The modifications that had had their origin in hot-rodding evolved into an artistic and aesthetic direction. Over time the choppers became more and more about achieving a certain look, rather than being primarily performance-oriented modifications. It is rare to see a chopper with a radiator. Choppers have been created using almost every available engine, but builders have always shown a preference for older air-cooled designs. The Honda 750-4 was the most widely used Japanese motor for early chopper builders. As the Japanese manufacturers began offering larger engines in the late 1960s these motors were also quickly put to use by chopper builders. British bikes, particularly Triumphs, were also a popular motor for choppers early on.
As new engines became available, they were soon utilized in choppers. The earliest choppers tended to be based on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, at first making use of the Flathead, Knucklehead and Panhead engines-many of which could be found in surplus military and police motorcycles bought cheaply at auction. These early modified motorcycles were known as "bobbers", and there are many common features between bobbers and choppers, with choppers differentiated by more radical modifications, especially frame tube and geometry modifications ("chopped" by welding) intended to make the bike longer. The first choppers were built in America and were an outgrowth of the milder customization trend that had originated after WW2 when returning soldiers and others began modifying cars and motorcycles, frequently to improve performance in top-speed races on dry lake beds in Southern California and similar desolate spaces such as unused airstrips in other parts of the country, or on the street for street racing. Motorcycles and automobiles ran at the same meets, and bobbers were an important part of the hotrod culture that developed in this era. In California, dry lake beds were used for long top speed runs. These machines were lightened to improve performance for dirt-track racing and mud racing. The large, spring-suspended saddles were also removed in order to sit as low as possible on the motorcycle's frame. In the post–World War II United States, servicemen returning home from the war started removing all parts deemed too big, heavy, ugly, or not essential to the basic function of the motorcycle, such as fenders, turn indicators, and even front brakes. The large bikes exemplified the "dresser" motorcycle aesthetic and provided a counterpoint to the minimalist bobber, and café racers.
BEST CHOPPER MOTORCYCLE SERIES
Indian Scouts and Chiefs of the time came with large, heavily valanced fenders, nearly reaching the center of the wheel on the 1941 Indian Series 441, while racing bikes had tiny fenders or none at all. The heavily valanced fenders of the 1940 Indian 440 four.Īn early example of a bobber is the 1940 Indian Sport Scout "Bob-Job" which toured in the 1998 The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition. With the intent of making the bike lighter and faster, the fenders would often be removed, or at least to make it look better in the eyes of a rider seeking a more minimalist ride. History The Bob-Job Era, 1946–1959 īefore there were choppers, there was the bobber, a motorcycle that had been "bobbed", or relieved of excess weight by removing parts. Two famous examples of the chopper are customised Harley-Davidsons, the " Captain America" and "Billy Bike", seen in the 1969 film Easy Rider. The " sissy bar", a set of tubes that connect the rear fender with the frame, and which are often extended several feet high, is a signature feature on many choppers.
To be considered a chopper a motorcycle frame must be cut and welded at some point.
Some of the characteristic features of choppers are long front ends with extended forks often coupled with an increased rake angle, hardtail frames (frames without rear suspension), very tall "ape hanger" or very short "drag" handlebars, lengthened or stretched frames, and larger than stock front wheel. They can be built from an original motorcycle which is modified ("chopped") or built from scratch. A chopper employs modified steering angles and lengthened forks for a stretched-out appearance. Peter Fonda rides a replica of the " Captain America" bike used in Easy RiderĪ chopper is a type of custom motorcycle which emerged in the US state of California in the late 1950s. Such statements should be clarified or removed. This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information.
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