Just cannot understand the appeal of choppers.

I look upon a notorcycle as a fantastic form of transportation, giving me a perspective while out on the road that cannot be matched while enclosed in the steel cage. However, there does seem to be somewhat of a need for practicality in ones bike. Thus the question, what is the lure of being on a bike that looks so damned uncomfortable to ride. Tall apehangers and stretched forwards just seem to put the body in such a position that anything more than a short ride to the local watering hole would be painful to say the least.

Before I started riding, I worked with a fellow that always walked like someone planted a size twelve boot in his crotch about two minutes earlier. I asked about this and he said that twenty plus years of riding a hardtail had caused the compression of several discs in his lower back.

Now before I have to put on my asbestos suit, I will say that the chopper crowd has some of the some of the best tastes in paintjobs and chrome in the motorcycle world. Just my opinion though, and you know everyone has those.

 

If I have to explain it you wouldn't understand it.

 

+1

One of the coolest bikes I ever had was a 350/4 chopper back in 1975. Shoot, I've been thinking alot about buying me another one for a bar bike.

 

From personal experience, having the legs stretched forward as much as possible is extremely comfy. Apes are not comfy at all on trips more than a few miles. With that said, give me a chopper with stretched forwards, a huge rake and 15 over front end with pull back bars and i'll be a happy boy.

 

Spent many years onna hardtail.. Yup they can beat ya up pretty good..
35+ years with apehangers and forward controls.. Can ride all day.. Hands at heart level tend to not go numb and the upright sitting position is so much more comfortable for me then reaching down for bars and having to then lift my head up to see and get a sore neck.. It's a personal preferance.. Nobody has to like it but me..Part of the lifestyle is to be able to have your bike exactly the way you like it.. Ride one with forward contols and apes sometime.. Then decide.. Otherwise it's like discussing a book with someone that you just looked at the cover but never read..
My .02
Blessings
PT

 

we all are unique as people and that transforms into the style of ride we prefer...some buy a bike off the floor and keep it that way,which is fine for them...but there are those that want to turn their bike into something that reflects their taste and personality

 

Hah, this one isn't uncomfortable at all and it rides and handles pretty nice too.

 

I love my chopper and I wouldn’t change it for the world. It is a completely different ride. I have put over 200 miles on it in a day with no problem at all. (just drop 5-10 pounds of pressure out of the back tire) back in the day people would ride a hardtail across the country. The only time that it really gets scary is if I hit a pothole while on the highway. I can feel every move on the bike in the seat of my pants. No wobbles, no bottoming out, just hard core fun.

 

The chopper is a long tradition among earlier bikers, whom had an affection for something "cool and highly desirable" by the non chopper riders. In the 70s and 80s I rode with a group where almost everyone had a primo chopper and in some cases a backup bagger ( but they were few in number, mainly do to nobody had lots of extra cash)

When one pulled up to a bar on a chopper, immediately he was the center of everyone's attention, " including" the ladies if you know what I mean, I don't recall solo seat on many choppers as a goal was to get as much poontang as possible ( Lost concept now adays)

Also , most chopper riders , were skilled enough or they knew somebody to wrench on the scoots or do a rebuild over the winter.

I rode a 73 chopper all over the midwest, down to Florida and over to Atlantic City from Detroit, I would not trade that experience for anything, it was a true adventure.

The media, has sucked many people into riding motorcycles the last 10 years, than previously the chopper craze had indeed gone away, mainly due to the Evolution Motorcycles on the scene, they were just far more reliable and comfortable, so many chopper riders kinda parked their choppers and bought Evos.

I will admit the new bikes are indeed more enjoyable to ride, but you know, I still want a Texas Chopper or Big Dog to play with once they are " dirt" cheap. But I confess no more cross country trips on one, at least for now anyways!

 

Great looking custom there, maskedstranger.