11/19/2023 0 Comments 1970s chopper motorcycleHow often do you see an Ariel Square 4 chopper? It’s been owned by Dave Cummings since 1961. But that’s what Choppers and Bobbers are all about, right? Enjoy.ĬHOPPERS AND BOBBERS – COOL ARIEL SQUARE 4 CHOPPER SO, LET’S LOOK AT SOME CHOPPERS AND BOBBERSĭifficult to define & almost impossible to compare, we will just focus on the look of these bikes. But it sure looked great to a high school sophomore growing up in the Central Valley. It often barely ran & had numerous problems that never got fixed because I just didn’t have the money, or the know-how (yet). I thought I was the coolest guy on Earth. It was a 1964 Triumph TR6 with the stock forks, oil tank, side cover & fenders chromed, a tiny “peanut tank” & “banana seat”. Looking back, they must have looked ridiculous, but at the time, it was all good.Īt the time, I called it a Triumph Chopper, but looking back using today’s standards, it was probably a Bobber. Their stock Honda tanks were painted wildly. Two guys in my high school (about 1971) had Honda 350 choppers! That’s right, Honda 350’s! Both had 12-inch extended forks without any added rake, so they were hiked way up off the ground. I saw chopped BMW boxer twins in magazines. Suddenly there were Honda Customs & Triumph Choppers, everything under the sun was being modified. In the very early 1970’s the market for choppers was so hot & had spread so far so fast that it poured over from the customary Harley & touched virtually every corner of the motorcycle world. Bobbers generally had standard forks & an overall minimalist, low-bucks look. Choppers generally looked more expensive, usually had extended front forks & custom paint. By this time, Choppers were more popular than Bobbers & their paths were spreading apart. The Chopper & Bobber look continued to evolve through the 1950’s & 60’s, getting a major kick in 1969 with the release of the movie “Easy Rider”. But generally speaking, Choppers and Bobbers got their start after WWII when returning GIs began ‘chopping’ or ‘bobbing’-off fenders & the like to create lighter, racier motorcycles, which kicked off a whole new look. No two are alike, or, if done right, even close. By nature, each is unique, customized to the tastes of their individual owners. Unlike stock, original motorcycles like those populating the rest of this site, custom motorcycles, be they Choppers & Bobbers, Rat Bikes, Cafe Racers or Street Trackers are not easily defined or judged. This unit-BSA has an extended custom springer front end. But, generally speaking, if it has an extended front end, it’s a Chopper. The line between Choppers and Bobbers is blurred.
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