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Upon returning from World War II,
soldiers seemed dissatisfied with the motorcycles that
were being built by Harley-Davidson and Indian. The
bikes they had rode in Europe were
lighter, sleeker, and were much more fun to ride. These
vets started to hang out with other ex-soldiers to
relive some of the camaraderie
they had felt in the service. These groups of buddies
realized that their motorcycles
needed changes that Harley was not providing.
These new "bikers" (another new term at the
time) started their "chopping" by removing
or shortening (bobbing) the fenders on their bikes.
This made the bikes look cool and
uncluttered. They originally called the new chopped
bikes "Bobbers".
The bikes kept
evolving through the 60's and in the 70's and they
started to call them "Choppers". In
1969 the movie "Easy Rider" was released which
brought the Chopper into the public
eye. That movie set into motion the wave of cool Choppers
and Chopper builders that we
see today. People wanted a Chopper and nobody was building
them so they had to go
build them themselves.
Just what is a Chopper? The Chopper is created by removing
or "chopping" off
unnecessary parts from the bike. Who needs a windshield,
front fenders, big headlights,
clumsy blinkers, crash bars, big seats, etc? Chop them
off and make the bike sleeker
and lighter. Bikers started raking the front end so the
tire was further from the bike, it
gave the bike a cool look, which goes a long way with
a biker. Handlebars were raised
high and called ape hangers. The front tire was made
thinner and the rear tire was made
fatter. Some bikers even removed the battery and used
a magneto to reduce weight. The
gas tank, headlight, and blinkers were all made smaller.
Anything deemed to be
unnecessary was removed. This made for a bike style that
was unique and tailored to
each rider since each rider decided just what needed
to be done to his bike to create the
Chopper he desired.
As individual
backyard mechanics started to get noticed, more talented
designers
started building Choppers and their work became highly
sought after. An individual now
no longer needed to actually do the Chopper work, just
express what he wanted to a
Chopper designer and the designer would do the rest.
Arlen Ness was one of the first
and most recognized such designers.
In the 1990's, the Chopper movement was revitalized. Although
Harley Davidson is best
known in the biker world, there are many other brands
that people use to build Choppers.
To many chopper riders, it's the end product that matters,
not the name brand, but there
will always be a segment of bikers that only want Harley.
Choppers started because riders were dissatisfied with
what Harley-Davidson was
producing. Rather than abandon H-D, riders streamlined
the H-D bikes by removing
excess equipment and then modifying the engines, rake,
and suspension. The result
was a personalized bike much like the bike in Easy
Rider.
The steady evolution of the motorcycle continues. New
factory bikes are more and more technically sophisticated with plenty of accessories,
yet the Chopper continues to thrive as riders seek that minimalist simplicity that only the
Chopper can supply. Are Choppers here to stay? Absolutely! No machine looks as good and
none are more fun to ride.
Article Courtesy of
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