Choppers are one of the major iconic custom motorcycles, with extended front forks giving them a sleek long profile guaranteed to turn heads wherever they go.
The history of the chopper dates back to America in the late 1940s, with the post-Second World War WW2 availability of army surplus motorcycles. These could be picked up cheaply, and many owners began customising them by removing unnecessary weight to make them faster and sleeker.
Choppers evolved from this trend, with customisations and additions slowly becoming more dramatic with ever lengthening front forks and swooping bodywork.
While American bikes like Harley-Davidsons were the main source for those early choppers, British bikes such as Triumphs began to gain popularity during the 50s, and later Japanese bikes began being used too.
Here we take a look at some of the most iconic choppers ever made.
Captain America
Undoubtedly the most iconic of this kind of chopper is Captain America, which was Peter Fonda’s motorcycle in 1969’s Easy Rider. Slathered in chrome and with the American flag fuel tank taking centre stage, the angles of the frame are extended back and forwards to create an extremely relaxed driving position.
Originally a 1952 Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide, only the engine was left unaltered by the time it – or rather they, because two bikes were made for the film – had been finished. They were designed by a team including Fonda himself, documentary maker Cliff “Soney” Vaughs, stuntman Tex Hall and motorcycle customiser and actor Dan Haggerty, who would go on to star in The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams.
One of the Captain Americas was badly damaged in the final sequence of the movie, where Peter Fonda is murdered by truck driving rednecks, with the damaged bike being partly salvaged by Haggerty and restored. The other three bikes, including the two bikes used by Dennis Hopper’s character, were later stolen from Tex Hall’s in uncertain circumstances.
There were rumours that the Hells Angels took them as some kind of debt owed by Fonda for his involvement in an earlier biker movie, The Wild Angels.
But you can’t keep a great bike design down, and Haggerty eventually sold a machine supposedly rebuilt from the remains of the stunt bike in 1996. A limited run of around 750 replicas were also made in the 90s by the California Motorcycle Co, so if you’re incredibly wealthy you might be able to persuade another incredibly wealthy person to part with the closest thing existing to the original screen used machine.
Alternatively, you could make your own, which would be far more in keeping with the tone of the movie and the motorcycle culture that originally inspired it.
Honda CB750
Easy Rider really helped raise the profile of the chopper internationally, but at the time Harleys were well along their path towards becoming statement bikes which were far too expensive to buy and instantly start chopping up and rearranging.
Luckily there were plenty of newer, cheaper and more easily available bikes that were perfect for customisation, and the Honda CB750 quickly became a popular choice for this. This guide, published in 1972, puts all the information you’d need to make your perfect Honda chopper, and its superbike engine would mean it had the power to match the looks once you were done.
Triumph X75 Hurricane
The early 70s really were the golden age of the chopper. Triumph created one of the first factory made choppers with the X75, which was also one of the fastest accelerating bikes when it hit the road in 1972. Its origin is particularly strange, as it was originally a BSA Speed Triple, which had not sold well in America.
It was redesigned in secret by American engineer Craig Vetter to more accurately reflect the kind of bikes that were popular over there before being presented to BSA who loved it. BSA went bust before it could be released, but it was eventually as a Triumph and its impressive performance and rarity has made it one of the most desired factory choppers for collectors since.
Harley-Davidson Softail
Harley-Davidson were, of course, totally aware of the customs being made of its machines and throughout the 70s began introducing ideas borrowed from that world into their own designs.
However, it wasn’t until 1983 that they launched their first full factory custom, which featured rear suspension, unlike many previous ‘hard tail’ Harley-Davidson customs. It’s remained a cornerstone of their range since then.
Honda Rebel 500
Choppers are now fully established in the portfolio of a huge range of manufacturers. Honda’s Rebel 500 is one of the most distinctive, with a design that cannily balances vintage styles with modern engineering.
It’s aimed at providing the kind of pure driving experience its forebears delivered, so if you’re looking for something with all the electronic modern gizmos, it might not be for you. But if you’re after an authentic modern chopper then it will easily exceed your expectations.
Can I get chopper insurance with Bikesure?
Bikesure provides affordable, specialist motorcycle insurance for riders, no matter whether you ride a chopper or any other motorbike, we’ve got a policy to suit you.Call 0800 369 8580 for a quick and easy quote or book a callback at a time that suits you.
