What Is a Chopper Motorcycle? Frame, Forks and the History From 1950s California to Today

A chopper is a custom motorcycle with modified steering angles and lengthened forks for a stretched-out look, and by the strictest definition its frame has been cut and welded at some point. The style emerged in California in the late 1950s, following the bobber. This page sets out what separates a true chopper from a bike that only borrows the look, then walks through the eras: the 1960s, the 1970s, the TV years and today.

Part of our custom motorcycle building hub.

Key takeaways- Frame first: a chopper's frame is cut and welded, which is what the name refers to.- The look is long forks, raked-out steering, a hardtail, tall bars and a big front wheel.- The 1969 film Easy Rider took the style worldwide.- Wikipedia says manufacturers cannot create a chopper, only emulate its look.

What makes a motorcycle a chopper

Wikipedia's chopper article lists the features that usually appear together. Treat the table as a checklist for spotting one, not a rulebook; builders argue over every line.

True chopper or stretched cruiser?

Wikipedia's types-of-motorcycle article files the chopper under cruisers, as a "chopped" version of a production cruiser, built mainly for visual effect. It adds that choppers will rarely suit lengthy cruising.

The word is also used loosely. Wikipedia says it often gets applied to any large motorcycle, and that makers use it for factory bikes with "chopper-like" design, such as the Honda Fury, which it calls not an etymologically accurate use. A factory bike can borrow the cues, but the frame test is what the strict definition rests on.

For the full comparison with the style it grew out of, see bobber vs chopper. For the definition of the bobber itself, see what a bobber motorcycle is.

Where the chopper came from

After World War II, returning servicemen began the bobber trend by stripping off fenders, turn indicators and even front brakes. The earliest choppers tended to be based on Harley-Davidsons, many bought cheaply as surplus military and police bikes, with Triumphs also popular.

Not every account tells it the same way. A video essay by the channel bart, drawing on Paul d'Orleans' book The Chopper, says the familiar story of veterans chopping up Harleys right after the war is not exactly accurate, because most postwar customizing was still bobbers.

This 21-minute history video runs from the early customizers to the TV era and the old-school revival. Watch for its point that the "veterans chopping Harleys" origin story is oversimplified, which is a more cautious reading than the short version above. It is the channel's own work, not ours.

The chopper by era

The 1960s: the look takes shape

By the early 1960s a recognizable style had formed. Builders swapped stock fat tires on 16-inch wheels for narrower tires on a 19- or 21-inch front wheel, moved the pegs forward and fitted a smaller headlight and tank.

Two regional schools stand out. Arlen Ness led the Bay Area style, with long low frames and front ends raked 45 degrees or more. Denver's Choppers, opened in San Bernardino in 1967, became known for "long bikes" with longer front ends and much higher frames, and for fabricated springer forks. If you want to compare fork types, see springer, girder or telescopic forks.

The 1970s: Easy Rider and the spread

Before 1969 the chopper was a subculture known to a relatively small group in a few US regions. Then Easy Rider, released by Columbia Pictures on July 14, 1969, changed that. Its two customized Harley-Davidsons, "Captain America" and "Billy Bike", were built by Ben Hardy and Cliff Vaughs.

One detail surprises people: the film opens with its characters on two European dirt bikes, and in total used two dirt bikes and four former police bikes.

Shops and parts suppliers multiplied. Laws required a retention fixture for the passenger, so sissy bars became popular, often taller than the rider's head, and the Honda CB750 four became a popular alternative to Harley engines. By the mid-1970s, stock Japanese and European performance bikes outran most choppers, except in drag racing.

The 1980s and 1990s: a factory answer

In 1984 Harley-Davidson released the Softail, which hid the rear shocks under the engine so the profile looked like a hardtail. The Softail Custom took chopper cues, including a narrow 21-inch front wheel, and interest in choppers declined. For the frame side of that story, see hardtail vs softail frames.

In the same period it became possible to assemble a complete chopper from aftermarket parts, such as S&S Cycle engines and Paughco hardtail frames.

The TV era

The Discovery Channel's 2000 special Motorcycle Mania followed builder Jesse James and is credited with creating a new genre of reality TV around choppers. American Chopper, featuring Paul Teutul Sr. and his sons at Orange County Choppers, ran six years from 2003.

Today: backlash and the old-school revival

The TV years prompted a backlash and renewed interest in home-garage bikes built on a budget, often from neglected bikes such as Yamaha XS-650 twins and old Sportsters. Bobbers came back as stock-rake, stripped-down machines. A newer wave, which Wikipedia calls "narrow muscle choppers", keeps the bike small and nimble with a tall front end, narrow tires and mid controls.

In the UK, many builders used Triumph or BSA engines because V-twins were costly and scarce.

Gear and the chopper look

If the leather side of the look interests you, Leather Collection's guide to biker culture and leather says the 1950s fixed the rebel image of the black leather jacket in films and photographs, and explains how club colors work. It also points out that protection classes such as EN 17092 apply to a tested garment, not to a whole range, so check the label on anything you buy to ride in. For the culture around the jacket and vest, see our biker culture hub.

FAQ

What does chopper slang mean?

The name comes from "chopping" an existing motorcycle, and the strict definition requires the frame to be cut and welded.

Does Harley-Davidson make a chopper?

Harley released the Softail in 1984 with chopper cues such as a narrow 21-inch front wheel. Wikipedia says manufacturers cannot create a chopper, only emulate the look.

Is a chopper good for beginners?

We found no tested data on this. Wikipedia says choppers are designed primarily for visual effect and rarely suit lengthy cruising. If you are weighing one, ask a builder and a rider who owns one, and test ride first.

Are chopper motorcycles still made?

Yes, by individual builders. Wikipedia describes a continuing old-school and budget-garage scene, plus a newer narrow muscle style.

For how a one-off build comes together from first sketch to first ride, see how a custom motorcycle build comes together, and for choosing who cuts the frame, see how to choose a motorcycle frame builder.