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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Specific Advancement Associated With The Chopper

By Brian M. Sorensen


Many American soldiers who came back to the States after World War II were loyal to the Harley Davidson company but were not very happy with the new motorcycles that were introduced. They had observed motorcycles in Europe which were much more exciting and lightweight. Some of them wanted improvements to be made to the Harley Davidson collection of motorcycles. Consequently, the fenders on the bikes were shortened or removed altogether to lighten the load. Usually the front fender was removed, but the backside one was only shortened to keep the passenger protected from mud and water thrown up by the rear tire.

While customizations continued to be produced by riders, the chopper was born and the term bobber was coined. The original objective was to alter these bikes for dirt bike racing. The name chopper was derived from the fact that these riders chopped off everything they deemed unnecessary for the bike. Windshields, big bike seats, crash bars, big headlights and front fenders were all chopped off and removed. Forward-mounted foot pegs replaced the larger footrests, and the fuel tank was made smaller, which all made for a lighter bike.

The wheelbase belonging to the bike was improved by raking the front end which diminished the angle of the fork to the ground. The handlebars were also raised and they termed them ape hangers. Just about every rider was creating a bike totally the way in which they wanted and anything that was unnecessary or too big was removed or made smaller. The rear tire was made fat and the front side one was made small. Enterprising individuals began to fashion custom bikes and began building them to sell to those who didn't want to do the work themselves. When the trend caught on choppers began to be developed.

The craze for choppers slowed down for a few years, but lately it seems to have made a comeback. Choppers that happen to be custom built by the leading designers are prized greatly and in high demand. After the movie Easy Rider with Peter Fonda, choppers became particularly popular. Due to the chopper's global recognition, Harley Davidson released the Shovelhead FX Super Glide. Despite the fact that a number of people assume the chopper was built for aesthetics, there is a real performance advantage to the raked front end. Using high speeds, these motorcycles have a more steady feel than the original factory suspensions, but there is also a drawback. It is weightier and significantly less responsive at slower speeds and in curves.

If you want a motorcycle that has been transformed from its traditional design, then you should look into a chopper that has been hand-crafted from scratch. The handling of the motorcycle is far more challenging and the ride is bouncy, but these radical attributes are necessary to get the desired looks. You are going to discover that one style of chopper that is becoming popular is the low-rider with its low frame to ground clearance.




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