Anyone ever built a chopper?
 

Anybody on these forums ever built a motorcycle from scratch? I've done some fab work and I've built a Cobra kit car for a friend, so I think I could handle it. I was wondering how much it ended up costing and where you got your frame/engine/wheels from.

I was thinking about starting with an old junked harley rigid with the 103" engine, but those are proving difficult to find, plus it would lose a little bit of its originality if I started with a bike that was already together. Some people sell "kits" but that's essentially like going and buying a pre-made bike thats been taken apart and putting it together.

Found a couple websites that are selling frames starting around $700 and i was wondering if anybody knew anything about them.
Here they are

Going off you subject, I get a kick out of that American Chopper show. About 99% of what those guys do is assembly, and about 1% is fabrication, which means that any competent welder like yourself could do exactly what they do.

Having said that, I would say that their bikes cost at least $20,000 in parts.

However, without a name attached to a "home built" bike resale will bite you in the A$$.

Well I spent a lifetime on Harley's and only stoped rideing because I have two steel knees. Thats how I came to Porsche cars. (all I know is air cooled engines) But thats another story. As for a chopper I think you have to decide if you are looking for a classic type or one of the more rad choppers that they are makeing now. Like P cars there a lot of ins and outs to the game. Also like a P car you can drop a ton of money in one of these bikes. Do you have any riding back ground, are you good with tools ,do you have tools? thease are all things to take in concideration when you start to think about building any kind of Harley. Best Randy

do a little research and you'll find price wise you cant really build a "custom" bike for less than you can buy a complete one. just like a porsche project be honest with your budget and expecations and it makes things easier. rigids look sweet but your kidneys are gonna scream after a while.

if you want a chopper buy an older bike and cut, chop, tear off any crap you dont want or need. you know if it doesnt make it faster take it off.

if you want a custom bike pick up a catalog and order every part you want on your bike. or check the classifieds and buy someone elses that just sits in the garage. seeing some of these monkeys on tv any reasonablly skilled person can assemble a custom bike.

dont know what kinda bikes your into but check out sucker punch sallys and flyright choppers for some vintage style choppers and bobbers priced reasonable.

My thought was that you could pick up a wrecked bike, buy a new frame, fork, wheels, and keep the cost down. You would have all the parts from the wrecked bike to build a custom. Never done it, exept in my head.

Michael

Been riding for almost 40 years. All kinds of motorcycles, but no choppers. Why? They are useless for *real* riding. Useless.

When the current chopper fad (ala; OCC) dies out, and the morons who dropped tons of dough on them move on, there should be a surplus of nice S & S motors for sale....cheap.

I like Billys bike.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1088648073.jpg

My cousin bought a BMG for $26k. No pillion. Loud as bloody hell. It's been in the shop for repairs twice, and he just rolled over 100 miles with it. Ridiculous.

Okay, from the other side, I say go for it. I built my "scooter" almost five years ago entirely from scratch, I've got less than 10K in it and I've turned down offers for almost twice that (I don't know if they were serious offers, but I don't want to sell anyway). To say my bike is useless for "real" riding is, well, your opinion I guess. I built a rigid w/38 degree rake, 8" over forks, a 200 rear tire and it rides real nice. I would rather ride this than the last crotch rocket I had (GSX-R 1100) talk about back pain.

There are so many guys making aftermarket frames, you can really get what you want rigid, soft tail, FXR you name it, you pick the rake the down tube and backbone strech then decide how big you want the rear and what type of front end you want, springer, wide glide, short, streched, the options are really limitless.

I would start from scratch if I were you and get as much as you need in "kit" form. You can get everything from the entire bike to just the driveline or front end in a kit. The beauty of this is that you can get what you want. Get a catalog from J&P cycles and see whats out there, you can spend 40K or less than 10k depending on what you want. But when you are done, it's yours, and if your tastes change, just change what you want to suit.

This winter I will be swapping out my 88" motor for a one that I want to build, maybe 120" or so, I will also be going to a "suicide shift" my first bike was a hand shift and I'm tired of everybody asking if they can take it for a "spin". :) I may even go with a springer for nostalgia's sake.

Just for the record, i can't watch that "american chopper" crap, but I really like the "biker build off" series.

Good Luck!

Pete

Damn,its been 20+years since I built my last chopper, although the next step inc. a couple harley's, this was a triumph, raked the frame, kept the swingarm, molded the hell out of it, Routts 750 bigbore with mikunis, first lefthand turning car took off the 13 over springer F/E, after the rebuild I went to a girder, still no front brakes, and another left turning headon, I went to bikes with 2 brakes! Still have a 750 Norton stashed...My current pissy view of the biker scene , too many "checkbook weekend warrior get out my cell phone when its broke" bikers. If you ride, you should know how to fix it.

about buying a trashed bike... its more work and not as much money saved as one would think it would be, especially when looking at everything i would be replacing (fenders, gas tank, wheels, motor, seat, oil tank, headlight(s))

couldnt agree more about the weekend-only guys. sorry, but when you truck your bike into sturgis, you're a wuss.

Doug, good comment on the "bike fad". Maybe i will wait a little while and pick up an S&S 124"... I've actually caught a lot of flak about that because everybody thinks i'm just some punk kid who doesnt really know how to weld who wants to be cool. truth is, i've wanted a chopper for as long as i knew what the heck a chopper was.
I can weld by the way.

And as far as practicality and being able to ride it daily and use it regularly i say one thing: I own a 1974 porsche that probably spends more time in the garage than on the road. If i want to haul stuff, its gonna be in the jeep.

cool thing is, a friend of mine and my dads owns a motorcycle shop thats been there since the early 60's:eek: and he said he'd give me a hand. thats pretty cool. plus the fact that i'll get parts for what he pays. not too much fabrication though, so it shouldnt be too tough. i'm planning on keeping it (i hate to use this phrase) "old school" and pretty clean. the kicker is going to be the paint job. I'm going to see about posting some of my drawings up on this forum or making a profile and putting some in there.

Pete- biker build off is a damn good show. you see the one with arlen ness? also, the one with the guy from North Carolina, (they call him the "Demon Clown" or some crap like that on the show) is a good friend of the guy i'm planning on building mine with... if i ever get enough money...:D

one more thing... Kumma, thats a good comment about the cost, but i would take a custom bike that i built from scratch over a run-of-the-mill harley any day.

ok, i have to tell somebody
current plans are:
-harley softtail style frame
-2 1/2 backbone stretch
-34 degree :eek: rake
-250 series tire :eek: again ;)
-103" motor, probably a harley with the screaming eagle overbore
-triple tree hydraulic front end, drove a springer, didnt like it
-standard fenders that are cut so that make a "rounded V" shape
-tank's going to be a stretched sportster tank

i'll try to post those pictures of the paint job I'm thinking about doing on it... black with blue wispy flames...... drooooooool......

Well, I get a *****load of time off next year, so a buddy (a former mech for some less-than-upstanding bikers, shall we say) and I are going to build a bike probably starting in February.

So far, I'm thinking of doing something like this:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1089787780.jpg

I love my VRod! Used BMW's before and a brief stint with a Honda crotch rocket. This thing is a nice compromise plus it should maintain its resale value.

BSA still in process

Blue, Now thats a scooter. Thats what I like in the way of hardtails. the only thing thats missing is a kick starter. You have to put points in the evo engine for a kick starter though.Put all your wiring in the frame and keep the bike simple,it will be your friend. Randy

yea those exile choppers are really clean. and clean looks gooooooood. my plan is to have my flames be very light and not really defined. i know a guy that does airbrushing, so they are going to be airbrushed in blue over a black gloss base color. the only thing is on some of their bikes they put a huge tire on the front (180 or 200 series) and it makes them look kind of cartooney.

BTW, i was previously going to do a rigid (and i may go back to one), but i think i'm going to put some suspension on it, because some of the roads around here aren't exactly ship-shape.

Color Scheme I want to use.

B!tchin' paint idea, I'm a sucker for subtle flames.

I'm thinking of buying an Exile roller of the above and then doing a "bitsa" bike. My mech buddy has a line on every donor bike in the state, it seems, so I shouldn't have a problem putting together a basketcase. I know of a powdercoating place that can do the entire frame and fenders, maybe I'll even get the same black wrinkle look.

The only problem is a comfy seat for my wife. She'll hate the hardtail. :( But then, even when I had a softail (Victory) she rode with me maybe 3 times in an entire year.

Unfortunately I've also found Chica Custom Cycles and their stuff, and I like it a lot. Suicide clutch, springer, 3-inch open belt primary, mini-apes, and lots of chrome with blacked-out jugs on the Shovelhead. Mmmm...

Chica's bike that I've been drooling over:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1090102836.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1090102873.jpg

no kidding, and they jsut hold the part up, "does this look good? yes? ok tack it!"

jesse james is the better fab man.