The silly unrideable chopper trend Down under

A well off friend of mine just got his $60000 raked out,300 rear tire, chopper registered and we met up to have a look at it at a local bar.This guy has many bikes including several late sports bikes and can cut some serious lap times when he wants to.(He can ride).After running through all the specs he fired it up and wobbled off to do a drive by.(He looked far from cool in my eyes)but I was informed by the many admirers that it was infact very cool.
Trying to turn this thing around to park he lost his balance and it fell over after a gut busting effort by him to avoid this.Once we picked it up he had a look to access the damage,he informed us there was at least 6 grands worth of paint damage!I thought there would never be a style of motorcycle I would not find something to like about but that's now changed.
Do people really ride these thing's on the road in the US?They are starting to down here!

 

I'm seeing more $50,000 choppers with 500 miles on craigs list for $18,000.

 

Bait.Freind.Love n p?

 

Amazing the people that have succumed to the marketing "lifestyle" of Orange County Choppers and alike.
Putting that amount of cash into a motorcycle that's practically unrideable just to look cool is somewhere outside my reality.

Maybe if you had major cash to burn and appreciated all motorcycles, then parked the thing somewhere highly visable as art?

I percieve that most buying these things aren't motorcyclists.......just people who own motorcycles. Your friend is a notable exception to that.

 

The fad has definitely hit the wall...a while ago actually. A few years ago you couldn't go anywhere without "chopper" this or that. The TV craze fueled it obviously. Those who could afford it and didn't know any better spent the money. Those who couldn't got annoyed and bored with it like it sounds we all are.

There is definitely some nice art and workmanship, but it's nowhere near my idea of a bike.

 

Vlad and Two nailed it.

I had a guy in an MSF class last year that bought one and was riding it to and from class on Saturday and Sunday. Nice guy actually, he had been riding for years but always wanted a chopper. We got to talking and he told me how much he spent and I almost fell over. He laughed and then asked me why I don't have a "newer" sport bike? I said "I could afford one, but then I can't buy gear, track days, etc. becasue its all going to a payment". He then said "You strike me as being very practical". I laughed and said "You're right!"

Even if I had Bill Gates money I wouldn't buy one. I have nothing against exotic toys, but it would have to have some kind of use. I have always admired the MV Agusta F4. I could at least ride it on the track! A chopper is good for what? Driving in a straight line, in the vain attempt to look cool, from bar to bar.

No thanks.

BZ

 

well................ most of my bike buddies are into the "Harley" scene. most of them are just like me (broke dick motor heads just trying to get along) & a few of them have choppers. they are not $100,000 TV specials. they are custom fames with a little rake to them & they are actually fun to ride. they are not gonna get through the back roads @ any kind of speed, but for a sunday cruise they are more comfortable than my VFR. a few degrees of rake & kick it out there a bit & its a little different than the next guy.

that said................. for my money, I bought a VFR. LOL.

Bob

 

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Yea, , I have been watching orange county choppers on sky for a while seeing all the amazing theme bikes they make.
But, i cant see the point of it, no handling,comfort, speed,yuk!
A bike that looks like a fire engine ,but rides like pram!
Must have earnt Mt Teutus Senior a mint though looking at his new workshop!

 

I stopped in last Saturday to Tunnel Vision Cycles, a local bike tuner/independant repair shop. I had to get the 4 Mikunis on my Bandit synched and tuned. The gentleman behind the counter was a late-40's ponytailed fellow wearing a Harley shirt and said he was not the "metric tech" but could make me an appointment, etc. He then explained that times were tough because he was recently an employee of the local builder American Cycles that produced "$50,000 custom supercharged Harley-based bikes". He said he was laid off because nobody is buying them anymore. I can't imagine why...

He said they were producing 175 hp from a forced-induction pre-2006 twin. Nice power, but really. Can't a 1300 Suzuki or 1400 Kawasaki make that power for about $11k with slip-on cans and a high-flow filter? To quote Bridgestone's marketing, "power is nothing without control". Those bikes may be beautiful art and torquey and a lot of other things, but they are not a sustainable form of entertainment.

Case in point: the owner of my local car alignment shop recently showed me his new '08 'Busa. He said he had 4 Harleys at the house and loved riding them to Daytona and the like, but he bought this burnt orange screamer to give him his speed jollies. Nice man, a real rider, and he knows how to buy the right tool for the job.

 

Reg:

The old Bobbers still retained their practicality, and I think "practicality" is the real glue that holds many of us motorcyclists together whether we ride a Honda or a Harley.

That's pretty funny your old man dumped his chopper for something more practical in the Harley line-up.

On the other hand I can relate to someone who wants something just because they always have wanted it. That was the guy in the MSF class. He wanted a chopper because he always wanted one.

I've wanted a two-stroke track bike for a while now. Yes, I know two stroke break down for no reason, I know they are tempermental, but I want one dammit! God willing, I'll have one in the paddock someday smokin up the area!

BZ

 

Ah, the seventies...may be I should paint mutton-chopped snakes surrounding a naked lady in knee-high RWB-tubed socks with flames in the background on the viffer...

...wait, do we have a new decal for 2010 yet?!?

 

Let us not forget the CB750 sohc old school chops. Honda CB 750 Choppers! I still just love then and I've even seen a few with dynatec ignition and excell super coils. I just love the thought that these bikes were in the same groups as old harleys and the triumphs. may old school tastes were more to this liking though...cb750cafe.com - custom cafe racers

 

The Harley fad lasted much longer than I thought it would. I'm sure some fortunes were made from it.

 

That sounds about right Australia is usually 5 years behind the US in trends.Bobbers are taking off as well,with some shoestring budget specials looking pretty good.I would not tell Jeff what to waste his money on but think his bike is dangerous by design and not really a useful motorcycle.I have ridden another friends way less radical chopper and it was just bloody hard work that was only fun for about 5 minutes then it just became annoying.

 

Looks like Honda is unaware of the public's disaffection for choppers. In NY, they just unveiled the Fury, a chopper for the suburban set.

2010 Honda Fury Development

 

[ Just wondering) Here in the U/K i dont think i have seen maybe 2 or 3 radical choppers in 25 years of riding different bikes.
Is it just a U/S type of bike hype?
Or is it that with the bigger longer roads in the U/S, riding that type of bike is more suited?
Some of our roads ,if you had to turn with a chopper as on Orange County Choppers it would probably need a 5 point turn to change direction!
We have various types of trikes here but no choppers.
There has been some major manufactured semi rake choppers but you could live with them!
I had a Yam virago 535 some years ago but none of the big raked types as on the tv.
Just wondering, what are they like to ride? i can imagine that they would want to cartwheel on any tight fast bends?
So, is if you ride one , is it that you like them or is it just a statement to others of your life style?

 

WTH?

Honda won't upgrade the VFR, but they produce that useless machine?

If the Fury sold well in the U.S. its official, this Country has gone down the tubes.

BZ

 

I took a demo ride on a Victory Hammer a couple of years ago, just to satisfy my curiousity, and maybe see if I was missing something, as the "chopper craze" was in full swing. This thing had a big back tire (don't remember the size,but it was almost cartoon big), a skinny front tire and a big 100 cu in twin.
Anyhoo....what a complete and utter disappointment!!!!!
Handled like shit...was SLOW and noisy....GAY POS!!!!
I guess if your intention was to park, drink beer, and stare at the tribal blue and orange paint job, this would be a great bike.
But if you are a true rider, this bike and others of this design philosophy, are a complete waste of $$$$$$


IMHO, of course...:tongue: