How Choppers Evolved
Choppers came into being in the 1960's and 1970's. They were
the next step in motorcycle evolution after the "bobber". The
bobber came about after American soldiers returned home from
World War II. While they remained loyal to the Harley Davidson
company, riders that had served oversees just weren't quite
satisfied with the machines the company was producing. These
riders remembered the motorcycles they had seen in Europe that
were more lightweight and more exciting. Most hade been
trained to work on motorcycles and automobiles in the service.
They began to get together and talk about improvements.
To make the bike lighter, riders began removing or shortening
the fenders. The front fender was usually removed completely,
while the back fender was made short enough to just protect
the passenger from mud and water thrown up by the rear tire.
This is where the term bobber came from. Riders continued to
make changes or customizing their bikes and eventually the
"chopper" was born. Their original purpose was for dirt track
racing.
The term chopper comes from the process of chopping. Riders
began chopping off any part they felt was unnecessary. This
included windshields, front fenders, big headlights, crash
bars and big seats. The standard large footrests were replaced
with forward-mounted foot pegs. The fuel tank was made
smaller. This made the bike lighter.
Next, riders began raking the front end of their choppers so
that the angle of the fork to the ground decreased allowing
for an increase in the wheelbase. They also raised the
handlebars and called them ape hangers.
Anything that was thought too big or unnecessary was either
made smaller or removed. The front tire was made small; the
rear tire was made fat. Each rider created the bike he wanted
to ride.
As always, as soon as this rage caught on, enterprising
individuals began designing and creating custom bikes to sell
to other riders so they didn't have to do the work themselves.
Choppers began to be built, not just chopped. While this trend
slowed for a few years, it seems to have made a comeback.
Custom built choppers created by top designers are greatly
prized and sought after.
The Shovelhead FX Super Glide was one such Harley Davidson
model to come out of the chopper evolution. Choppers became
especially popular after the film Easy Rider, starring Peter
Fonda, was released in 1969. |
