In recent years there has been a resurgence in the number of people now riding choppers. Which until the introduction of such shows as “American Chopper” and “The Great Biker Build Off” were associated with biker gangs. So today you are actually more likely to see them being ridden by doctors and lawyers rather than an outlaw biker.
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: Appeared during the late 1970’s and early part of the 1980’s and is similar to those bikes were used in the movie “Mad Max” starring Mel Gibson. The main philosopher to owning such a bike like this is that you need to keep it on the road for as long as possible without having to spend that much money on keeping it there. In a large number of cases owners of such Rat Bikes will cannabalize parts from other ones in order to do this. As for color nearly every Rat Bike you see on the road today will be Matt Black.
As soon as you have decided on the style of chopper for you the next decision you need to make regards the type of suspension it will have at the rear. The hard tail style as the name suggest does not have any suspension at the rear and the rider solely relies on the springs in the seat to provide them with some form of comfort when riding it. Whilst soft tails have good suspension at the rear and are certainly a lot more comfortable to rid. So if you are someone who is intending to cover a lot of miles on theirs then a soft tail would be the ideal choice 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 thinking about buying a customized bike then make sure you go to Custom Chops first. At Custom Chops we provide advice on finding the right customized bike for you.
Tags: Bobber, Chopper, Customized Bike, Customized Motorcycle, motorcycle, Motorcycles, Pro Street Chopper, Rat Bike, Recreation, travel, vehicle
