What To Look For In A Chopper?
One of the hottest trends in motorcycling in recent years has been the re-emergence of the Chopper as a main stream vehicle. Once the preserve of biker gangs you are now more likely to see a lawyer or a doctor cruising on his Chopper than outlaw biker. This resurgence has been fueled by a whole host of TV Shows such as American Chopper and The Great Biker Build Off.
Not since the 1970′s has the chopper been a motorcycle beloved by so many. Certainly in the 1970′s this bike found a whole new league of fans due to the release of the movie “Easy Rider”. Yet today you will find that the range of choppers now available is quite substantial from those available in kit form to those which are completed and can be ridden straight out of the showroom. In this article we will attempt to provide you with a guide which will help to find the right chopper and which will give you years of service and enjoyment.
The first thing that you need to decide is just what kind of chopper it is you would like to have. Basically there are 3 different styles that you can pick.
The Bobber: This particular bike was being created back at the end of the Second World War by American Servicemen when they returned home. Today a bike can easily be customized to resemble a bobber by removing anything that is not needed on it. Doing this not only helps to reduce its weight but also helps to improve how the bike performs and handles. Further improvements to its handling can also be made by lowering the unsprung weight on the bike and moving the center of gravity. For the past couple of years of all the types of choppers available, the Bobber is growing more and more popular with young and old alike.
The Pro Street Chopper: This style of chopper is very easy to distinguish from the many others. All will come with fat tires on the rear as well as long extended forks the kind that you would have seen been ridden by Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider. Although the actual design of the bike is derived from that used on drag bikes. But because of its design and geometry handling on a twisty road can be a bit awkward. But once on a flat straight road it really does come into its own element.
The Rat Bike: First started appear on the motorcycle scene in the late 70′s and early 80′s of the 20th Century and is similar in looks to those used in the movie “Max Max”. For those that own such a bike the whole aim is to keep it on the road for as long as possible without actually spending too much cash on it. Often this may mean that they will take parts from other machines and add them to their own. Unlike Bobber and Pro Street Choppers which are usually quite colorful these are usually Matt Black only.
When you have decided upon the style of chopper that you want the next step is to make a decision on the style of rear suspension it should have. You have the choice of either a hard tail or a soft tail. With a hard tail there is no rear suspension and the only comfort you will have when riding it comes from the springs built into the bikes seat. As for the soft tail this has extremely good rear suspension and so the ride is much more comfortable. If you are going to be someone who intends to spend a large part of their spare time riding their bike then a chopper with soft tail suspension would be ideal for you.
I hope you have found the information provided above to be useful and if you would like to learn more about choppers. Plus see what is currently available near to where you live then check out our store details below.
If you are seriously considering buying a customized motorcycle then make sure you go to Custom Chops first. At Custom Chops we provide advice on findig the right customized motorcycle for you.