One of the growing industry is chopper kits. Every single day, pictures of choppers that have been finally finished are coming up in many motorcycle magazines. In short, there are more choppers these days than there were a few years ago.
Most of the choppers that you see are built from chopper kits; the ‘chopper in a box’ idea. Don’t worry though. It’s a whole lot more easier to build your own custom chopper than it has ever been. There are complete bike kits, chassis kits, etc. There’s a wide variety of stuff available when it comes to purchasing a chopper kit.
A few years back, you had to buy a bike and literally chop it off into pieces. However, chopper kits today have changed it. No more chopping off your brand new bike just to make it fancy.
If you calculate the cost of buying a brand new bike and chopping it off to pieces, the cost of starting right from the basics works out to be much more cheaper. Instead of simply discarding parts that you will not need, why not buy only those that you need in the first place. Chopper kits typically include all the needed parts along with complete instructions.
Quite a few people are concerned about the fact that if they buy a chopper kit, they’ll have exactly the same chopper as the ‘guy-next-door’. A chopper kit, is basically, nothing more than raw metal. There’s absolutely no finish, no paint, etc. It’s just a canvas waiting to be finished. I am sure your preference in paint jobs is quite different from that of the ‘guy-next-door’. The same goes for seating, exhaust, etc. Buying the kit does not mean you have to ride it the way you got it. That’s the point of a custom chopper.
Yet another question is ‘How long’?. Well… as long as it may take. Sure thing, kits are supposed to be easy as hell but that does not mean you will not run into problems at some point. There’s no avoiding it. If you want to build a custom chopper, you got to live the experience.
Practically, experience cannot be substituted at all. If you want to gain experience with the mechanical site of the chopper kit, the best place would be with your current bike. You should be able to do all the basic maintenance. Once you’re through with that, try some basic dis-assembling. Remove the tires, the exhaust, etc. All of this helps to instil confidence in you. Watching a few videos is also recommended, since there’s nothing better than looking at real life examples and learning from other people.
If you’re still not into the mechanical side, you can always get it done by someone else. Ask a friend to help you out, or get the whole chopper built by someone. Sure thing it may cost a little more, but not as much as chopping a new bike.
While returning home after the World War 2, those American soldiers who were riders started to strip down their motorcycles to make them lighter. Those who had served overseas were not really satisfied with the bikes that Harley Davidson was producing, despite their loyalty to the company.
Many of them had been trained to work on bikes and other automobiles, therefore it was completely natural for them to make changes. As they talked to others more and more about their changes a new bike took form. They gave the name ‘bobber‘ to bikes that had been changed. The bike designs were inspired by those seen in Europe, since they were more compelling, lightweight and fun.
The fender was one of the first things to be changed. The front fender was almost always removed, while the fender at the back was shortened just enough to protect the rider from mud that was thrown up by the tire at the rear. They continued to make changes to their bikes and the ‘chopper‘ finally came into being. It was originally used for dirt track racing.
The process of chopping was what gave birth to the term ‘chopper’. Riders started to ‘chop off’ parts that they felt were not needed. This included big seats, big headlights, etc. They reduced the size of the fuel tank to make the ride lighter.
Over time, riders started getting rid of everything and anything that seemed too big or unnecessary. For a few parts, they decided to make smaller versions. The front tire was made smaller while the rear tire was increased in width. They would often talk to other riders and create a ‘perfect’ ride for themselves.
It did not take long for this craze to catch on. And soon after, individuals started designing custom choppers to sell to other riders. The riders therefore did not have to do the customizing work themselves. Soon, Harley Davidson started designing and building choppers for sale to the general public. Usually, trends tend to decay over the years and are forgotten. However, this one has made an amazing comeback.
If you cannot afford a $25k+ price tag on a custom chopper, but always wanted to have one, then the Yamaha Raider chopper is exactly what you need.Back in the old times a Chopper was, as the name implies, pieces of motorcycle that were put together to form a lightweight running machine. The Yamaha Raider may not entirely match up with everyone’s idea of a chopper, but it has all the styling options that a chopper has coupled with the comfort of cruisers.
Once you’ve decided that you want the Yamaha Raider, it’s about time to explore the range of the chopper. The Yamaha Raider displaces 1854cc and is cooled by Air and Oil. A twin-bore electric fuel injection handles the carburetion on the Yamaha Raider and the compression is 9.48:1. A belt final drives it, and there’s a five speed multiplate clutch. On the Yamaha Raider, max torque goes at 2,500rpm and there’s a 4,500rpm top on the power band.
An all aluminum cast frame is implemented on the Yamaha Raider to provide a light and rigid platform for the basic build. The highest point of the chopper is 45 inches and the seat height sits at 27 inches. The fact that the Raider weighs only 690 pounds when dry is probably the best part, considering that it displaces about 2 liters. The chopper image of the Raider is invoked by a 210-series tire at the back. The front end features a 120/70-21 bias tire. The Yamaha Raider also features a drive belt embedded with carbon fibre, routed wiring on the handlebar and a perfect finish.
For many average buyers, custom choppers are largely out of their price range. While others cannot do the customizing themselves, and so, are left out the chopper game. The Raider answers the problem for them with a custom look and a lot more comfortable ride. Most choppers are built for companies and rich people, but the Yamaha Raider is built for everyone to ride and enjoy.