"Choppers" Opinions Please

Paul Teutul Sr. and Orange County Choppers have quite a following on
Discovery Channel. Jesse James and his West Coast Choppers is another one
that stands out.

Are these bikes for serious riders? Do they have merit as legitimately
engineered motorcycles? Are they safe to ride?

They have a lot of things in common: A "hard-tail" rigid non-suspension
rear wheel, a raked fork with some humongous caster angle built in,
stylized handle bars (often with sharply angled butt-joints), "ape-hanger"
riding position, and the rest ad-libed, extemporaneous, serendipitous cut
and try design-work. Hardly the way Honda, Suzi, Triumph, Kawasaki, BMW,
and Ducati do their thing. Even Harleys aren't designed in that hap-hazard
on-the-spur-of-the-moment method these high priced "themed" bikes are.

So, what gives? Do we give them respectability or despise them as so much
iron fit for the junk heap?

 

Well they are ONLY Harleys after all and they are just following the custom
theme and in my humble opion handling and safety count for nothing - cannot
compare with bikes from other countries even a calafornia motoguzzy from
Italy is a better bike.
Lushy

 

Nice troll, asshole

 

they're pieces of art. maybe practical but not nearly as practical as
most stock production bikes. ride one across the country and
see how available repair parts are......
my 2 cents worth..
sam

 

If they were serious, engineered, or safe, then they wouldn't have any
appeal to wannabe bad boys.

Contrary to another's statement, these bike are not Harleys. There isn't
a Harley-Davidson part on the thing. Typically the engines are 3rd-party
Harley-compatible-but-bigger-and-badder such as an S&H.

Harleys are primarily jewelry. Custom choppers are even more so. Just
like a Rolex watch, style is all important, function is secondary.

Recently I was invited to a small private showing of the OCC Liberty
Bike. Must say I was more impressed than expected. Sat on it but didn't
ride. For riding I'll keep my bright orange GL1800 Goldwing for the
street and KTM 450 EXC for dirt. http://home.hiwaay.net/~dkelly/Liberty/

 

Nomen Nescio wrote: a off topic troll about choppers.

Rec.motorcycles.tech is about fixing MASS PRODUCED motorbikes...

People who fool around with choppers are beyond any rational help, no
practical advice would ever help them, no matter what advice is
offered, they just throw out reason after reason after reason why
practical solutions won't work for their "special needs"---just like
"Nomen Nescio"...

 

Troll of the 1st order.

No, No, maybe.

Wow, I didn't know that I could bet an engine with 'green stamps'!

At least a Rolex will tell time. (and the company supports a real racing
series or two.)

I worked for one of the jewelry bike companies for a year. They are fun
to look at. I'll stick to most anything else as daily riders.

--
Gopher 33 28 19N 112 01 49W
'77 CB750K '78 CB750K
'00 ZG1000 '96 Ducati 900SS
**********pull 'mychain' to reply***********
("I've abandoned the idea of trying to appear a normal, pleasant person.
I had to accept myself as I was, even if no one else could accept me.
For the rest of my life I would continue to say precisely the wrong
thing, touch people in the raw and be generally unpopular. I had a
natural gift for it" W. F. Temple)

 

That would be S&S not S&H .
Iowa883