cases was a rigid "hard tail", as Harley-Davidson introduced rear suspension in 1958.

Related Topics:
California - Florida - 1950 - 1960 - Saddle - Frame - 1958

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Forward-mounted foot pegs replaced the standard large 'floorboard' foot rests. Also, the standard larger front wheel, headlight and fuel tank were replaced with much smaller ones. Many choppers were painted either in all black or in shiny metallic colors. Common, too, were many chromed parts (either bolt-on replacements or manually chromed stock parts). According to the taste and purse of the owner, high handle bars, stretched and raked front forks, aftermarket exhaust pipes were added. Laws required (and in many locales still do) a retention fixture for the passenger, so vertical backrests called sissy bars were a popular installation, often sticking up higher than the rider's head.

Related Topics:
Wheel - Headlight - Fuel - Tank - Rake - Sissy bar

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While the decreased weight and lower seat position improved handling and performance, the main reason to build a tough-looking chopper was more likely to show off and provoke others by riding a machine that was stripped and almost nude compared to the softer-styled stock Harley-Davidsons, let alone the oversized automobiles of that time.

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Choppers enjoyed a large resurgence in popularity in the late 1990s with companies like Jesse James' West Coast Choppers producing extremely expensive chopper-style bikes and a wide range of chopper-themed name-brand merchandise such as clothing, automobile accessories and stickers.

Related Topics:
1990s - Jesse James - West Coast Choppers - Theme - Brand - Sticker

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A distinction should be noted between true chopper (or chopper-style) motorcycles, and custom motorcycles, or 'custom cruisers'. Despite the name, a large percentage of the motorcycles produced by popular companies such as Orange County Choppers are better described as 'custom'.

Related Topics:
Custom - Orange County Choppers

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On this same subject a distinction should be made between choppers and bobbers. While both tried to improve performance by removing any part that didn't make the motorcycle perform better, they differed in an important way. Bobbers kept the origonal factory front suspension, while choppers have a modified front suspension.

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Most people assume that the chopper style motorcycles were built purely for astetics, but there is a real performance advantage to the raked front end on these choppers. These motorcycles have a much more stable feel at high speeds than motorcycles with origonal factory front suspensions. This would be a great place for someone to explain rake and trail, and what this means to performance at different speeds.

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