Chopper refers to a particular type of motorcycle that was radically customized to meet the owner's needs and desires, archetypical examples of which are the Harley-Davidsons as seen in the 1969 movie Easy Rider.

In California and Florida of the 1950s and 1960s, some motorcycle enthusiasts removed (or chopped) all parts which were deemed too big, too heavy, too ugly and/or not absolutely essential to the basic functionality of the machine. Typical elements fitting these criteria would be fenders, turn indicators, and even front brakes. As well, almost certainly the large, spring-suspended saddle was removed in order to sit as low as possible on the motorcycle's frame, which in most cases was a rigid "hard tail", as Harley-Davidson introduced rear suspension in 1958.

Denver Mullins and Mondo Porras of Denver's Choppers were commonly recognized as the pioneers of modern chopper designs.

Forward-mounted foot pegs replaced the standard large 'floorboard' foot rests. Also, the standard larger front wheel, headlight and fuel tank were replaced with much smaller ones. Many choppers were painted either in all preferably flat black or in shiny metallic colors. Common, too, were many chromed parts (either bolt-on replacements or manually chromed stock parts). According to the taste and purse of the owner, high handle bars, stretched and raked front forks, aftermarket exhaust pipes were added. Laws required (and in many locales still do) a retention fixture for the passenger, so vertical backrests called sissy bars were a popular installation, often sticking up higher than the rider's head.

While the decreased weight and lower seat position improved handling and performance, the main reason to build a tough-looking chopper was more likely to show off and provoke others by riding a machine that was stripped and almost nude compared to the softer-styled stock Harley-Davidsons, let alone the oversized automobiles of that time.

Choppers enjoyed a large resurgence in popularity in the late 1990s with companies like Jesse James' West Coast Choppers producing extremely expensive chopper-style bikes and a wide range of chopper-themed name-brand merchandise such as clothing, automobile accessories and stickers.

A distinction should be noted between true chopper (or chopper-style) motorcycles, and custom motorcycles, or 'custom cruisers'. Despite the name, a large percentage of the motorcycles produced by popular companies such as Orange County Choppers are better described as 'custom'.

On this same subject a distinction should be made between choppers and bobbers. While both tried to improve performance by removing any part that didn't make the motorcycle perform better, they differed in an important way. Bobbers kept the original factory frame, while choppers have a modified from the factory frame.

When people were stripping their stock bikes and bobbing their fenders, the term "bobber" was born. When people started cutting (or chopping) and welding their frames thereby repositioning/restyling them, the term "chopper" was born. Chopping was the next phase in the evolution that followed bobbing. While people assume that the chopper style motorcycles were built purely for aesthetics, there is a real performance advantage to the raked front end on these choppers. These motorcycles have a much more stable feel at high speeds and in a straight line than motorcycles with original factory front suspensions. However, like any other modification, there's a downside: the raked front end feels heavier and less responsive at slow speeds or in curves & turns. This is due to the longer trail measurement associated with increased rake.

More information on this particular modification can be found on Wikipedia's rake and trail page. In short, remember that changing the rake and trail of a motorcycle design requires modification of the design itself. This is a job that requires in-depth input from a motorcycle designer who is experienced with such design changes.

Which brings up one more option a chopper builder has: raked trees. Raked trees are designed so the lower tree sticks out further than the upper tree, thus increasing the rake of the forks in relation to the steering head rake. What this does, for those still following along all the imaginary lines, is position the axle closer to the frame rake measurement line, or shortening the trail. Thus, when adding raked trees to a raked frame (which sports a longer trail), the trail is shortened to a more manageable level. However, be warned that adding raked trees to a frame with short rake and trail can be hazardous, as shortening an already short trail measurement can lead to an unstable situation as speed increases. Misuse of raked trees can be quite dangerous, so a bit of research is in order before turning the first wrench on any chopper project. Just remember that because it looks good in a magazine doesn't automatically mean it will work on your bike.

Despite the persoalized nature of choppers, and the wide availiablity of alternative designs, chopper builders overwhemingly choose fat rear tires, original or recreated air-cooled, pushrod v-twin engine, and rigid-looking frame, even for a softail. As a result, the once unique looking custom chopper design starts to lose its uniqueness. Modern bobber builders tend to distinguish themselves from chopper builders with bikes styled before the chopper era.

External links

• A Cruiser Has to be a V-Twin, Right?: MD Reader Responses