Does a chopper have to be a v twin?

[HenryDorsetCase]

TRUE, why the hell are all the motors virtually the same Harley or ripoffs thereof ????? The only glimmer of hope on "American Choppers" was the lawnmower engined bike still a V twin though!!!

www.mptracing.com


TL1000 engined "streetrods" 100 horsepower stock (and he is a race mechanic.. so his are more...), bone reliable, and painted black from the factory... yeah man!

[Colapop]

Jesse James and Hank Young are my favourites of the current crop. Youngs choppers is my screensaver at work.

I was just playing with an idea (rotary in a bike)....
I quite like the style of Russel Mitchell @ Excile Cycles. Nice clean bikes and I like his throttle style clutch.

[Waylander]

Mate it's your chopper, Build what you want out of it.That is the cool things about choppers (exspescially home built) they don't have to conform to any ones idea of a chopper but your own.

I plan on chopping out the CMX250 I got out in the gargre at some point, that's an inline twin. I'de attack my brother's scooter aswell if he would let me....

[Motu]

Choppers were a late 60s,early 70s thing - we didn't have Harley's in NZ in those days,so all chops over here were based on British bikes,and mainly older ones to get the rigid frame look,some swingarms were converted to hardtail.Here is a photo of my brothers Triumph chop,around 1971 - paint,forks and seat by Neville Lowe,the Godfather of chops in NZ.

[ezinnz]

Great pic Motu. I'm assuming the bike was road legal (?). No turn signals, no front fender. Excellent. This reminds me of how regulated this country has become since then.

Nice bike for sure, got any other pics of it?

[HenryDorsetCase]

Choppers were a late 60s,early 70s thing - we didn't have Harley's in NZ in those days,so all chops over here were based on British bikes,and mainly older ones to get the rigid frame look,some swingarms were converted to hardtail.Here is a photo of my brothers Triumph chop,around 1971 - paint,forks and seat by Neville Lowe,the Godfather of chops in NZ.

Just like to say:

DAMN THATS COOL!

[HenryDorsetCase]

I was just playing with an idea (rotary in a bike)....
I quite like the style of Russel Mitchell @ Excile Cycles. Nice clean bikes and I like his throttle style clutch.

Same...

I also quite like some of Billy Lane's stuff (particularly that hubless rear wheel).

a real nice RE5 was sold on tardme for $6k recently, and theres a Norton Rotor for sale for $14k at present.

Just so you know......

[Colapop]

Same...

I also quite like some of Billy Lane's stuff (particularly that hubless rear wheel).

a real nice RE5 was sold on tardme for $6k recently, and theres a Norton Rotor for sale for $14k at present.

Just so you know......

Yeah really like that hubless wheel. Have you seen the Excile chopper trke, it's quite tidy. It doesn't look all engine shoved up a bikes ass with trainer wheels to keep it from falling over.
And if I had $6 -$14k you think my missus'd be giving me so much shit about spending a few hundy on the Savage?

[HenryDorsetCase]

Yeah really like that hubless wheel. Have you seen the Excile chopper trke, it's quite tidy. It doesn't look all engine shoved up a bikes ass with trainer wheels to keep it from falling over.
And if I had $6 -$14k you think my missus'd be giving me so much shit about spending a few hundy on the Savage?

ah yes, I feel that particular pain the "Why do you need another bike, whats wrong with the ones you have?" conversation.



I like the Exile bikes too. In fact that whole '50's bobber thing makes sense to me.... make it faster, get rid of any excess weight, kick out the front a little to make it more stable (but dont make the forks longer).. rigid rear and spring seat....

one day.....

[HenryDorsetCase]

oh yeah, one of the cheaper options is Sucker Punch Sallys:

they look not bad if you can swing a spanner a bit.

www.suckerpunchsallys.com


I love this:

http://www.exilecycles.com/bullfighter3.htm

[Colapop]

ah yes, I feel that particular pain the "Why do you need another bike, whats wrong with the ones you have?" conversation.

Another bike??? This is my first for over 16years? ... and we've only been together for 15

[avgas]

shit the japs got into the chpper thing too--xj550 custom.cb650 custom,gs750 custom etc etc --it was all the rage in the 80's

While it wasnt a chopper, can anyone explain to me why they took the XS850, little brother to the XS11 and then attempted to make a cruiser out of it?

[Colapop]

oh yeah, one of the cheaper options is Sucker Punch Sallys:

they look not bad if you can swing a spanner a bit.

www.suckerpunchsallys.com


I love this:

http://www.exilecycles.com/bullfighter3.htm

SPS bikes are pretty cool, very old school. I like 'clean' bikes not ness. too old school. They're good though, in that they don't seem to go for the fattest back wheel they find. OCC and co. seem to tend try and fit a 300 onto every bike they build. I understand they don't corner too well?

[Waylander]

It's not the fat back tire that makes them corner lousy, it's the difference in sizes of the front and back. Just makes it hard for the bike to keep it's line without lots of effort from the rider.

[vifferman]

It's not the fat back tire that makes them corner lousy, it's the difference in sizes of the front and back. Just makes it hard for the bike to keep it's line without lots of effort from the rider.

Well, yes, in part. But even with a 300 at both ends, it would be hard to turn, as the distance from the centreline of the wheel to the edge of the tyre means some effort is required to crank the bike over. That's part of the reason skinny-tyred bikes are easier to turn.
Add in the raked front ends choppers have, and it's never going to be a quick turner - the geometry is fine for straight lines, but crap for cornering.