Hello all. Just a question... I'm building an old-school, hardtail chopper. (Think Easyriders) This kind of bike typically has a Harley engine, although lots of them have British twins or even Japanese inline 4's. But I can't find a picture of one with a vmax engine. Anywhere. Search "vmax chopper" and lots of bikes come up, but not a single one of them looks anything like the style of chopper that was popular in the 70's. There are "streetfighters" and "cafe racers", but no choppers. I'm starting to think I might be making something unique, but that's highly unlikely. Has anyone here ever seen a classic chopper with a vmax engine in it?
No vmax choppers?
- Thread starter El Maxero
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Well, that's a first in my knowledge. I think if that's your vision, then have at it and send us pictures.
The bike already has a reputation as a handful in the handling dept. Your typical chopper has little to offer in the way of better-handling than the bike the chopper came from.
I suspect trying to fit in with the average hard-core Harley chopper group, you won't be welcomed. "Harley-Davidson or hit the highway!" Why don't you pick-up a titled frame, rake the front end a bit, and throw on something like 6" over downtubes? The rest of the bike stays stock. That was a popular way to proceed back in the early 1970's. I had a college roommate who did just that with a Kawasaki 500 two-stroke triple, and it was entertaining to watch him attempt to 'goose' that thing. He really couldn't use it as-hard as you could a stock H1, but the looks did stand-out in a crowd of bikes.
If you have a death wish, be sure to put a springer or a girder front end on it.
The bike already has a reputation as a handful in the handling dept. Your typical chopper has little to offer in the way of better-handling than the bike the chopper came from.
I suspect trying to fit in with the average hard-core Harley chopper group, you won't be welcomed. "Harley-Davidson or hit the highway!" Why don't you pick-up a titled frame, rake the front end a bit, and throw on something like 6" over downtubes? The rest of the bike stays stock. That was a popular way to proceed back in the early 1970's. I had a college roommate who did just that with a Kawasaki 500 two-stroke triple, and it was entertaining to watch him attempt to 'goose' that thing. He really couldn't use it as-hard as you could a stock H1, but the looks did stand-out in a crowd of bikes.
If you have a death wish, be sure to put a springer or a girder front end on it.
MaxMidnight
Well-Known Member
Hmmm...wouldn't that jut make the inevitable happen quicker?
Jack Hammer
Well-Known Member
My bike is very Harley-like and I don't care what Harley riders think. If they like it, good but I'm not gonna loose a second of sleep if someone hates it. My best friend here in the States rides a Harley and he loves my bike. Do whatever you want to do, it's your bike. I'd love to see photos.
With the before-mentioned Springer front end (even Sugarbear crap) you could go for a solid frame in the back with a passenger car tire. It's going to ride like crap but will surely give you the correct looks. I'm not trying to be sarcastic here, it would really be a fresh approach. Love to see one.
With the before-mentioned Springer front end (even Sugarbear crap) you could go for a solid frame in the back with a passenger car tire. It's going to ride like crap but will surely give you the correct looks. I'm not trying to be sarcastic here, it would really be a fresh approach. Love to see one.
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Jack Hammer
Well-Known Member
Jack Hammer
Well-Known Member
If you go with solid rear then a passenger car tire is actually a good idea with very low pressure to run it. That way the bike is not going to destroy your spine and discs.
Tony Grasso has had a couple choppers for a long time now.
MaxMidnight
Well-Known Member
Yes, this bike definitely has the lines of a "long and low" style chopper. The builder accomplished a lot without a completely new frame. Thanks for the pic.
I'm thinking that if a bike like what I'm talking about was out there, you guys would know. In the chopper world, it's not that often that I see anything new. Most choppers are sort of cookie cutter copies of the basic Harley engine, Springer front end stereotype. I'm mostly after something different. Having said that, my frame is a pretty standard hardtail geometry except that I have a super wide rear tire. I'm not crazy about that, but I'm running an outside the case chain drive and I want it inside the frame. I've got 45° of rake with a pretty boring springer on the front. The only real oddity is the engine. As far as killing myself on this bike, I've been riding for 50 years, including all kinds of highly questionable machines, so I won't push it past it's handling limitations. If someone else ends up with it, I hope they don't think a bike some guy welded together in his garage and put a vmax engine in it is going to be "safe". Pics on the build coming soon. I need to get the chain drive done to get the chain path nailed down, and I'm not enjoying it. It's a real PITA.
Bullies74
Well-Known Member
Nice, is the rear fender and brake light from a Sportster?
Incider
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I've been running darkside on my combination for a while, it doesn't get leant over so I save a fortune on rear rubber lol
Looking at this outside of the case chain drive, I'm really not liking the width. I've searched here and seen the thing where the chain comes out of the driveshaft hole. Nah. What I can't seem to find is an example of just deleting the whole middle drive, case and all. I'd lose a motor mount, but there's plenty of output shaft to run a support bearing attached to the frame. Has anyone seen this tried? It looks super easy. Some kind of plate with a shaft seal is about all I'd need. Unless I'm missing something?
Now that I'm looking at it, I think this could be done without even splitting the case. Just saw the damned middle drive off, fasten some kind of plate with a seal in it to the case, add sprocket and ride away! Has to be a totally unworkable fantasy...?
Giantkiller
Active Member
That looks awesome very much like a drag bike.
I built a chopper no hardly dangerous parts. But has a Ultima elbruto 113 evo style only 120hp but 120ftlbs of torque. Only problem is if you whack open the throttle it snaps the belt a rubber band. You have to roll it on after it's moving. Will spin that 250 with ease. Took me 2 years to build it. Won every show I put it in. Took best in show the first show I put it in. The show had several bikes built by biker build off shops. Including a copper plated chopper by Jesse James. Looks good handles like shit. And yes I rode the shit out of it.
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PATMAX
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Been done. one that was nicely done was for sale maybe 5-10 years ago. Spoke to guy. If you can find or do the neck rake, you are golden. The look was spot on. Not oringinsl idea but a well executed one will always be unique and appreciated.
This is the 'look' Arlen Ness popularized (above). Low, with the centralized mass of the engine and frame, and lighter-looking, less mass raked front end. Of course, his bikes used Harley-Davidsons. A generic name for the style is 'Frisco flyer. I like this, I'm guessing the rear wheel is a 18" and the front is a 21" with about a 44 degree rake.
I saw a few of this style when visiting Ness's shops, the old one, and the new one, in San Leandro CA. Here's a venerable Knucklehead in the 'Frisco flyer style (below). Who's that guy?
Here's a Ness-style 'Frisco flyer (above). It has a 32 degree rake.
Here's The Man and a creation (first pic, below). More extreme than the above. Feet-forward. There was a kit in the 1970's to make something like this, the Magna-Cycle. Built by Jerry Magnuson. 'Just add Sportster parts!"
Adhering more to what you'd expect to see in a 'Frisco flyer, (above) sporting a top-tube frame, I suspect it's a fuel tank of about 2 gallons, which won't get you very far when it's on-top of a Roots-type supercharged Sportster. The top-tube of larger size has several adopters. In drag racing, it's to minimize mass and has only enough capacity to get down the quarter-mile. It needs replenishing every run. No sense carrying more-than you need! The center/rear mass of the engine, the frame, and the rear wheel is opposite the much-less mass of the raked front end. The idea of a 'Frisco flyer.
The top-tube of larger size on a motorcycle has been used in several iterations. Fritz Egli has for many years sold kits to fit a variety of engines. The Egli-Vincent was one. This bare frame gives you an idea of Egli's basic design (below).
A famous Egli-Vincent (above). The nickname for the gas tank design (above) was 'banana tank'.
Triumph also used a larger top tube starting in ~1971 which was an oil tank, not used for gasoline. The design made the bike taller, and many riders prefer the older style, which had a separate oil tank. In a departure from the 'big top-tube' design, the Triumph 500 vertical parallel-twin (Tiger and Daytona) continued with the older frame design.
Dan Gurney was building something like this, he called it the 'Alligator.' No two were exactly alike, and he modified the design over time. He preferred a single-cyl engine, to make it as light as he could, w/a low center of gravity. Check-out the Gurney Eagle Indycar and the Toyota IMSA GTP car he built and successfully campaigned.
A souvenir I have from attending Daytona.
Signed by Dan Gurney.
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Giantkiller
Active Member
Yah the term chopper came from early racers. Chopping everything that wasn't necessary off to go faster. Top fuel frames are the epitome of only the necessity.
Then in the drug induced logic of the 60s and 70s came. Someone said " Heyy mann what if I streeeched out my forks so they stick way out in front!" " Wouldn't that be really cool!" Thus the new definition of chopper. Lol.
Then in the drug induced logic of the 60s and 70s came. Someone said " Heyy mann what if I streeeched out my forks so they stick way out in front!" " Wouldn't that be really cool!" Thus the new definition of chopper. Lol.
That is a beautiful build
