Front ends for choppers, bobber, and stock
modifieds Harley-Davidson Motorcycles for Sale Our design or yours, we build 'em! Early diagram and design for early frond ends still
in use today. Builders like to start from scratch, using S &
S, Ultima, Accurate, and Harley-Davidson engines, to name but a few. The builders put their own name on the bike
and tend to be classified as clones by the uneducated who would classify them all as Harleys. In reality, not a single
part with be from Harley. The classic custom bike, typified by long raked front ends with the head-cock of the frame angled at 45 degrees and normally has extended forks.
If the forks are short, they they had high handlebars. Most of these are hard-tail frames, without rear suspension. Custom bikes cover just about anything, but there are various classes within the category. - the term Lowrider speaks for itself; a bike that is long and low, which can be further subdivided
into:
- a Taildragger, where the rear fender covers
the rear wheel down to the ground level
- the Streamliner
is where most of the bike is enclosed, except maybe the engine
- the Classic is where it is based on the classic styling themes from the past, such as the Indian Chief, or
the Harley Knucklehead.
- a Street Dragster is a long, low with a
performance engine
- a Taildragger has the rear fender which covers
the rear wheel down to the ground level
Vintage Harley-Davidson Many prefer to
look backwards to Harley's glorious past. Restoring and running bikes that may otherwise have ended up on the scrap-head is
a good way to start. Most of these people, some as old as the bikes they run, others who had yet to be born when their own
bike rolled off the production line, show up at events run by the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, founded in 1954.These
events allow people to display immaculately restored machines in the concours d'elegance, or show original bikes proudly displaying
their age.
Having a chance to ride old bikes leads
to discussing them and discovering the parts needed to bring a dying Harley back to life or restore it to total original
form. Swap-meets and flea markets have parts and accessories from all periods as well as useful tools and books to help with a project. One can find just about any part ever made, if
one has the time and patience; however, many will be worn and need work. One alternative is to use the worn-out original
as a pattern, and get a machine shop to make up a new part from scratch. Most of these are ridden hard still, running
faster than when they left the factory, thanks to modern tuning knowledge, technology, and the use of lightweight materials
when rebuilding motors.
Harley-Davidson has long been central to the custom bike movement, particularly in the United States. It grew out of the original California Bobber, into the Chopper, and later into countless variations such as street fighters and retro bikes. In America, and most of the world, Harley-Davidson
motorcycles are still the choice for custom builders. Through the 1950's, 60's, and 70's, the Chopper grew more elaborate, with the movement spreading across the world. Bars and seat backs grew higher, and multi-colored metal-flake
paint jobs and intricate chrome work or engraving appeared. For some, the definitive Chopper, with its high bars, a tombstone seat, and a feet-forward stance, are the bikes in the movie Easy Rider ridden by Peter Fonda
and Dennis Hopper.
Arguably the first real custom bike was the California Bobber, more conservatively speaking, it was the birth of the modern custom movement. It firs appeared in California in the
late 1940's, and the look quickly spread across America and the rest of the world. The easiest way to make a Harley
lighter and faster was to dump all the superfluous bodywork, so front mudguards, fairings, and unnecessary items were removed.
The rear mudguard was "bobbed" or "chopped", down to the bare minimum in keeping with the stripped-down
look, thus the name Chopper. As years went by, the Chopper or Bobber look became more stylized and elaborate, but the California Bobber is where it all started.
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