Choppers

Bishbash · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Karma :

Does anyone actually like them as when I see them I dont understand why people would want to be near one let alone actually ride one. I have seen them on the long way round and there is also that Orange County Club on TV as well.

I think they are the most vile bikes I have ever seen. Sick

The only nice things about them would be the paintwork as these generally are great. But of course you can do that on any bike.

Personally I would rate these bikes under Harly Davidsons and believe me they are very low in my book.

Here is a basic chopper which is infact very expensive for what it is and I would spend the money on better things. A bargain at £8500. Shocked

https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/chopper.jpg

And this is even worse, it has no body to it and just seems a bit too much like a push bike frame.
https://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r94/Neileng/Chopper2.jpg

I have seen some for sale for 20K-30K Would you spend that much dosh on a bike like that?

I know it is all down to personal choice but Sick

seriously they look bad!

krebsy · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Karma :

Unless they do great MPG and are really comfy on long rides and I ever need to cross America by road then They'll be on the bottom of my shopping list. Might take one for a spin to see what it's like but they're not my cup of tea...

K.
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Keen · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Apr 2002 Karma :

they're not really designed to be ridden are they, they're just to be seen on or for use as ornaments.
I remember even Paul senior of OCC said sometime that most of their bikes are corporate builds.... meaning they end up in the reception of some big office building/factory somewhere.
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Dazbo666 · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Jun 2004 Karma :

banzai · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 10 Jun 2006 Karma :

not all of them are that bad, some are horrid agreed, but some really do look nice and even handle quiet well concidering. they tend to cost a lot because of the price of the parts to build then, wheels alone can set you back more than a couple of grand, not to mention the cost of a harley/S&S motor, then (on a good one at least)theres all the one off parts all hand made and time consumeing= more cost, would i pay that sort of money ? no fucking way. Very Happy

techierob · Traffic Copper Joined: 05 Oct 2006 Karma :

not really my cuppa to be honest, but that's partly down to the fact that I probably wouldn't even be able to see over the handlebars.

I can understand the novelty factor, but I reckon the effort would be better spent reproducing the look of an early twentieth century sports bike rather than a 70's custom.

yambabe · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

It's all down to personal taste isn't it?

If you prefer to continue riding a mass-produced generic-looking sports bike then cool, who am I to argue?

Personally I love to look at them, I know several people who build them and I appreciate the thought, design and engineering that goes into producing a good one. The best thing about chops imo is that you can produce them out of virtually anything if you have the skill and application, and even though some of the big harley-types can be quite samey when you get down to the details they are all just a little bit different.

Would I pay ££££ for one? Maybe. I would still hope that one day in the future I could look into having a bike built entirely to my own design and specs, a bike that was literally "made for me", and be in a position to go for it.

I'll post up some pics of some of my faves on the current "scene" in a bit, see if I can change your mind?
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Essex_Mike · Brolly Dolly Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Karma :

If I had the money I'd get one, just as something different as well as having another bike for all year round. I like the look of them, only problem is im not exactly big built so would probably struggle to control it properly.

But I give thumbs up to choppers

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yambabe · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

yambabe · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Dug these out again. Last year at the Welsh Show the NCC had a ride-in, hundreds of chops all rode in together, then rode back out again a couple of hours later. IMO most of the bikes they were on were way better than the "show" bikes in the arena.

NCC have been around for over 30 years, and their members ride some stunning bikes.

https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a229/Yambabe/IMAG0098.jpg
https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a229/Yambabe/IMAG0097.jpg
https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a229/Yambabe/IMAG0110.jpg
https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a229/Yambabe/IMAG0119.jpg
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Keen · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Apr 2002 Karma :

yambabe · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

LOL I know what you mean and I would have to admit that I also know a couple of people who take their bikes to custom shows on trailers and in vans, Mad

I HATE that!

I think you've got 2 different things going on in the chop scene tbh, you've got your "cheque-book choppers" which I totally agree are designed merely to look good and are indeed no better than an ornament.

But they are not the whole story buy a long way, in fact I would say they are barely the tip of the iceberg to be honest.

The OCC boys and biker build-off have served to point a spotlight at something that has been going on for a long long time and will continure long after the Teutels fade from the public arena...... Thumbs Up

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woo · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Karma :

I bet they are probably really comfortable to ride on id love to have a go on one but i would certainly lose the street cred that i dont have!
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Bishbash · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Karma :

Keen · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Apr 2002 Karma :

scoota bk · Scooby Slapper Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Karma :

IMO, just like vespas and lambrettas, choppers are butt ugly. But each to their own and all that, I do have respect for people that put so much effort into customising a bike

Ciarans-special · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Karma :

Ive drove quiet a few, I worked in a Harley Davidson shop last summer.. The only official dealer ship in Ireland actually. Em not really my cup of tea tbh, I love workin on bikes but they didn't give me much satisfaction. There the simplest things ever, accept when you go into all the new ones and the diognostics and eletronics but thats all just a pain in the arse. They are fairly comfy to be fair, they just 'tud' along like a giant lawn mower 'tudtudtudtud'. I think what really appeals to people about choppers is the lifestyle that goes with them, they all seem to really stick together and the amount of outings and runs that are organised is unreal. Never the less id much rather a sports bike any day. Cool

yambabe · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Can I just point out here that a factory cruiser like a Harley is NOT a chopper.

It can certainly be used as the basis to build a chop, in fact a good proportion of chops use a Harley engine (although I understand that for new-builds RevTech are getting in on the act in a big way) but you are talking about an entirely different thing.

Thank you!
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feef · Energiser Bunny Joined: 11 Feb 2002 Karma :

is that s Subaru impreza engine and gearbox in there!?

https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a229/Yambabe/IMAG0097.jpg
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mark83 · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Karma :

For the price of a 1098?

No chance.....
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yambabe · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Bishbash · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Karma :

So that would be quite quick then??? Or am I wrong...What did 'himself' tell you about it?

yambabe · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

He basically explained what sort of vehicle the engine was out of and then explained that the method of riding it was most probably to point it towards where you wanted to go and hang on! Laughing

He thought it might be a bit twitchy in the corners too........ Wink

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Tarmacsurfer · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Jun 2004 Karma :

mistergixer · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Karma :

As has been said before, it's a personal choice thing.
Personally i think they look ugly, are not very quick and don't handle very well and are pretty much the antithesis of what i want from a bike.
Probably the main reason most of these bikes are 'point it towards where you want to go and hang on' is the fact that they are built by blokes in sheds. I don't want a bike knocked up out of leftovers by a hairy man on his kitchen table. I want a bike honed to precision by millions of tiny handed japanese techno-monkeys.
Plus i would like suspension at both ends of the bike. To me the thought of riding a hardtailed bike gives me as much pleasure as that reoccuring nightmare i have about being bum-raped by a gang of circus midgets.