what is a chopper to you?

[Hobbit]

to me a Chopper "Chop" is any bike be it HD - thru to Jap 4banger that has been CHOPPED i.e. cut up and hard tailed in a garage - hence the term Chopper/Chop, they aint nessacarily pretty like the Discovery Channel/OCC would have you believe, in most cases they were built to keep a bike going and majority of early HD's were Hard tail anyway with a sprung seat
here are a few bikes i would call chopper

 

[poohbear]

Me and my old 65 Panhead, taken in 1973. My idea on a chopper was something that caught someone eye and pretty much a bare bike, not much weight. I built this myself including motor, only thing I didn't do was the tranny, let the shop do it with their tools. Pretty much a few wires going to the light front and rear, battery, gen and coil. if I was to do it over again I would, well maybe I would leave the front brake on, but laws have changed. It had a 1" rake with 10" over front end and yes it had shocks on it, not a hard tail because I RODE IT, not hauled it. I rode it many many miles from LA to old mexico to yellowstone, no issues other then turning around in a parking lot. Hopefully you can see the picture, it is a bit old and I was young (with hair hahaha).

 

[Swamp Fox]

The Easy Rider movie was the start of a lifelong yearning to own a 'real' chopper.And of course it had to be a Harley,nothing else would have cut the mustard as we Brits say!
It wasn't until last year that my dream from the 70's came true with the purchase of a custom built hardtail chopper,not built by me,but built in a guy's garage over a period of 2-3 years.
I agree it's not that practical for everyday riding and the hardtail is murder on my back on these Belgian roads,and you need those forty acres just to turn it around!
But it's gorgeous,upside down forks,21" front wheel,260 wide rear,low seat,high neck and..............chrome everywhere .............and loud!

Congrats...sounds like a great bike...I love the 70s!

 

[turnerbend]

I built this Chopper for a CB750 Honda back in 1977-78.

 

[DFHarley19]

longer forks = chopper. or its a start....to me.

That is what I look at... It is chopper! :newsmile108:

 

[zoood]

I reposted this because pictures I needed to put up didnt take for some reason.

I disagree with you. Back in the day a chopper is what ya chopped in your garage or in my case in the back yard, with what ya had. But the main choppers that stood out back then were Harleys and Triumphs.

Even though I took my chops further than just stripping the scoot of what it had. I made stuff or reused things from another to make it different. The gas caps on the triumph above. Are the center hub sections of old Buick hub caps. The tail-lite is the bottom section of a 1978 Plymouth tail-lite that I mounted up-side-down. It was as close as I could get to the tombstone tail-lite. The rear fender is a harley dresser front fender.

 

[Jack Klarich]

Chop, cut re weld and get rid of any thing not needed

 

[Stevecracker]

Zoood,
That is really nice, the paint alone is incredible.
I can't imagine the hours you have in that scoot.
Yes, it's a chopper

 

[wfmacii]

Sorry a little slow on this one. Pictures are worth a 1000 words and think back to 1969 Peter Fonda is riding the ultimate definition of a chopper. For those not old enough to know what I'm talking about watch the movie Easy Rider. That movie actually fueled my desire to ride in the first place. Buff said.

 

[ciscokid]

It is old school back to the basics build it in your garage fabrication. None of this "factory" Arlen Ness, Big Dog, OCC stuff. That stuff just has no heart. JMHO

THIS +1 :42: :rider