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A chopper is a type of custom motorcycle which emerged in the US state of California in the late 1950s. A chopper employs modified steering angles and lengthened forks for a stretched-out appearance. They can be built from an original motorcycle which is modified ("chopped") or built from scratch. Some of the characteristic features of choppers are long front ends with extended forks often coupled with an increased rake angle, hardtail frames (frames without rear suspension), very tall "ape hanger" or very short "drag" handlebars, lengthened or stretched frames, and larger than stock front wheel. To be considered a chopper a motorcycle frame must be cut and welded at some point. I.e. the name chopper.[1] The "sissy bar", a set of tubes that connect the rear fender with the frame, and which are often extended several feet high, is a signature feature on many choppers.
Two famous examples of the chopper are customised Harley-Davidsons, the "Captain America" and "Billy Bike", seen in the 1969 film Easy Rider.[2]
- ^ Holmstrom, Darwin (2001), "Appendix D: cycle babble glossary", The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles (2nd ed.), Alpha Books, p. 403, ISBN 0028642589,
a chopper today ... usually has an extended fork, no rear suspension, and high handlebars.
- ^ Wasef, Basem; Leno, Jay (2007), Legendary Motorcycles, Motorbooks International, pp. 47–52, ISBN 978-0-7603-3070-8, retrieved 2011-08-29