Harley-Davidson Choppers

A History of Harley-Davidson Choppers

During the 1930s and 40s there were not a lot of places for bikers to go if they wanted to tune up their Harley-Davidson motorcycles. There were no shops stocked with parts, no extensive catalogues, no web sites full of chrome and aluminum parts. Those who wanted to customize in those days had to turn to resort to a hacksaw and a welding torch if they wanted to cut down their bikes to make them faster.

Among the first items to go were the heavyweight steel fenders. They were either removed entirely or had several inches chopped off – a practice that coined one of the motorcycling’s most distinctive and, occasionally, notorious movements.

Harley-Davidson riders dubbed these bikes “Choppers” and the bikes were all about function. Time would show, however, that the evolution of the chopper would abandon the early focus on function in a preference for form.

These bikes were sometimes called “bobbers” or “bob jobs” in reference to short-cropped or “bobbed” fenders, and the idea of removing, lightening, or downright altering parts on a stock Harley-Davidson motorcycle took on near-baroque dimensions over the next half-century. A movement borne of necessity and simplification gradually evolved into a wild, psychedelic merging of pop art and uniquely American Mechanical Craftsmanship.

Only 20 years separated the rugged primer-covered bobbers of the immediate post-World War II period and the candyflake, chromed-out stretched choppers of the Easy Rider era, but the two schools were eons apart in looks and function. Early choppers were utilized for everything from cross-state touring to weekend drag racing and even off-road hare-and-hound races. Later versions of the chopper were more of an aesthete’s dream: long on looks and eye-pulling potential, but often short on performance.

Choppers were modified usually to either become striking works of visual perfection or power-packed speed machines. Either way, they required an experienced rider to make them come alive. Eventually, the choppers would become some of the most loved Harley-Davidson motorcycles on the road.

Some aficionados claim the chopper movement emerged as a close relative of the custom car scene that blossomed in Southern California in the 1950s and 1960s. Those in the custom car scene had already begun to turn stock Ford, Mercury, and Chevrolet cars into dazzling, sometimes bizarre, exercises in form over function.

Some customizing artists, such as cartoonist Ed Roth and painter Von Dutch, quickly realized the customizing potential of American-made motorcycles, taking up where Southern California’s inventive street riders left off.

Where riders had replaced Harley-Davidson’s unwieldy buddy seats with small, spring-mounted solo saddles, the customizers one-upped them with elaborate hand-stitched vinyl upholstery.

Exhaust pipes, which early chopper riders had crudely sawed off for additional noise and top-end horsepower, became the source of endless experimentation for chopper builders, by the mid-1960s, ornate pipes that wouldn’t look out of place behind the organ in a Byzantine cathedral were blasting down America’s boulevards.

Chrome and deeply layered lacquer covered all available surfaces, while seats grew narrower and taller, and often featured chrome “sissy bars” to keep passengers from falling off the motorcycle. Front forks were lengthened, sometimes by extraordinary spans. This practice may have destabilized low-speed handling, but hey – it looked cool and ran fine in a straight line on the highways.

The older, original Harley-Davidson stiff rear suspension frames became redundant by the introduction of swinging arm rear-suspension systems in the late 50s and early 60s. They suddenly became hot property for their lower seat height. Oftentimes, even front brakes were discarded as unnecessary; they clutter the looks of the classic chopper front end.

Like hot rods a decade before, choppers were helped along by cultural forcer outside of motorsports. During an era of political and cultural upheaval, choppers took on other roles besides providing a moving showcase for a gearhead’s talents. Extended front forks, laid-back riding positions, and designs that, in most states, existed in open defiance of motor vehicle codes and such modifications branded the chopper in the minds of the public with a reputation as a true rebel’s steed.

Stock Harley-Davidson motorcycles were referred to with derogatory names such as “Garbage Wagons” by the chopper crowd. Many would even claim that they’d rather walk than ride a stock machine! Similarly, many Harley-Davidson dealerships steadfastly refused to service choppers or sell chopper parts, further deepening the rift between the two camps.

Celebrities and rock stars such a John Travolta are known for their love of Harley-Davidson motorcycles and the same was true in years past. Janis Joplin to Jimi Hendrix were photographed on their choppers, and Life magazine depicted movie startlet Ann Margaret riding a chopped Harley-Davidson Sportster between Las Vegas shows. Those attracted to the anything-goes culture of the 1960s caused the modified bikes to forever be associated with biker gangs, but many wanted one of their own.

The governing bodies of many states started to take notice as well and some state legislatures began establishing codes outlawing features such as “Apehanger”-styled handlebars and long forks, which were deemed unsafe for public roads and loud exhaust systems.

The sight of a chopper pulled over for an impromptu roadside inspection became a common sight in the 1970s, prompting the rider of many a chopped Harley to slowly revert their machines back into less elaborate (read: less noticeable) customs. The chopper might have remained a curious relic of the 1960s culture, if not for a new generation of custom Harley craftsman who emerged a quarter-century later to rekindle American’s love affair with the chopper. In resurrecting the often-maligned machines, builders like Jesse James, Billy Lane, and Paul Yaffee managed to make roadworthy, popular, and even respectable a style of Harley-Davidson that often was anything but.

Today, because of reality TV shows which have popularized customized Harley-Davidson cycles, the choppers are being seen more and more and just like years past, they are being received with mixed emotions from both lawmakers and the American public in general.