vendredi 13 avril 2012

How The Chopper Happened To Be

By Ken Meyer


Numerous Americans who fought in World War II remained devoted to the Harley Davidson brand but they were not satisfied with the new motorcycles. Many of them enjoyed riding more exciting and lightweight motorcycles seen in Europe. Since many recognized what it took to build great automobiles and motorcycles, they wanted to make changes to the Harley Davidson motorcycles. Consequently, the fenders on the motorcycles were shortened or removed altogether to lighten the weight. Even though the back fender was shortened so that mud and water would not splatter up from the tires, the front fender was completely removed.

The term bobber came from this, and the chopper was created as riders continued to customize their bikes by making more changes. The original plan was to alter these bikes for dirt bike racing. Any element that the riders felt were pointless was chopped off, and this process of chopping is where the term chopper came from. Windshields, big cycle seats, crash bars, big headlights and forward fenders were all chopped off and eliminated. The gasoline tanks were designed smaller and big footrests were replaced with forward-mounted foot pegs which made the bikes lighter.

The wheelbase on the bike was improved by raking the front end which decreased the angle of the fork to the ground. The expression ape hangers was coined when the handlebars were elevated. Just about every rider was creating a bike totally how they wanted and anything that was unnecessary or too big was removed or made smaller. The back tire was made fat and the front side one was made small. Several riders began to produce and sell custom bikes as a business. The popularity of choppers continued to rise just as more and more were being made.

For awhile, the interest of choppers tapered off but there has been a comeback recently. A lot of people are actually looking for choppers that are custom built by the world's top designers. The film Easy Rider with Peter Fonda helped to increase the appeal of the chopper. The Shovelhead FX Super Glide by Harely Davidson was a reaction to the popularity of the chopper. Although the assumption that the chopper was more for exhibit, there is actually an improved performance in the raked front end. At high speeds, these motorcycles have a more steady feel than the original factory suspensions, but there is also a negative aspect. It is bulkier and less responsive at slow speeds and in curves.

If you need a motorcycle that has been modified from its classic design, then you should look into a chopper that has been hand-crafted from scratch. Although they may not be easy to ride in a number of situations, they do look very impressive. The low-rider style having its low frame to ground clearance, is one particular look that is becoming more popular.




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