O.T. But Intresting.

Of Topic I know but did any one watch the series on
Sky a few weeks ago about the American Chopper
building family.

Three points I noticed were

No1. Some of the the bikes they built had no rear suspension
I bet they are uncomfortable and hard to ride.

No2. Does the front suspension on a chopper actually work?
the angle of the forks to me seems to low to absorb any knocks.

No3. One of the finished bikes had a spike standing about 4" high
right in-between the handlebars on the top yoke. Do American choppers
have to meet any safety standards because that one to me was lethal
if the rider was to hit owt head on.


taz.

 

You are quite observant.

See my answer to #3.

Well, you see, normally there would be safety standards that would
apply. But in the case of an OCC 'motorcycle', it is known a priori
that no sentient beings would be hurt in case one is crashed, since
only the brain-dead buy them...

HTH,

 

Snip

LOL Your right I suppose. After seeing some of them it
did make me wonder who would pay for one of those
machines.
taz.

 

Yeah but if you notice most of the blokes who ride them are lardy
arses with inbuilt buttock dampening.

Strangely enough it seems to work fine. Steering takes a bit of
getting used to tho'.

I've often wondered the same thing. A regular 'feature' on US
choppers is what the Yanks call a "suicide clutch". To keep the
handlebars looking clean they fit a clutch pedal on the left. The
idea ignores the fact that there are times when you need to put
your left foot on the ground. Imagine waiting in first gear to
pull off at a busy junction. Bike tilts to left, foot
instinctively goes down (releasing clutch), bike lurches forward
into oncoming traffic. Hence the name I guess.

However as witnessed on the show most of these "art forms" will
rarely, if ever, see the road. Instead they sit lovingly cosseted
in a box trailer en route to shows. Enjoyed the series plenty
however, right down to the nausiating sincerity, and to be fair
there was no denying the skill and dedication. The dad who ran
the chop-shop was a star. Compulsive viewing if not just to see
that giant mexican mustache.

riccip

 

Eeuw, sweaty cheesey bumcrack.

Or did you mean "damping"?

 

Soz, you're right I did. Unless he shat himself while using his
suicide clutch after a Vindaloo.

riccip

 

Pre unit Triumphs had an option of slipper clutch which was worked by
keeping pressure on the gear lever.

A mates Triumph chop had/still has one. Usable but a bit of a gimmick,
didn't have the problem you describe.

 

Different animal isn't it? A slipper clutch compliments the
hand-lever rather than replacing it. Is that right?

riccip

 

As standard, yes. I'd assumed the chop types had simply modified it to
do away with the hand lever.